Imagine spending your spring days exploring stunning Florence, your summer nights relaxing on your terrace overlooking the Mediterranean landscape, a winter’s day walking on a deserted and beautiful beach and an autumn’s afternoon driving through Tuscany?
The magic of Italy is in its diversity - from dramatic mountain peaks to perfect and pristine sun kissed beaches, from alpine forests and lakes to rolling and tumbling countryside and hills – and retiring in Italy, you can have access to all this and far, far more.
Of all the nations in the world that people consider for their retirement Italy has been surprisingly overlooked of late because it is considered that the cost of living is high with property prices spiralling ever upwards and yet, and yet…Italy actually has an attractive cost of living, superior healthcare facilities, reasonably priced real estate and an exquisite landscape, culture, climate and people to explore, get to know and fall in love with!
Are you dreaming of an overseas retirement?
Are your dreams fuelled with thoughts of long relaxing evenings spent enjoying a good meal and some fine wine with friends and close family?
Do you long for time to discover hidden talents and enjoy long forgotten pursuits such as walking, fishing, painting or even perhaps dancing?
Italy is a country that offers retirees one of the finest qualities of life in the western world…and if you dream of a long and relaxed, happy and affordable retirement here are just 10 reasons why you should be considering retiring in Italy: -
1) The World Health Organisation ranks Italy very highly in terms of the quality of health care services it offers and what’s more, health care in Italy is free for many people. Depending on the country you originally herald from you may also be entitled to free health care (this usually applies to those coming from other European Union nations) while for others it may be necessary to take out health insurance in Italy. Either way healthcare is affordable for most people and the level of care available is very good indeed.
2) The cost of living in Italy can be more than affordable – if you live in southern Italy your fuel bills will be very low as the further south you relocate the hotter the climate. If you eat local produce and avoid expensive imported goods you will find that you can live on next to nothing very well!
3) Property in Italy is expensive in the major cities and in Umbria and Tuscany but as soon as you move from these locations you not only realise there are many parts of the nation that are at least as attractive (if not more so) and where real estate is not just affordable but sometimes even cheap. Additionally there is such an abundance of property for sale that as long as you dedicate a bit of time to researching the locations you’ll soon find the perfect property in Italy for you.
4) The one good thing about Italy that many people forget to consider is its accessibility – there are 133 airports across the country with many European cheap flight operators reaching the most remote parts at least once a week. This means you can easily travel back home to see family and your friends can reach you for holidays.
5) The climate in Italy is better the further south you move which means that if you want balmy summer nights and temperate winters you should head south and forget worrying about your heating bills!
6) Italian culture is of course world famous for its richness and diversity and if you’re retiring in Italy you will have the time on your hands to spend enjoying art galleries, opera, beautiful buildings, fantastic frescos and so on and so forth! If you’re inspired by Italian culture you need to be living in Italy to really get the very most out of your passion for all things Italian.
7) Italian cuisine is among the finest in the world – this has a great deal to do with the fantastic local produce and the ingredients that are available fresh every day. You can learn to cook Italian style, you can eat out affordably on the most exquisite food on the nights you don’t feel like cooking and you’ll feel a new lease of life because Italian cuisine is generally so healthy – just avoid too much of the lovely Italian ice cream and you’ll be okay!
8) Both the Italian language and the people are fascinating and if you understand the language you’ll understand the people. Italian is a passionate and beautiful language which is why Italian people are so warm (sometimes fiery) and passionate. Take time to learn to speak Italian once you’ve retired to Italy and practice your language skills on the people you meet. Not only will you soon be fluent you will make many true friends along the way.
9) There’s a broad wealth of activities available in Italy – for example you could learn to play golf, to sail, dive or just swim, you can explore the countryside on horseback, on a bike, on foot or by hiking and camping out. If you want to you can learn to paint, to cook, to play cards or backgammon and chances are, no matter what social and leisure activities you enjoy most, you can spend plenty of time doing them all in Italy.
10) And finally – because you’ve retired to Italy all your old friends as well as your family will be inspired to visit you, some will even possibly follow your lead and you’ll soon make even more good friends in Italy.
Basically you don’t risk living alone if you retire to Italy!
