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Liguria is the narrow arc of coast between the French border and Tuscany, better known abroad as the Italian Riviera: resort towns, fishing harbours and villages on steep, terraced hillsides, with Genoa at its centre and Nice airport within reach of the western end. Realpoint’s listings in Liguria are mainly at the top end of the market, so this guide is upfront about that. It looks at what is actually for sale in Liguria on Realpoint, what different budgets buy, and what to check before you sign anything.
For an introduction to the region itself, its towns and transport links, see our Liguria property page.
What’s on the market in Liguria
- Villas and apartments, in roughly equal numbers, make up more than four in five of the homes listed.
- Houses make up most of the rest. Farmhouses and town houses are rare.
- Terraces and gardens are the most common features: about half of all homes have a terrace. Roughly one home in four has a swimming pool, and about one in six has a sea view.
- The typical home has three bedrooms.
To be clear about what Realpoint has here: most of our Liguria listings are priced above €1 million, largely villas and apartments in the Riviera resort towns such as Sanremo, Bordighera, Alassio, Rapallo and Portofino. More modest homes, such as village houses inland and everyday apartments in the coastal towns, are very much part of the Ligurian market, but there are fewer of them on Realpoint.
What does a home in Liguria cost?
Asking prices run from well under €100,000 for the occasional small home to several million for a seafront villa. In practice:
- Half of all homes are listed between about €450,000 and €1.9 million.
- Around three in five are priced above €1 million.
- Homes under €100,000 are very rare: only a handful at any one time.
Houses are the most affordable option on Realpoint in Liguria, with a typical asking price of around €300,000. Apartments are much higher than you might expect, at around €1.25 million, which reflects the resort towns where most of them are listed. A typical villa is listed at around €1.5 million.
What your budget buys
- Under €300,000: mostly houses in hill villages and some smaller apartments. A limited choice on Realpoint, so set up a search and check back. See Liguria homes under €300,000.
- €300,000–€1 million: houses with gardens or terraces, apartments in the coastal towns, and some smaller villas.
- €1 million–€2 million: the core of what Realpoint lists in Liguria: villas and larger apartments in the Riviera towns, many with terraces and sea views.
- €2 million and above: the largest villas, often with gardens and pools, in the best-known Riviera locations. See Liguria homes with a sea view.
Where the homes are
Liguria has four provinces, and on Realpoint the west is by far the busiest:
- Imperia, next to the French border, has more than half of all listings. Sanremo and Bordighera are the two busiest towns in the region, with Ospedaletti between them and the hill village of Perinaldo inland.
- Genoa has around a quarter: apartments in the city of Genoa, and homes east along the Riviera di Levante in Rapallo, Zoagli and Portofino.
- Savona has around one listing in ten, many of them in the beach resort of Alassio.
- La Spezia, in the east next to Tuscany, has fewer, including homes in the city of La Spezia.
There are few listings on Realpoint around the Cinque Terre and in the inland valleys. If you are set on those areas, save a search and check back regularly.
Five things to check before buying in Liguria
1. Access and parking
Many Ligurian homes sit on steep, terraced hillsides, and some can be reached only on foot or along a narrow path. Walk the route yourself, with shopping in mind, and check where you can park. It also affects the cost of any building work.
2. Dry-stone terrace walls
The terraces that give Liguria its look are held up by dry-stone walls, and those walls need maintenance. Ask what condition they are in, when they were last repaired, and include their upkeep in your budget.
3. Landslide and hydrogeological risk
On steep ground, the stability of the land matters as much as the house. Ask your geometra to check the plot against the official landslide and hydrogeological risk maps before you commit.
4. Landscape rules on the coast
The Ligurian coast has strict landscape rules, so extensions, new pools and changes to the outside of a building need approval. Find out what is allowed before buying a property with plans in mind.
5. Condominium fees
Seafront apartments are usually in buildings with shared costs, sometimes including gardens, lifts or a pool. Ask for the annual condominium fees, recent accounts and any major works already approved.
Buying costs in brief
On top of the price, allow roughly 7–15% for taxes and fees, depending on the property and your situation:
- Registration tax when buying from a private seller: 9% of the property’s cadastral (land-registry) value for a second home, or 2% if it will be your main home in Italy, plus small fixed taxes. From a builder, VAT applies instead.
- Notary: required by law for every purchase.
- Estate agent: in Italy both buyer and seller usually pay the agent. Agree the percentage in writing at the start.
- Your own surveyor and lawyer: strongly recommended, especially for older rural homes.
You will also need an Italian tax code: see our guide to getting your codice fiscale. Our article on the 7 most common mistakes foreign buyers make is worth reading before you make an offer.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Always confirm costs and rules with a notary, geometra or commercialista for your own purchase.
Frequently asked questions
Are there affordable homes in Liguria on Realpoint?
Some, but they are a minority. Houses are the least expensive type, typically around €300,000, and homes under €100,000 are very rare. Most Liguria listings on Realpoint are above €1 million.
Which part of the Riviera has the most homes for sale?
The west. More than half of Realpoint’s Liguria listings are in Imperia province, around Sanremo, Bordighera and Ospedaletti. On the eastern Riviera, Rapallo, Zoagli and Portofino are the busiest.
How many homes have a sea view?
About one Ligurian home in six on Realpoint lists a sea view, and roughly one in four has a swimming pool.
Start your search
Browse all homes for sale in Liguria, or simply describe your ideal home in our AI search, for example “apartment with a sea-view terrace in Sanremo under €800,000”.
Homes for sale in Liguria
- €200,000
- €500,000
- €995,000
- €1,950,000
- €398,000
Elegant Top Floor Apartment in Villa with Garden and Sea View for Sale in Sanremo
Sanremo, Imperia, Liguria- €200,000
Renovated Apartment with Sea Views and Rustico for Sale in Latte, Ventimiglia
Ventimiglia, Imperia, Liguria- €2,450,000
- €1,600,000
