Oristano, Sardinia: Large Houses on the West Coast

The town sits near the Gulf of Oristano and the Tirso river, with a Gothic-era cathedral, a medieval centre and the Sartiglia, a horseback festival each carnival. The nearby Sinis peninsula has Phoenician and Roman ruins at Tharros, white quartz beaches and a lagoon with flamingos. Cagliari is about 95 km south by the main road, so Oristano is quieter and less touristy than the north-east coast.

Winters are mild, but summers are hot and some rural properties lack mains water.

A notary completes the deed, and foreigners need an Italian tax code. Registration tax on a private-seller resale is 2% for a main residence or 9% for other homes, charged on cadastral value, plus small fixed taxes; developer sales carry VAT instead. Coastal and rural plots are covered by landscape planning rules, so confirm what can be built or extended. Have a surveyor check cadastral conformity and any abusive extensions.

See the Italy buying guide, the financing page and the Italy hub.

Cagliari, Sassari, Nuoro and Sud Sardegna are the main alternatives; Olbia and Arzachena are far to the north-east in the high-priced Costa Smeralda zone.