This month the final touches are being put to a group of former farm buildings which have been converted into luxurious holiday homes set in an archetypal Tuscan rolling landscape of vineyards, olive groves and cypress trees.
They are being sold on a basis which enables purchasers to buy a one tenth interest in a particular residence and then to have unlimited use of all the residences in that category, subject to reservation policies.
The private residence club concept has been pioneered in Europe by Peter Kempf of Peter Kempf International which is handling sales for the Milan based developer, Il Sasso srl.
'This is not fractional ownership, whereby an owner’s use of the property is limited to a fixed number of days each year. Neither is it timeshare which may not have ownership in bricks and mortar,’ said Kempf.
‘Members of a private residence club are joint owners of the actual building and yet have access to all residences in their category. Like the members of an equity golf country club wishing to book tee times, their use of the accommodation is limited only by the club’s reservation policies,’ he explained.
‘In my view, this arrangement offers the best value lifestyle option for people who cannot justify the cost of purchasing and maintaining a holiday home abroad when, in reality, they will only use it for a few weeks each year,’ he added.
The development, Villa Bossi Pucci, is located alongside the sixteenth century former home in Montagnana of ancient and influential Italian families linked to the Medici, 24 kilometres south west of Florence in the Chianti wine region. It comprises six buildings arranged around a central piazza and converted to create 21 one, two and three bedroom residences with the price of a one tenth interest starting at €50,000. Prospective owners can buy more than one interest.
Villa Bossi Pucci is within easy reach of Florence, accessible by local buses which run to the city every half hour. Other towns and cities which are easily accessible are San Gimignano (30 km), Vinci (35 km), Siena (50 km) and Pisa (60 km). Beaches on Italy’s west and east coasts are within a one hour drive.
There are regular flights from UK airports to Florence and Pisa. Florence Airport is 25 minutes by road from Villa Bossi Pucci and Pisa Airport is a one hour drive.
Ready to occupy now, the residences have been planned and equipped to meet the needs and lifestyles of clients seeking luxurious short breaks and long holidays in a beautiful location. They include old wooden beams, stone fireplaces for log fires in winter, porticoes and other architectural features of the original farm buildings.
All the properties feature balconies or terraces. Floor areas of the one and two storey air-conditioned, centrally heated homes range from 80 square meters for a one bedroom residence, 150 square meters for a two bedroom, two bathroom residence to 180 square meters for a three bedroom, three bathroom residence.
Internal finishes include oak doors and windows and terracotta tiled floors. Colourful features include hand painted designs on bed heads and rag rolled painted walls and they are furnished in the rustic style of a Tuscan country house, featuring local ironwork and ceramics. Standard equipment includes a plasma TV, DVD player, radio, WIFI internet access and a telephone.
