edensassi

Hello everyone,

We are looking at starting a 'farm stay' business in Italy. We are currently looking at a property of about 30,000m2. I just wanted to inquire as to what everyone's experience has been in buying property (particularly agricultural land) and how difficult it was to obtain planning permission, specifically for a new build? We are thinking of hiring a geometre based on the research we have done. Would love to hear anyone else's experience in this??

modicasa

whether you can build and to what density and what you can build depends on your comune/province, as well as on other factors. You need to see the destinazione urbanistica for the land before you even put in an offer, as it will tell you what you need to know.

philat98

If you look on Agriturismo.it there are 200 farm stays in Lazio and 1200 in Tuscany. For some reason Lazio is not encouraging the Farm stay business.

modicasa

If you are planing an agriturismo, then you will need to have at least 3-5 years money to put by, before you start earning. You will need, not only to learn Italian and become resident, but also go through the bureaucratic hoops of setting yourself up as an azienda agricola, growing something that you can give to your guests to qualify for the agri bit of your turismo, and loads of other stuff aswell. Building newbuild if you are an azienda agricola is much easier and cheaper than if you are a private person, but comes with other requisites and obligations that its worth taking into account before you take the plunge.

Anna J

In addition to the above you need a business plan, especially if this is going to be your sole source of income. Do you know the area? Do you know the competition? Do you understand the market / where is that market, local or abroad? How are you going to advertise / source business? There is so much to consider and, sadly, the odds on succeeding to the point that you make a good living are fair / poor. I know several long-established agriturismo owners in southern Tuscany with beautiful properties, clever marketing capabilities and, importantly, a good percentage of returners but even they struggle financially. Bear in mind the operating costs too and maintenance / upkeep. Someone I know with an upper end place buys new sheets and towels every couple of months. And in order to be one step ahead of the rest you may want to look at add on activities such as offering cooking classes, painting, yoga. It's not easy, and that's assuming you've successfully jumped through the bureaucratic hurdles.

philat98

I have stayed in quite a few Agriturismo in the last few years and they all have been created more than 10 years ago. I wonder if there is much financial incentive now for country property owners to go into the tourism business?

modicasa

There are bandi in certain regions, but they are very much ad hoc - and you need to be ideally femaleand under 35 as well as a registered farmer to have any hope of getting onthe gradatoria - and even then the money comes with many strings attached.