HOW TO HAVE A HOME IN THE COUNTRYSIDE — WITHOUT SPENDING A FORTUNE OR FACING UNWELCOME SURPRISES
If you have always dreamed of a home in the countryside, or a quiet corner of a small Tuscan hamlet for holidays, weekends, work — or even to live in permanently — the Monte Sante Marie estate offers an unusual way of making it possible.
The cost of buying and restoring a property, along with taxes and all the expenses that come with ownership, is often enough to put people off. Then there is another concern: life is unpredictable. A change in your own circumstances or those of your family may one day force you to sell a property you worked hard to acquire, perhaps much sooner than expected, with all the inconvenience and potential financial loss that entails.
And what about the prospect of owning a country house that simply sits empty year after year?
We have come up with a different solution to these problems too.
We call it “Adopt a Rural Building”: an arrangement that has been used elsewhere for some time, but is still relatively little known in Italy.
THE IDEA IS SIMPLE. AND, ABOVE ALL, LOGICAL.
The estate owns a number of buildings, both within the hamlet and in the surrounding countryside. They were once the homes and working spaces of the people who lived here: large farmhouses, smaller rural buildings and apartments of different sizes, layouts and character.
They stand in beautiful locations, but many are in poor condition. The estate does not want to sell them, but neither does it have the resources — or necessarily the reason — to restore them all itself.
None of them is for sale.
Instead, each can potentially be “adopted” by someone willing to cover all or part of the restoration costs in exchange for a long-term right to use the property. Depending on the amount invested, that right may last from a few years to a lifetime.
The arrangement is governed by a contract designed to protect both parties — ourselves included — from unpleasant surprises, including the possibility that either party may need to withdraw from the agreement earlier than expected.
In practical terms, someone “adopting” a home at Monte Sante Marie pays for its restoration upfront, investing an amount broadly comparable to several years’ rent paid in advance.
But this is not simply a rental. It is a right of use.
SO WHO BENEFITS?
A perfectly reasonable question. And the answer is simple: everyone does, without anyone having to lose.
What we are proposing is not, in essence, a commercial property transaction. No one here is looking for a profit in the conventional sense.
So let us put our cards on the table.
The estate is not a property agency. We do not make money by selling houses, nor do we want to sell ours: they are part of an inheritance we have chosen to preserve rather than break up. But neither can we take on the cost of restoring them all ourselves.
Hence our proposal to people who love the countryside: adopt one of Monte Sante Marie’s rural buildings.
For the estate, it is effectively a zero-profit arrangement. We do not pocket the money invested in the restoration. Our benefit comes later: at the end of the adoption period, the property returns to us having been restored, lived in and cared for over many years.
For us, that means preserving something of value, one less building to worry about and, not least, the pleasure of having neighbours who share our affection for the old walls of Monte Sante Marie.
Does that sound like very little?
To us, it is a great deal.
It means being able to pass on to future generations something we have deliberately chosen not to “get rid of”, despite the temptations of the market for Tuscan country properties.
WHAT DOES THE ADOPTER GET? QUITE A LOT.
The right to use a property for a very long time — from 5 to 30 years, or even for life — restored according to your needs, tastes and budget, without the substantial expense of buying it.
And you can use it whenever you wish, within the terms of the agreement.
Because you do not become the owner, you do not take on the taxes, charges and administrative obligations that come with property ownership.
If your circumstances change — because of work, health, children growing up, or simply because life takes an unexpected turn — you do not have to face the complications and uncertainties of selling a house. The “adoption” agreement can include mutually agreed provisions for early withdrawal, allowing a reasonable proportion of the original investment to be recovered.
The use of the property can also be shared with family and friends, subject to the terms of the agreement. The only restrictions are unlawful use and commercial activities that would compete with the estate.
Design and restoration work — including sourcing materials and finding suitable craftspeople — can, if the adopter wishes, be coordinated with the estate.
There is no obligation to do so: you are entirely free to use your own professionals, suppliers and contractors. Alternatively, we can put you in touch with the builders, plumbers, surveyors and suppliers we know and trust, without charging any intermediary fee. This can mean considerable savings, greater reliability and, above all, peace of mind.
In practical terms, you could think of it as something rather like long-term leasing for a car — except that what you get to enjoy is a home in the Tuscan countryside.
Get in touch and come and talk to us. No obligation.
There are many possible ways of making an arrangement work, and room for different needs, ideas and circumstances.
At Monte Sante Marie, an entire community is waiting to come back to life.
