properties in Milan

In September 2023, the average cost per square meter to purchase a house in Italy stands at €2,122. However, if we consider Milan, prices soar to over €5,300 per square meter.

These figures have been revealed by the monthly Observatory of the Italian real estate market by Immobiliare.it Insights, pertaining to property transactions in September 2023. There are no significant variations in house sale prices across the entire national territory.

The national difference is 0.2% compared to the previous month (3.2% compared to the same period last year), with a slight variation between the Northern regions (0.6%) and the Central-Islands area (-0.2% and -0.1%). The average price per square meter on a national level reflects vastly different scenarios. While in the Central-Northern regions, prices comfortably exceed €2,000 per square meter, in the South and Islands, they stabilize between €1,300 and €1,500.

In August, there was a nearly 9% drop in real estate supply in all regions, particularly in the Northwest and Center with a -10%. In September, the situation changed drastically, with a national average growth of over 9.1%. The areas that had experienced a significant decline the previous month are the ones that show the most recovery: Northwest (+10.5%) and Center (+10.1%), followed by the South (+8.1%), Northeast (+6.9%), and Islands (+6.5%). A similar trend is observed in demand: in August, due to seasonality, there was a sharp decline, while in September, there is a recovery, with peaks of 25.2% in the Northwest. The national average surpasses 20%, precisely 21.3%.

Demand is growing everywhere, albeit less markedly in the Islands, where it stands at 8.2%. Average rental prices show a trend towards stability, with slight increases in both major cities (+0.4%, at €3,250 per square meter) and smaller centers (+0.2%, at €1,797 per square meter) – the latter being those with fewer than 250,000 inhabitants. The most noticeable aspect emerges when analyzing demand and supply: there is a clear difference between major cities and smaller centers. In cities, there has been a rush in sales contracts, with a demand growth of 33.4% compared to August, although there is a decline of -4.1% compared to the same period last year. In smaller centers, there is an increase of 11.6% (-0.3% compared to September 2022). Simultaneously, supply has also expanded: +20.8% in centers with over 250,000 inhabitants and +6.4% in those below this threshold.

Milan reaffirms itself as the most expensive city in Italy. To purchase a property, one would need €5,301 per square meter. This is the first time that the €5,300 threshold has been surpassed, given that in August, the price was €5,271 per square meter. Bolzano secures the second spot with €4,657 per square meter, slightly lower than the €4,684 per square meter in August, followed by Florence with €4,125 per square meter (compared to €4,130 in August). Among provincial capitals, Catanzaro is the least expensive, at €988 per square meter.

Looking to invest in real estate? Perhaps it’s better to focus on properties in the outskirts rather than the heart of the city. This is the main conclusion of a study conducted by Immobiliare.it exclusively for Repubblica Milano, which examined the gross profitability of various city areas. Experts compared the average selling prices of properties in each neighborhood with market rents, providing an insight into potential real estate investments.

The study results indicate that the most cost-effective area for real estate investments includes Bisceglie, Baggio, and Olmi. In these areas, the average cost of a home (mainly studios or small one-bedroom apartments) is approximately €165,400, with average monthly rents amounting to €950. This translates to an average annual yield of 7.38%, surpassing the citywide average of 5.01%. In second place is the Ponte Lambro-Santa Giulia macroarea, offering an average yield of 6.7%. The third spot goes to the Affori-Bovisa area with 6.62%. Conversely, the Arco della Pace-Arena-Pagano area has an average yield of 3.45%, even lower than the Garibaldi-Moscova-Porta Nuova area at 3.49%. “By purchasing a one-bedroom apartment in the areas outside the 90/91 circular line, the price is nearly 50% lower compared to a property in a central city location (€230,000 versus €430,000)”, explains Antonio Intini, Chief Business Officer of Immobiliare.it. “Furthermore, the rental differential decreases to 25% (€1,100 versus €1,480).

This is primarily due to two factors: on one hand, the rental market is more responsive to socioeconomic changes compared to property transactions, and in a city like Milan, with various attractive areas, growth affects the entire territory. On the other hand, not owning the property often pushes renters to seek alternative solutions if rents in the central and desirable areas exceed their budget, while when purchasing, the choice of location remains a significant factor,” adds the expert.