Homes abroad, Italy is popular with the British

The British like houses in Italy more and more: in the first half of 2025 the number of British citizens looking for a property in our country increased by 28.01% compared to the same period last year, according to the latest data processed by Gate-away.com, the Italian portal dedicated exclusively to foreign buyers.

Italy is the first choice of British citizens looking for a home abroad, followed closely by Spain and Portugal. More than half of the British, according to the report, concentrate their searches in Italy alone, citing quality of life, cultural heritage, nature and climate as reasons.

The five areas with the highest concentration of housing requests this year are Salento, Valle d'Itra, Monferrato, Lunigiana and Lake Como. Not obvious choices, which show how the preferences of the British have evolved compared to the past, when areas such as Chianti or Versilia dominated.

In fact, Tuscany has lost its first position among the most popular regions, conquered instead by Sicily, which recorded a 99% increase in requests compared to the first half of 2024. This is followed by regions that arouse growing interest among foreigners such as Puglia, Piedmont, Liguria, Abruzzo and Calabria.

"Italy has always exerted an extraordinary fascination on UK buyers," explains Simone Rossi, co-founder of Gate-away.com. "For many of them, buying a home in the Belpaese is not just a real estate choice, but a way to rewrite their daily lives. They seek a different, more human rhythm, where time is not only marked by work but also by the pleasure of living. They find here a balance that seems lost elsewhere: the family lunch, the walk in the village, the square as a meeting place. It is this combination of elements - the landscape, the history, the quality of life and the welcoming people - that makes Italy for many Britons a refuge, a second chance, a return to what really matters."