Where do I start?
Decide what would suit you best: town or country, bustling or remote? Do you want to start a business or take family breaks?

I love the great art cities – any advice?
Rome, Florence and Venice are fabulous to visit as a holidaymaker but remember that they attract tourists all year round and, in the summer, these cities are so over-run that locals tend to leave town.

I would prefer a rural location
If you want a relaxing retreat, but prefer to integrate with the local community rather than socialise with fellow British holiday-makers, steer clear of Tuscany and Umbria. In Emilia Romagna, further south, there are less pricey properties in equally beautiful locations.

What is the current hotspot?
Sicily is the hot tip: regular budget flights from the UK, fantastic countryside dotted with Baroque towns, and reasonably priced real estate.

How do I get started?
Several websites offer insights into what is on offer: www.italianproperty.eu.com covers Tuscany and Umbria; www.picenehomes.com specialises in Le Marche. Websites such as www.propertyinitalyforsale.co.uk and www.homesinitaly.co.uk have a broader remit.

What will it cost?
Price depends on location, condition and square footage, but on a budget of between £100,000 and £350,000 you will find a wide range of properties from attractive city apartments to four-bedroom villas.

How do I proceed?
Before you buy, you will need a codice fiscale or tax code from the authorities. Then a local surveyor and notary will carry out a litany of searches and a survey. Once satisfied that all is well, you can make an offer.

Now what?
The seller accepts and takes 10 per cent as deposit, then both of you sign a compromesso di vendita, a legally binding document with details of the price and completion date.

Are we there yet?
Almost. The final step is the contract or rogito, signed by both sides in the presence of a notary.

Can I retract my offer?
If a seller withdraws at this stage, he will have to pay double the buyer's deposit back. If the buyer drops out, he loses the deposit.

What is the downside?
The process is pretty straightforward but can be slow. Italian bureaucracy would try the patience of a saint.

Any fees and taxes?
Purchase costs are likely to total around 15 per cent of the purchase price. Costs include estate agents fees (3 to 5 per cent), notary's fees (around 3 per cent) and legal costs (around 2.5 per cent).

Any differences between towns and the country?
For second homeowners, registration tax is 10 per cent on an urban property town and up to 17 per cent for a rural home. (If you are a full time resident, you will pay 4 per cent.)

How about a mortgage?
Italian mortgages are generally repayment mortgages, and are usually offered over 15 years rather than 25 years, as is usual in the UK.

Would it be nicer in Nice?
A common quandary for Britons is the choice between the south of France and Italy. France is nearer, but neither is inconvenient or expensive to get to: the budget airlines serve both equally well. In general, you get less square footage for your money in France, and you are more likely to run into fellow countrymen: almost 60 per cent of foreign buyers of French property are British.

WORDS KATRINA BURROUGHS