Western Liguria, on the lookout for second homes on the coast and inland

The second-home market in western Liguria has never suffered a setback. Interest in buying has always been high, especially from families from Lombardy and Piedmont. “In recent years, purchase values in the province of Savona have exceeded one billion euros” (Source: Omi, Income Revenue Authority) confirm Alessandro Matarozzo and Stefania Emanuel, who have been present in Alassio, in the centre, since Easter, with the estate agent’s Alassio-Riviera Engel&Völkers, “proving that this is an area where it makes sense to invest. Prices vary greatly depending on location and type of property; in the high-end market, they range from €3,000 per m2 in the hilly areas of the less desirable villages to €20,000 for seafront dwellings in Alassio that have all the features required. Such as, for example, a floor penthouse, a large terrace, an impeccable view, an extraordinary context, a lift and the inevitable garage. Villas in the hills are also in great demand among foreigners and we specialise in this as well as in the selection and sale of seafront penthouses, the most sought-after by people from Milan, Turin, Alba and Asti”. No less exclusive is “the hill of Andora, in the Pinamare area, where it is possible to buy a villa with a generously sized swimming pool with a magnificent view and in a prestigious setting. But in general, all the towns along this magnificent stretch of coastline,” (the two experts go on to say), “are seeing an increase in property values year on year thanks to the precious interventions of recent times. As has happened in Loano, for example, thanks to the wonderful marina that can host the most exclusive yachtsmen and is now also a location for appealing events; or Pietra Ligure, which has increasingly improved its beautiful promenade starting from the pier”. But inland is not to be underestimated, superbly developed thanks to its pedestrian and cycle paths, and which offers year-round services. A second home along the coast or inland, therefore, puts forward Liguria as an ideal year-round destination, with its mild climate and the sea within a 10- to 15-minute drive from the most beautiful and important beaches. The most popular types, according to Fabio Becchi, president of Fiaip Savona, “are detached houses or villas with a garden and swimming pool. However, people still want a comfortable home with outdoor areas and a sea view”. A second home can also be bought with a mortgage, “perhaps by financing half of it in cash,” explains Gian Luca Grosso, managing director of Fondocasa, one of the historical brokerage companies in Liguria and Northern Italy; “mortgage loans will soon become competitive again, we have been providing them for some time with our We Unit Group Spa division. Our clients-buyers get two- or three-room apartments from 45 to 65 metres by the sea or at a maximum distance of 500 metres”. And so, whereas in the fantastic former fishing village of Laigueglia there have been no new buildings for thirty years, the object of dreams here is “a 75 to 100 m2 apartment in the city centre or in the small square in front of the sea,” says Andrea della Peruta, of Immobiliare La Meridiana, even better if renovated. Prices can range from €6-7,000 to €11- 12,000 for the seafront”.