As an estate agent once said, when it comes to homes the ‘perfect everything’ is impossible to find. Compromises are the order of the day when buying a new house, particularly in the lower price ranges. One trade-off you don’t need to accept, however, is between price and character. A smaller budget doesn’t mean having to settle for a non-descript house—unless you want to. To prove the point, here are three homes that are low on price but big on charm. Each one can be yours for €120,000.
Trullo, Cisternino, Puglia
When it comes to vernacular charm, few properties beat Apulia’s trulli, candid pinnacles topping the grey limestone cone roofs. Real Estate Cisternino are selling one in a small hamlet near Cisternino, a pretty village in the Murgie hills. It is a two-cone trullo with an extension. Inside the whitewashed cones are a living and dining area, with two double beds sheltered in two curvy alcoves. The kitchen and living room and a bathroom are situated in the extension. There is a small gazebo, with enough room for alfresco dining, attached to the extension. The trullo opens onto 2,600 square metres of grounds, with trees, plants, a large patio area, a barbecue, a water cistern, and a small lamia (trullo-like barn with no cone) which is used as storage room. The asking price is €120,000. For more information call Real Estate Cisternino on +39 080 444 1166 or visit www.realestatecisternino.com.
Monastery apartment, Sant’Angelo in Pontano, Le Marche
In the historic heart of Sant’Angelo in Pontano, a hillside village in Le Marche, stands an ancient monastery that has been split into a handful of apartments. One of the flats has now come up for sale. Painstakingly renovated, it has a large, contemporary bedroom, a living room with exposed beams, a good kitchen with dining area and bathroom with vaulted ceiling. Outside, the monastery cloister has tables and chairs for alfresco dining and there is a garden which can be reached via the ancient cellars. The asking price is €120,000 through Real Estate Dreams (+39 347 6833547, http://italy.realestate-dreams.com).
Restored stone house, Castiglion Fiorentino, Tuscany
This stone village house stands in a panoramic spot in a small village near Castiglion Fiorentino. Carefully restored, it has been split into two—a one bedroom ground-floor flat with kitchen and living area and bathroom; and a first-floor flat with living area; study or bedroom on the mezzanine floor, bathroom, store room and loft. The interiors have a rustic Tuscan feel, with beamed ceilings and a fireplace, and the windows frame views of the hamlet and the surroundings hills. The property, which could potentially be extended, subject to planning, comes with a small piece of land. The asking price is €120,000 through Apta Domus (+39 0575 740 718, +44 (0)208 123 7407, www.aptadomus.com).