Puglia and Lake Maggiore in the Italian Lake District have been highlighted as good value for overseas property investors, and both areas have celebrity endorsement; Helen Mirren and George Clooney both own holiday homes in the regions. Helen Mirren was recently photographed near her holiday home in Puglia , a 500-year-old castle. Although Mirren's Puglia property is worth more than £680,000, The Times reports that there are more affordable investment opportunities; unmodernised trulli, with their distinctive conical roofs, cost from £23,950. In particular, the "fairytale town" of Alberobello is awash with trulli. Meanwhile, George Clooney has drawn attention to the Italian lakes, with the purchase of his holiday villa by Lake Como . The 'Clooney effect' has meant property prices have soared around Lake Como, but value for money can still be found near Lake Maggiore , just 20 minutes west from Lake Como. Maggiore is proving a rival to Como as the place to find a large holiday home, and according to Knight Frank villas here are between 30 and 50 per cent cheaper. The Times explains that "summer houses built by the French aristocracy line the shores of Lake Maggiore.. [and] are well priced for their size and cachet" when they come on the market. After Clooney bought his Lake Como villa the Versace family benefited from the soar in prices and sold their property for a reported €30m (£24m). This story was brought to you by holiday letting ...
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