Borgo del Torchio, Lago di Garda, Appartamento, Italia

The small town of Manerba del Garda is located on the western edge of Lake Garda and is incredibly well placed to explore the delights that this fantastic region offers. Bergamo Airport is under 30 minutes drive away and enjoys regular flights from several UK and Irish airports by low cost airline Ryanair. Easyjet also fly to Milan, Malpensa which is about an hours driving distance. Milan, one of Europe's most sophisticated cities, is also around an hour away whilst romantic Verona, home of Romeo and Juliet is only 40 minutes distance. Slightly further afield Venice, the eastern coast and the Dolomites (for skiing) are all easily reached in less than two hours.

Stunning development

A short walk from the pituresque shores of Lake Garda these traditional style apartments offer a relaxed style of living in harmony with the surruondings. Borgo del Torchio is located on the borders of the park of the Fortress of Manerba, very close to Porto Torchio. Local facilities are located nearby in the small town of Montinelle. Residents have the use of 3 pools, tennis and football courts, hydro massage area, a BBQ area and plenty of outdoor communal areas. Ground floor apartments have their own garden and porch, while first and second floors provide terraces and towers with panoramic views of the area.

This stunning and exclusive development is due to be completed in March 2007 and therefore provides purchasers with the rather unique opportunity to see exactly what they are buying before making the commitment, just over 30% of the development has sold to date. The build quality is exceptional, copper rainwater goods provide a clear indication of the attention to detail regardless of cost, but elsewhere expensive UPVC double-glazing is standard and all homes feature beams and timber-clad vaulted ceilings. Externally the landscaped gardens are a delight with pleasant paved walkways linking the homes to the excellent on-site facilities. Some apartments have a spiral staircase leading to a separate studio area contained within the underbuild, others have additional storage areas or staircases to small roof terraces. A limited number of garages are available at an extra cost. Please note that it is often found in Italy, kitchens are not included in the price, giving the buyer a free hand in the design and quality. A budget of between £4,000 and £10,000 would provide an extensive choice to include appliances. This is a gated community with superb landscaping and manned 24 hour security.

Modest but stable capital appreciation of between 6-8% has been achieved without significant inward property investment. Italy is now becoming increasingly popular with UK and Irish buyers and is also attracting interest from buyers as far afield as the US and China, so it is likely to enjoy double figure capital growth moving forward. There is also great rental opportunity at Borgo del Torchio within the domestic market (the area is already popular with the Milanese) and for UK holidaymakers. As previously explained, it is really very centrally located for both a peaceful retreat and touring the region. Average weekly rental would be around £300-£400 dependant on the size of the property, the domestic season generally runs April - October but UK bookings may well be all-year round.