A 250-square-metre new villa in Tuscany costs around €1,200 to €2,000 a year to heat and cool. The same floor area in an unrestored stone farmhouse costs €6,000 to €10,000. That energy gap is the main reason buyers who could choose any old house are increasingly looking at new construction, and the saving compounds with every year of ownership.
New building is tightly constrained. Landscape protection and municipal planning prohibit fresh construction across most of the famous countryside, so the new villas reaching the international market sit either on the edges of larger towns or on land where an existing structure has been demolished and rebuilt within its original footprint. The trade is predictable running costs and a clean legal history, against a price premium and more limited choice of location.
Where are new builds permitted in Tuscany?
New residential construction is prohibited or severely restricted across most of rural Tuscany. UNESCO landscapes including Val d’Orcia, San Gimignano, and Pienza allow no new homes. Chianti Classico has barred new residential building for over twenty years. The coast is protected for a strip inland, and on farmland the right to build a private villa is tied to an active farming operation, not simply ownership of the land.
Development does occur in four broadly defined zones. Along the Chianti fringes, in communes such as Montaione, Certaldo, and Barberino Tavarnelle, designer villas on panoramic hilltop sites sit outside the tightest protection zone, 40 to 60 minutes from Florence. In southern Tuscany, around Grosseto and Castiglione della Pescaia, plots are larger, planning less restrictive, and with the sea 20 to 40 minutes away. The Florentine hills around Fiesole and Impruneta offer 15 to 25 minutes into the city centre, though buildable plots are scarce. Around Cortona and the Val di Chiana, motorway access is good and prices are lower than in the established Chianti market. Whether a specific plot falls within a protected zone, and whether its permits are genuinely in order, is confirmed before any offer is made.
What does a new build in Tuscany cost?
| Route | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Turnkey developer villa | €800,000–2,500,000 | Pool and land included; higher near Florence |
| Premium custom build | €1,500,000–5,000,000 | Architect-designed on bought land, 300 m²+ |
| Renovation of existing building | Purchase price + €1,800–3,500/m² | Older stone structure fully restored |
Construction costs run €2,000 to €3,500 per square metre for good-quality finishes, and up to €4,200 with natural stone, oak flooring, and full home automation. Land is separate: roughly €50 to €200 per square metre depending on location and planning status.
As a working example: a 250-square-metre villa on an 8,000-square-metre plot near Montaione, with pool and landscaping, comes to roughly €1.9 million for a self-build; a comparable turnkey project in the same area runs €1.5 to €2.2 million. The gap between the two routes is smaller than most buyers expect. The wider costs of buying in Italy cover acquisition taxes, notary fees, and agent charges on top of construction.
What the energy class means in practice
Every new build in Italy must meet the near-zero-energy standard, which in Tuscany typically delivers energy class A3 or A4. In practical terms that means insulation of 10 to 14 centimetres at the walls and 16 to 20 at the roof, a heat-pump system for heating and cooling, and at least 1 kW of solar per unit. These are legal minimums, not premium options.
A 250-square-metre villa at A-class standard costs €1,200 to €2,000 per year for heating and cooling; the equivalent unrestored farmhouse at class F or G costs €6,000 to €10,000. New construction also meets current seismic standards, which apply across much of Tuscany, and developer builds arrive pre-wired for home automation and electric-vehicle charging. The energy performance certificate is handed over at completion.
Developer protections: what the law requires
Italian law requires two layers of protection for buyers purchasing before completion. The first is the bank guarantee: before you make any payment, the developer must provide a guarantee from a bank or insurer covering the full amount paid before the deed. If the developer becomes insolvent mid-build, the guarantee returns your money. It is required by law, and a developer who is slow to produce it is a signal worth taking seriously. Confirming the guarantee is genuine (issued by an actual bank and covering the correct amount) is part of the review before you sign anything binding.
The second is the ten-year structural warranty, backed by mandatory insurance the developer hands over at the notary. That cover follows the building regardless of what happens to the developer’s company and transfers to a future buyer on resale. A shorter period covers visible finishing defects in the first two years after handover.
What to verify before signing
Due diligence on a new build shifts from a building’s past to the developer’s reliability and the contract’s precision. The developer’s standing is the first check: a thinly capitalised company on a multi-million project is a material risk, so company registration and recent accounts are reviewed before any commitment.
The technical specification is the other half of the review. It fixes every material, fitting, and system in the building, and a vague specification lets the developer substitute cheaper goods without remedy. The contract should include a penalty clause for late delivery, since construction regularly runs a few months over, and an independent inspection before the final deed catches defects while the developer is still obligated to correct them. The common mistakes foreign buyers make in Italy are worth reading before choosing a route.
The tax most buyers underestimate
Buying new from a developer means VAT applies in place of the standard transfer tax, and the rate varies considerably by classification. A main residence is taxed at four per cent; a standard second home at ten per cent; and a villa in the cadastral luxury categories at twenty-two per cent. On a €1.5 million villa, the difference between ten and twenty-two per cent is €180,000.
The cadastral category is set by the developer before the building is registered, which makes it worth clarifying before the preliminary contract and before the technical design is finalised. Three fixed fees of €200 each also apply for transfer tax, mortgage tax, and cadastral tax. The full tax overview covers all routes.
Frequently asked questions
How safe is it to buy from a developer before the building is finished?
Safe, provided the legal protections are genuinely in place. The developer must provide a bank guarantee covering every payment made before the deed, and the preliminary contract is registered to give you priority over other creditors for that property. A purchase missing the bank guarantee is one to decline; verifying it is real and covers the full amount is the central check before signing.
Can I customise a new-build villa during construction?
Yes, within limits, and earlier is always better. Material and finish choices are usually open at the reservation or contract stage. Structural changes such as moving walls are possible before construction begins but need amended permits and add cost. Once the structure is up, only finishes can change. Everything agreed belongs in the technical specification, because anything outside it becomes a paid variation rather than an entitlement.
Is the ten-year structural warranty transferable if I sell?
Yes. The warranty insurance follows the building, not the owner, so a future buyer benefits from whatever years remain. It is one of the documents handed over at the notary alongside the energy certificate and system manuals.
What are the main risks in a new-build purchase?
Developer insolvency is the most serious, and the bank guarantee is the protection against it. Construction delays of three to six months are realistic; a penalty clause in the fixed-price contract is the practical remedy. The technical specification is the other point of risk: vague descriptions allow material substitutions. An independent inspection before the final deed, costing roughly €1,500 to €3,000 for your own surveyor, is the standard check.
Andrej Avi is an estate agent in Tuscany and guides international buyers through new-build and renovation purchases. Buying guidance · Properties
Further reading: Buying a casale · The Tuscan property market in 2026 · Buying property in Italy: the process · Common mistakes foreign buyers make in Italy
As of July 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.
