Sardinia’s Booming Real Estate Market - International Second Home Buyers in Italy And The Irresistible Lure of Island Life

International citizens are enamoured with the Italian island life when it comes to move abroad, and especially with the mesmerising Sardinia.

As a matter of fact the demand for properties for sale in the region by international house hunters is soaring. According to the latest report published by Gate-away.com – the leading Italian property portal solely dedicated to would-be buyers in Italy from all over the world – in the first three months of 2023 Sardinia is the Italian region with the highest growth compared to Q1 2022 with +26% of queries.

So despite the fact that Tuscany is still the most popular Italian region overseas, others are registering a major increase in demand from international investors. That’s the case of the Italian region of Sardinia but also Sicily (+16.1%), which are two biggest islands.

This is due to the fact that overseas buyers are looking for less expensive properties in lesser known areas and these two islands still have so much to offer.

Sardinia is unique in its kind. It is an Eldorado which is famous for its unspoilt landscapes and crystal clear waters, for the longevity and the high quality of life, but also the authenticity of its historic villages. It is not just the glamorous life of its legendary Emerald Coast.

"Figures for Sardinia in Q1 2023 do not surprise us," explains Simone Rossi, co-founder of Gate-away.com, "We know very well that overseas buyers’ interest in Italy and its real estate market is constantly growing and they look for homes in every part of our beautiful Italy, not only Tuscany, as many might think.”

The most sought-after areas in Sardinia

The Sardinian area which coincides with the province of Sud Sardegna (South Sardinia) is the one who grew the most with +104.94% of enquiries compared to the same period of 2022 and the second most requested with 15% of the total requests while the most desired province is Sassari (68% of requests), which is on the opposite side of the island namely the north of Sardinia.

Among the municipalities, those situated in the Sassari area are the most sought-after. La Maddalena is the most popular one with 12.7% of the total requests. It is followed by Budoni with 7.32% of queries,Trinità d'Agultu e Vignola with 6,87%, Castelsardo with 6.23% and Badesi in fifth position with 4.25%.

Who are the most interested international would-be buyers in Sardinia?

The greatest requests come from the United States with 24.9% of the total and Germany (15.6%) in second position. France (6.78%) and the United Kingdom (6.42%) are respectively in fourth and fifth place. In second position are requests from those you sent an enquiry while they are already in Italy (8.4%).

What international investors look for in Sardinia

Due to the offer in Sardinia you can mainly find new or recently-built properties but with typical local features. They are usually superbly situated in quiet areas, immersed in nature and just a stone’s throw from unique beaches.

So also requests are mainly concentrated on houses (62.78%) rather than apartments (37.22%). As a matter of fact villas (28.46%) and terraced houses (11.38%) are the most requested type of properties.

In terms of property features, international buyers in Sardinia are looking for completely restored or already habitable properties (47%) and new houses (44%) with a garden in the majority of cases (75%).

Gate-away.com reports that the majority of the requests are for properties in the 100,000 – 250,000 euros range which account for about 36%. A good 25% is for properties worth up to 100,000, and a 22% for those in the 250,000 – 500,000 euros range. Properties from 500,000 to over 1 Million euros represent about 18% of the requests.

The property average value of worldwide enquiries is € 540,000 euros.