Property hunters are being urged to head to Italy if they are looking for a bargain property. Head of International Sales at Savills, Charles Weston Baker, recently said that houses in many parts of the country are currently between 20-30% lower than they were in 2007.

Strict planning laws and a lack of oversupply historically have kept property values in Italy stable, so with drop in prices, now really could be an ideal time to buy.

Knight Frank Prime International Residential Index has recently shown evidence to back these findings up. It found that property in some of the most popular – and sought after – areas of Italy have seen prices fall by an average of 5%, including parts of Tuscany and Venice. Some of the most affordable property is still in the south of Italy, notably Puglia where a rural villa with large plot of land could be yours for around £100,000.

Rome was the only area in Italy to register an increase in property price last year. To grab an Italian bargain, visit Rightmove’s property in Italy section.

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in Italy, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘Italy Property Buying Guide’