Introduction
In property, many places are described as “the new Tuscany”. It’s shorthand for somewhere really special that, once discovered, will become hugely popular, with massive demand for property and rentals.
The same undoubtedly holds true of the original. Tuscany is beautiful – its weather, the countryside and architecture, its stunning churches and museums and the irresistible food and wine. It’s the sort of place that people visit once and fall in love with, and want to come back year after year to keep the love affair going.
Le Fontanelle apartments give you the chance to own your very own piece of Tuscany at a great price. With a bank valuation confirming an 18% discount to market value, and our own research showing an average discount of 25% to market value, deals like this just don’t come along very often in Tuscany.
The region is a tourist favourite, with the nearby medieval “town of towers” San Gimignano welcoming 3 million visitors through its gates every year. The traveller’s bible, Lonely Planet Italy, confirms the area’s popularity:
“In high summer, San Gimignano in Tuscany can be as unpromising for accommodation as that Christmas Eve in Bethlehem”
The demand for high quality rental properties with excellent amenities is strong throughout the long high season. Properties like Le Fontanelle which have a communal pool, parking, garden or terrace space and 6 hectares of wooded area surrounding the development offering shade and seclusion will be much sought after. The added bonus is that in addition to good rental yields, you have the opportunity to use the apartment to treat yourself to a relaxing Tuscan holiday. It’s a perfect lifestyle investment.
The developers have much experience - since 1959 they have specialised in sympathetic renovations of existing and historic buildings. Le Fontanelle consists of a converted farmhouse, barn and stables, restored using local materials in the typical Tuscan style.
Deals like Le Fontanelle just don’t come along that often in Tuscany – when people find something to buy there, they tend to hold on to them for years, so property of this quality doesn’t come up for sale that frequently. So seize your chance – and enjoy La Toscana!
Warm regards,
Alise and Jonty Crossick
The developer at Le Fontanelle is Lapucci Costruzione, a long established local family firm. Founded in 1959 by the current director’s father, Lapucci is run by a brother and sister team. They are based in the nearby town of Poggibonsi and the majority of their work is concentrated around the local area between there and Siena.
Their track record is comprehensive. They currently have 10 projects in construction and since 1989 they have completed an estimated 200 developments. They have focussed primarily on residential property and the conversion and renovation of existing buildings, often ancient and historic buildings.
We visited an example of this at Il Torre, a converted monastery, parts of which date from the 11th century. It was sympathetically restored into 17 residential apartments, completed in 1996, and is now occupied by local families.
We also visited another completed Lapucci project called Il Pino www.podereilpino.it.
Finished 10 years ago, this development consists of several holiday apartment blocks in restored farm buildings on a hill with distant views of San Gimignano. It also has its own pool.
More remote than our development at Le Fontanelle (up a steep unmetalled road), these apartments are booked out for an average of 23 weeks per year. The developer also has a winter accommodation agreement with students from Siena University on short courses, which indicates it is possible to obtain high occupancy bookings in the low season.