Buying a lakeside home: from Garda to Lario to Iseo, here's where to find the best deals.
Milan, July 14, 2025 – A room with a lake view . It's the dream of thousands of Italians, and the Lombardy lakes, with their landscapes and glamorous allure, are an irresistible magnet. Especially for the Milanese, who have some of the most beautiful lakes in Italy— from Garda to Maggiore to Lario —just an hour's drive away. The result: the real estate market in Lombardy 's main lakeside towns remains buoyant, with sales registering a positive trend. Tecnocasa, which analyzed the trend in sales in the second half of 2024, captures this extremely positive trend. Here are the trends in the various areas examined.
Lake GardaThe Brescia shore . Foreign buyers are increasing in the Desenzano area, particularly from Eastern Europe. From Italy, there are mainly Lombardy, Emilia, and Trentino residents. They purchase both for personal use and to rent out the property. "There are also purchases by people," emphasize the experts at Tecnocasa, "who commute between Verona, Brescia, Milan, and Venice for work." The average budget is between €160,000 and €280,000. New properties have seen significant growth in recent years, often converting older villas requiring renovation into newly built apartments. New lakefront properties thus cost around €5,000 per square meter.
In Sirmione, the end of 2024 saw falling prices, especially for used properties, for which owners often ask prices that are not in line with their true value. Potential buyers negotiated the price, and many properties that were unsold on the market were successfully placed. In the first months of 2025, there was significant demand, often from Polish and Czech residents in particular. Demand is polarized, ranging from an average of €200,000-300,000 for small purchases to be used for personal use or rented out, all the way up to luxury properties exceeding €1 million.
The most sought-after areas are Colombare, Brema, and Lugana . In Colombare, prices range from €4,000 to €6,000 per square meter, depending on the property's state of renovation and whether or not it has a lake view . Among the most sought-after destinations is, of course, the pearl of Lake Garda, Sirmione , where prices reach up to 10,000 square meters . This is also because "there are few new buildings, and the only ones present are the result of redevelopment projects on existing properties." Prices for new properties range from €4,000 to €6,000 per square meter. The short-term rental market appears to be shrinking due to the high fees often charged by agencies.
Home values in Moniga del Garda, Manerba del Garda , Polpenazze del Garda, and Puegnago del Garda are rising. Demand, in fact, clashes with a low supply of real estate, also because with the exception of Manerba, there are no major developments. In Manerba, new properties sell for between €5,000 and €6,000 per square meter. The most sought-after area in Manerba is the Lido, near the lake, where good used properties can reach €5,000 per square meter.
In Moniga, one of the most important centers, a property in good condition sells for around €3,000 per square meter, rising to €5,500 in a sought-after location above the marina. Prices drop in the Crociale area (€1,800 per square meter).
Lower prices inland are pushing buyers toward the hilly towns of Polpenazze and Puegnago, further from the lake but offering panoramic views. Investors are actively searching, but they aren't always able to find small properties to purchase. The investment capital is around €200,000-300,000 . On the rental market, rents for a two-room apartment sleeping four people worth €200,000 are reported at €1,500 in June, €1,500 in September, €2,000 in July, and €2,500 in August.
Padenghe (Garda)In the small , charming town overlooking Lake Garda—a treasure trove of architectural beauty, as well as olive groves and vineyards producing fine olive oils and wines—prices are stable in the town center and rising in the lakeside and hillside areas. The rise in Padenghe is driven by new construction on the lower hills, which average prices range between €3,800 and €4,200 per square meter. On the lakeside, however, high-end detached properties have been sold. Overall, however, demand has slowed: potential buyers in the mid-range segment, especially Germans and Austrians, have been among those experiencing a slowdown. The target price for properties over € 600,000 is dynamic, while those under €250,000 are on the other end.
In Salò, we're talking about a market for vacation homes purchased by Italians and foreigners, particularly Germans and Poles . Indeed, there's an increasing number of people arriving from Eastern Europe to purchase a vacation home. French and British residents are also reported. Two- and three-bedroom apartments are in high demand. New construction is available in the former "Tavina area," where a reclamation project is underway to build a five-star hotel and hundreds of apartments. New construction is also underway in the "Villa" area of Salò. New homes sell for around €5,000-6,000 per square meter. Property values for used properties range from €2,500 to €7,000 per square meter for lakefront locations with views. Demand for apartments is increasing, to the detriment of detached units, which are more difficult to manage. There's a significant segment of buyers buying as an investment, spending up to €250,000-300,000. In June, a two-room apartment with a pool costs an average of around €700 per week ; in July, the price rises to €800 per week; and in August, €1,000 per week. A two-room apartment in good condition can be purchased for €180,000 and rented for the entire season for €10,000. Bare ownership purchases are also reported.
The vacation home market in Tremosine and Gargnano is driven primarily by foreign buyers. Over the past year, there has been an increase in sales by Polish buyers with budgets ranging from €150,000-200,000 to €400,000-500,000. They are interested in detached properties with lake views valued at over €1 million, as well as older homes requiring renovation. Italians are in the minority, also buying for investment purposes and reside primarily in Lombardy and Veneto. Tremosine, not far from Campione del Garda, is famous for kitesurfing. Prices have remained stable over the past year and remain stable in Gargnano and Tremosine , ranging from around €2,000 per square meter for properties requiring renovation to €3,000 per square meter for renovated properties with lake views. Lakefront or newly built properties cost around €4,000 per square meter. In the more inland areas, among the mountains, prices drop below 2,000 euros per square meter.
Italian buyers dominate the real estate market in Toscolano Maderno and Gardone Riviera. The most sought-after area of Toscolano is the one below the main road and facing the lake: €3,000 per square meter is the price for the hilltop villages with lake views; €4,000 per square meter is the price for properties above the Vittoriale in Gardone , which overlooks the lake.
Houses on Lake Idro are particularly attractive to those living in the Netherlands and Brescia. Prices for homes in the lower price range hover around €1,600-1,800 per square meter, dropping to €1,300-1,500 per square meter for properties further from the lake. Lake views and detached properties with gardens are popular. Tourists also include many foreigners from the Netherlands and Germany , who find the property more tranquil than Lake Garda and, above all, more affordable prices. Furthermore, in addition to the lake, there's the opportunity to enjoy the mountains. When buying, foreigners prefer properties surrounded by greenery . Italians buy almost exclusively as an investment.
In the second half of 2024, house prices on Lake Iseo increased by 0.1%, with the Bergamo shore decreasing by 3.9% and the Brescia shore increasing by 3.2%. Prices in Iseo are slightly declining. There is growing interest from Northern Europeans, particularly in the luxury segment, where they can spend up to €10,000 per square meter for lakefront properties, compared to an average of €2,000 per square meter for a used property and €4,000 per square meter for a renovated one. They generally have a budget of more than €500,000 and often do not require a mortgage. Little development has again occurred in Iseo . In recent months, efforts have been made to limit the phenomenon of tourist rentals, requiring those wishing to rent this type of property to also include a garage or parking space . This has led to a rise in the prices of garages and parking spaces. Those who no longer rent holiday apartments are increasingly opting for short-term rentals, with terms ranging from six months to a year. A two-room apartment can cost up to €700 per month.
Italian buyers come from the provinces of Brescia and Bergamo and buy two-room apartments for weekends and weekend getaways. One of the advantages of Lake Iseo is its two exits on the A4 motorway, Rovato and Palazzolo. Prices are more reasonable in Provaglio di Iseo, where apartments in condominiums built between 1990 and 2015 sell for €1,800 per square meter, while new apartments sell for €2,800-3,000 per square meter . Monte Isola is also a popular destination, where a three-room apartment with a lake view costs around €80,000-90,000, a decidedly competitive price.
Sarnico (Iseo)On the Bergamo side of the river, the market is changing, with foreigners interested in affordable rustic properties, ranging from €80,000 to €150,000. In Sarnico, several new construction projects are underway, selling for €4,000 per square meter and are primarily purchased as primary residences. The village of Predore remains popular, a more niche market where properties for sale are difficult to find, but where foreign buyers with more modest budgets are popular, with prices around €1,800-2,000 per square meter for properties in good condition and €1,200-1,300 per square meter for properties in need of renovation.
Overall, house prices on the Lecco shore of Lake Como are slightly rising, although with varying trends among the various municipalities: Abbadia Lariana, Mandello del Lario, Bellano, Dervio, Lierna , and Varenna. A slight increase has been noted for smaller properties, with studios and one-bedroom apartments still highly sought-after but scarce. Purchases by foreigners residing in Northern Europe continue. Mandello del Lario is the municipality with the most amenities, while those seeking a lake view head to Bellano and Lierna.
A used property in good condition costs around €2,500 per square meter, while a new one can reach €4,000 per square meter. Of all the municipalities, Varenna has a fairly niche market, with prices reaching €4,000 per square meter for renovated properties with a lake view . Investment purchases are continuing, focusing on small units priced under €150,000 per square meter (typically two-bedroom apartments) for summer rentals, creating a shortage of rental properties for those relocating for work.
Il Giorno
