The idea of traveling around the world, discovering different countries, and having a local real estate agent show you around and help you find your dream home in a foreign, faraway land is at once exciting, seductive, and, many think, attractively bizarre.
Everyone’s wild about House Hunters International
And that’s exactly why everyone’s crazy about House Hunters International! A recent survey conducted by Parrot Analytics reports that in the US, the demand for the intriguing series is 7.9 times that of other currently running series, and higher than 97.5% of all other US reality shows. Amazing!
What is House Hunters International
House Hunters International is the offshoot of House Hunters, a popular unscripted TV series aired on HGTV that features buyers, i.e. couples, families, or singles, who meet with local real estate agents, visit different houses, and finally decide on which to buy or rent.
The cool thing about House Hunters International is that it adds the glamor and fascination of virtually exploring foreign countries, and gaining insight into the local culture, architecture, and real estate market.
Needless to say, House Hunters International Italy, i.e. the episodes of the series dedicated to finding a perfect dwelling in Italy, is particularly fascinating. This is because the destinations and types of homes visited by prospective purchasers are incredibly diverse, and the series offers great insight into how buying real estate in Italy works (which, to foreign eyes, is at once enlightening and entertaining!).
Every episode of House Hunters International Italy showcases typical local architectural style and interior design while providing a realistic, sharp-witted, and penetrative picture of the towns, cities, and areas’ distinctive characters both in terms of geography and heritage.
Hence watching the different episodes provides a sharp, discerning overview of Italy’s cultural, architectural, and natural diversity.
House Hunters International Italy episodes list
Starring real people, i.e. families and individuals one can easily relate to, the series has a genially “educational” value: just think that the first season ran down the Italian boot from Rome to Sicily, covering some 900+ kilometers, and the second zoomed in on Tuscany, Umbria, and Lake Garda, alongside Sicily. Specifically, the episodes focused on a total of 11 destinations: Rome, Ostuni (Puglia), Abruzzo, Calabria, the Amalfi Coast, Gaeta (Lazio), Sicily, Tuscany, Lake Garda, and Orvieto (Umbria).
“Rome If You Want to” – investment opportunities in Rome
House Hunters International Italy’s Season 1, Episode 1 and Episode 9, “Rome If You Want To” and “Scientific Home Search Rome” see a couple and a single man through their quest for perfect homes in the Eternal City. What opportunities does Rome really offer today?
Where to buy a house in Rome
The data provided by ClassCountryHomes shows that the traditionally posh Flaminio-Ponte Milvio-Belle Arti area and Prati-Francia neighborhoods still provide the finest options if you’re looking for an upper-class studio, or flat, or for an abode in a period building, while both the well-connected San Giovanni-Roma Est and lovely residential Villa Ada-Monte Sacro areas offer equally charming, but more budget-friendly homes. The Monteverde and Aurelio neighborhoods, on the other hand, can be interesting if you’re aiming for a smaller, but perfectly equipped, smaller apartment: the John Cabot University Campus is close by, so you’ll always be able to rent it out!
Puglia’s whitewashed allure
In “Platonic in Puglia” and “Savoring Italy’s South” a couple of friends and a single woman roam through splendid Puglia, specifically Ostuni, to find welcoming houses that can feed their need for a more authentic lifestyle. Both episodes focus on this Southern Italian region’s sun-drenched, colorful charm and time-honored legacy, displaying its manifold attractiveness.
A great destination for real estate investments
Aside from being extraordinarily beautiful, Puglia is a win-win investment when it comes to buying real estate: the region’s beaches, climate, and lovely historic cities lure thousands of visitors from all over the world, hence buying property aiming to rent it out or establish a hospitality business is bound to be a successful financial venture.
Where to buy real estate in Puglia
Prospective investors will probably want to focus on beautiful, honey-colored Baroque Lecce, or on a popular seaside resort. Let’s look at the current prices to have an idea of how the market’s moving. As of January 2023, reports the leading Italian real estate portal Immobiliare.it houses for sale in Lecce went for an average price per square meter of €1.125: this means they’re on the rise compared to January 2022, but haven’t reached the peak price of €1.135 hit in October 2022. As regards seafront opportunities in the province of Lecce, the same portal provides current costs in Porto Cesareo, where the average price per square meter stood at €1.748 in January, and Gallipoli, where it was €1.952.
More seafront magic: Calabria, Gaeta, and the Amalfi Coast
Sea-view and seafront homes are certainly among the world’s most sought-after dwellings, and House Hunters International Italy leaves no stone unturned to show its audience some of Italy’s finest examples. In “From One Coast to Another”, Season 1, Episode 4, a man from San Diego looks for his dream retreat on the Amalfi Coast, in Episode 5, “A Vacation Home in Calabria”, an Irish family rambles through Calabria hunting for a beachfront holiday haven, and in Episode 6 a couple relocating to Gaeta, Lazio, needs to find a comfortable home.
Which to choose?
Watching the three episodes one after the other, you can’t help but think that the destinations are all, albeit different, marvelous, and wonder which one you’d personally focus on. It all depends on the reason why you’re setting out to purchase, and what type of property you’re looking for.
Pros and prices – Gaeta
Gaeta, Lazio, for instance, is strategic both if you’re relocating and if you’re seeking a holiday home: not too large and not too small, it boasts a beautiful historic center, lovely beaches, spectacular seafood, and a lot of different properties for sale. For instance, as of today, Idealista.it offers very diverse options, including a wholly renovated 90 sqm 4-bedroom apartment near the Cathedral of St. Francis at €320.000, and a typical flat, on two floors, in the Medieval heart of town at just €190.000. It’s definitely food for thought!
Pros and prices – Calabria
Calabria is definitely one of Italy’s most attractive regions because it pairs a beautiful, pristine natural environment with cost-effectiveness. Ever a favorite among Italian tourists, it’s now become a very sought-after destination among foreigners: ANSA.it recently published the results of a survey conducted by the leading real estate portal Gateway.com, which clearly show how foreign demand for homes in Calabria continues to increase, with the request for houses and apartments in the province of Catanzaro hitting +168% last January. So, how much do houses in Calabria cost? Prospective buyers will be glad to hear that they’re incredibly competitive: as of January 2023, Immobilare.it reports that the average price per square meter for residential real estate in Calabria stood at €920.
Pros and prices – the Amalfi Coast
So what about the Amalfi Coast, is buying a home along that beautiful stretch of dramatic cliffs that dive into the blue sea and alluring postcard-perfect villages a good investment? It certainly is, because this paradise-like area is bound to never go out of fashion, so reselling or renting out will always be possible. But, on the other hand, the amount of money you’ll have to invest is substantially higher: Immobiliare.it shows homes in Massa Lubrense selling for €4.016 per square meter, and those in the Sorrento municipality hitting €6.195.
House finders in Northern Italy
What about Northern Italy? Do House Hunters International Italy’s prospective buyers ever travel north? Yes, they do, and to an outstanding location: Lake Garda, Italy’s largest, and arguably most popular lake! In “Love on Lake Garda”, Season 2, Episode 2, a young couple wanders across the shores of the shimmering lake on their quest to find a romantic home to build their lives in.
Lake Garda houses are great investments
Could you blame them? The environs of the lake house olive groves, vineyards, and orchards alongside charming historic towns like Sirmione, and a fairy-tale-like collection of attractions of all sorts. Relocating to Lake Garda means reaping the benefits of all this (and if one decides to sell, there’ll always be demand for a house on Lake Garda!)