How much does villa in Sardinia cost? Such a simple question implies a simple answer. Sardinia is not so big to make any surprises.
However, the situation is not as clear as it might seem at first sight. And it's not just the fact that Sardinia is considered a mecca for beach lovers, and not in the great climate or in a relatively easy accessibility. Rather, the secret lies in the long history and the human admiration. Well, a little bit - in money. However, this story deserves to be narrated in details.
One open-minded but very rich sheikh Karim Aga Khan IV once sailed along the Sardinian coast. Everything would have remain the same, but the boat suddenly broke. The sheikh had to set his foot on the shore, where he was struck by the unprecedented beauty of the area. And, really, it was something to see: heavy white sand, silvery olive groves, emerald greenery of the trees and all this on the background of deep-blue sea and the sky of the same colour.
Struck by the beauty of the landscape to a depth of his sensitive soul, the sheikh decided to use this gift of nature. He decided to build a luxury resort for the very wealthy persons. Let's emphasize that exactly for the very wealthy. This is important, as it implies a minimum population at a maximum of luxury on the unit of area. Soon after the construction was completed the first inhabitants settled in the Costa Smeralda.
Several decades have passed since then, but the popularity of this area is only increasing, by the way. Experts of Italian real estate market say that the Russians make 20% of all real estate transactions and they are second only to Italians, who make 25%. Other deals are made by the British, Germans, French and residents of other countries.
What is the price. Cheap deals
"Cheap deals" means very different things to each of us. We mean "cheap deals" in comparison to general level of prices for real estate in Sardinia.
Thus, the relatively low cost of residential real estate is in the south of the island. For example, apartments in Villasimius are offered at a price of €1,980 per sq.m, while the villa in the northern part of the island, in the coastal town of Chiaramonti, costs €395,000 (about €3,600 per sq.m).
By the way, if you look for an old house that needs of repair, you can find quite good options for investment. Amount of the transaction starts from €25,000.
Affordable real estate is offered in Cagliari. You are guaranteed a sea view and an average cost of €2,300 per sq.m. However, if you want a luxury living, you can settle close to super-expensive villas in the Costa Smeralda. You won't find an affordable villa here, but you can purchase an apartment with a view on the river or the city at a price of €5,700 per sq.m.
Relatively inexpensive is the real estate in the Costa Paradiso - in the north-west of Sardinia. Apartment in a new residential development with a personal pool, can be purchased at a price of €3,580 per sq.m, and a villa of 100 sq.m on the coast goes for €500,000. By the way, the West Bank is a popular place to purchase real estate for the residents of the United Kingdom and the Scandinavian countries.
Expensive and prestigious
As for mighty Russians, they prefer to settle in the north-west of Sardinia, in the Costa Smeralda, and in the south-east, in the Fort Village. The Italian real estate brokers report that Russians prefer expensive real estate. For example, the cost of the villas start at €20 million, and the upper limit seems to have exceeded €100 million. This purchase behavior is explained by the fact that wealthy Russians consider villas in Sardinia not as a place of residence, but as an evidence of the VIP status. Lots of anecdotes spread among the locals about the eccentric Russian villa owners. Well, everyone catches his own good time.
The rich owners of property in Sardinia are Alisher Usmanov (the richest Russian in 2012), Oleg Deripaska (owner of Valkyrie villa in Porto Cervo), Silvio Berlusconi (at Villa Certosa, he met with Vladimir Putin, Tony Blair and other world politicians), Roman Abramovich (villa in Cala di Volpe) and Ziyad Manasir (originally from Jordan, co-owner and president of holding "Stroygazkonsalting", the owner of the villa in Porto Rotondo). It is possible that the owner of the villa in the bay Romazzino is Alexey Mordashov, the head of "Severstal".
So, let us start with the prestigious Costa Smeralda. In the heart of the coast, in Porto Cervo, just a short walk from the yacht club, elite apartments are sold for €99,999,999. Isn't it an interesting price? Perhaps the seller decided that €100 million will seem too round or too expensive.
For €20 million in the Costa Smeralda you can buy a house with six bedrooms, for €12 million - a villa close to the beach. As you can see, price dispersion is really serious, mainly the amount depends on the location, the name of the architect and other signs of status.
Cost of villas in the Costa Paradiso is slightly cheaper. Thus, the five-room house will cost €4.5 million, and for €2.2 million you can buy a villa in Golfo Aranci with views to the surrounding mountains. Just south of the Costa Smeralda, in Murta Maria, you can buy a villa of 540 sq.m for €1.64 million.
Of course, relatively cheap properties can be found in the Costa Smeralda, sometimes such offers appear on the market. Naturally, the object will not be in a prestigious area, and the view from the windows will not please you with the blueness of the sea surface, rather it will be the view to mountains or roofs of neighboring houses.
In addition, you can buy cheap properties away from the prestigious coastal areas, where the Italians themselves buy houses. Experts argue that the insane price increases are subject only to elite areas, but in other towns and villages the situation shows a remarkable stability. Welcome to Sardinia!
Text: Nadezhda Degtyareva, for ee24.com