There is a huge market for property rental in Puglia from Italians who usually visit between June and October. Non-Italians may prefer to come shoulder season unless they are tied to school holidays, or for short breaks at any time when flights are cheap. Whereas countryside properties with pools or properties near the beach are the most popular available choice between June and September for all visitors wanting a traditional week or fortnight’s holiday, town properties are more in demand at shoulder season, particularly for shorter breaks where staying in a town can make car hire nonessential.
In the Salento, a lot of towns are close enough to the sea to make a town-based stay more appealing year-round. Whereas rental and property management agents who understand the international market are now prolific in The Valle D’Itria, the Salento hasn’t really caught up and, at the moment, there are very few options available for foreign owners.
We have been asked for years to manage and rent out properties by clients whose properties we have restored, and in some cases, have done so for periods of time but have been reluctant to do so consistently, or on a larger scale.
In this case, however, because we will also have Palazzo Viva, it makes sense to do it. Palazzo staff can double up, in terms of housekeeping and bookings, and there is also a good crossover between the hotel and holiday rental properties in terms of marketing. Looking after holiday rental guests also widens our audience for events and other services provided by Palazzo Viva as well.
In terms of restoring and reselling properties there is also a good constructive interaction between the different elements of our business. Having an in-house property rental service gives us a cost-effective way to rent out our own properties until we find a buyer at the best possible price and anyone who buys a property which we have restored is likely to go on to become a client for our property management and rental services. Anyone viewing or looking to buy property in Puglia will also need somewhere to stay on their viewing trip and while the sale is going through.