Owning a Tuscan Home from Abroad
A house does not pause when no one is in it. Pipes, damp, gardens and security do not wait politely for the next visit, and the gap between one stay and the next is where most of the real work of owning a Tuscan property actually happens.
What actually happens to a house that sits empty?
Nothing dramatic, most of the time — which is exactly the problem, because the damage that does occur tends to be slow and cumulative rather than sudden. A minor plumbing leak becomes a damp problem becomes a repair many times its original size, simply because no one was there to notice it early. Gardens left unattended for a season need far more than a single afternoon to bring back. Security and basic presence matter more in a rural property than most first-time owners expect, precisely because isolation is part of what made the property appealing in the first place.
What does year-round management actually cover?
Seasonal opening and closing of the house — water and heating systems, pool, shutters — done properly at the start and end of each season rather than left to whoever happens to arrive first. Ongoing garden and grounds upkeep, which in Tuscany is a near-constant task rather than a seasonal one. Coordination of any staff, whether a housekeeper, gardener or caretaker. Routine maintenance and small repairs handled before they become large ones. And a single point of contact for utilities, local authorities and insurance, so a problem does not sit unresolved for the months between visits simply because no one was there to receive the letter.
What does ownership cost every year, beyond the obvious?
IMU, the municipal property tax, is due annually on a second home regardless of how often it is used — the rate varies by municipality and cadastral category, and should be confirmed for the specific property rather than assumed. TARI, the waste collection charge, applies similarly. Utilities are typically kept live year-round even during extended absences, and insurance for a part-time-occupied rural property is a different, more specific product than a standard home policy and is worth arranging deliberately rather than defaulting to whatever is offered first. As a broad planning assumption, ongoing upkeep — excluding tax — commonly runs in the region of one to two per cent of the property’s value per year, though this varies enormously with the size of the grounds, the age of the systems, and the standard the owner wants maintained.
What does arriving well actually look like?
The difference between arriving to a cold, closed house and arriving to one that is warm, aired and ready is entirely a function of whether someone prepared it in the days before you did. Heating or cooling brought up in advance, fresh linens, a stocked kitchen, the pool ready if the season calls for it — none of this happens on its own, and a family that has flown a long distance to spend a limited number of weeks in Tuscany should not spend the first day of it managing logistics that could have been arranged before they left home.
How The Tuscan looks after a property
This is the fourth and final part of how we work with a family — after the search, the acquisition and, where relevant, the restoration, we remain the single point of contact for everything that keeps a house cared for through the year: staff, grounds, maintenance, seasonal opening and closing, and being reachable for whatever comes up while a family is elsewhere. The goal is straightforward — a house that is always ready, and an owner who is never the one managing it from a distance.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What taxes do I pay every year just for owning a second home in Tuscany?
- Principally IMU, the municipal property tax on second homes, and TARI, the waste collection charge. Rates vary by municipality and cadastral category and should be confirmed for the specific property.
- What happens to a house when no one is there for months?
- Without active management, minor issues — leaks, damp, an overgrown garden, a lapsed security check — tend to compound quietly into larger, more expensive problems by the time they are noticed.
- Do I need to hire staff directly, or can this be managed for me?
- It can be managed on your behalf, with staff, contractors and suppliers coordinated through a single point of contact rather than the owner managing each relationship individually from abroad.
- Is insurance different for a property that is only occupied part of the year?
- Yes. A part-time-occupied rural property generally needs a more specific policy than a standard home insurance product, reflecting the extended periods of vacancy.
- What does “opening and closing” a villa actually involve?
- Bringing water, heating, cooling and pool systems into and out of service at the start and end of each season, so the property transitions properly rather than being left running, or shut down, by default.
This article is general information, current as of August 2026, and is not tax advice. Municipal tax rates and typical upkeep costs vary by property and location and should be confirmed for the specific case. The Tuscan provides year-round stewardship for the properties it helps clients acquire.