The beauty of the Tyrrhenian sea, clean air, mild weather, and a vibrant food culture are all things that make Italy a dream destination for tourists worldwide. But thanks to its rich territory and millennia-old traditions, the Italian boot is a land of opportunities far beyond tourism.
Most of the Italian territory is home to thousands of small villages (places with no more than 5000 inhabitants) harboring thousands of years of cultural heritage and charm. These places are at the heart of Italy's cultural portfolio thanks to their resilient communities that even despite depopulation, remain driven to preserve their history and authenticity.
While in the past, there may have been only a few options for foreigners to help these communities, ITS Lending and its sister company ITS ITALY are pioneers in the property market by combining the needs of both foreigners and residents.
There are many people who dream of being involved in socially impactful projects and Italian culture, yet daunting red tape, investment risks and high fees have always been tremendous obstacles.
But now, this may no longer be the case.
Investing in a "New Italy"
One of the aims of ITS Lending is to give everyone a concrete opportunity to invest in Italy, even with a limited budget. Yes, you don't need to be a high earner to be involved.
They are the first crowdfunding platform (launched in 2021) allowing people to invest their money into the restoration of historic buildings in ancient Italian villages. The opportunities present on the ITS Lending platform are all properties processed by ITS ITALY, the London-based lifestyle company leading the regeneration of ancient Italian towns all across the country. ITS ITALY chooses each property in collaboration with the local municipalities to ensure their investment fit within wider recovery plans for the village.
But ITS ITALY does not stop at restoring properties, the company adopts a 360° approach to tackle the revival of Italy’s villages. They are involved in numerous activities, projects, and initiatives to support and improve services for residents and visitors alike.
ITSCoworking: Living la dolce vita while also having a modern place to work
For this reason, ITS ITALY is also contributing to creating new co-working spaces and clubhouses of service for users through the restoration of turn-key properties chosen in collaboration with the municipalities. A clubhouse is a venue open to the public with co-working spaces, a welcome center, services for residents and spaces for social events.
The realization of clubhouses and the restoration of several other properties would not have been possible without investors believing in ITS ITALY's vision and supporting the project through ITS Lending. Investments in the local economy accompany every building renovation and future plans include a crowdfunding effort to support various small businesses and artisans.
While ITS ITALY is perfect for people looking for a new place to belong, ITS Lending opens up a land of opportunities for anyone interested in supporting a viable project without moving or buying a house.
How does it work?
The ITS Lending platform allows investors to choose from a preferred selection of the properties processed by ITS ITALY.
All it takes to participate in ITS Lending is to register an account on the platform and browse, choose an opportunity among the open crowdfunding campaigns, and make a minimum investment of 100 euros.
After completing the renovation work, supervised by ITS ITALY, the sale of the property is typically completed within a maximum period of a year. At that point, ITS Lending's investors will be paid an interest rate between 6 and 12% on an annual basis in addition to the return of the capital. If for any reason, the final buyer remits his purchase, the property might be purchased by the developer, who would then find another buyer. Thus, further reducing the risk of default on the transaction.
Sustainability is also at the company's core, and all buildings presented on the platform are restored with a conscious use of resources adhering to the highest standards of energy efficiency. By investing through ITS Lending, members can be reassured that their capital is going towards a socially impactful cause realized in full respect of the environment.
Who is involved right now?
So far, ITS ITALY's project alone has already attracted the interest of several thousand foreign buyers and has signed partnerships with over 60 municipalities located in some of the most beautiful locations in Italy.
Moreover, for each city, ITS ITALY has laid out investment plans to support the economy of local communities. As a result, ITS Lending already has a strong pipeline of more than five campaigns per month for 2022.
For example, one project launched in Caprarica di Lecce – in the Salento area – aimed at recovering a 19th-century property and was able to reach €80,000 of capital with 32 investors.
After the successful completion of numerous campaigns in the beautiful villages of Mussomeli (in Sicily), Caprarica di Lecce (in Puglia, the heel of the Italian boot) and Roccastrada (in the Maremma area of Tuscany) ITS Lending has kicked off their first deals in Sardinia and the northern region of Emilia Romagna, both of which will be ending soon.
Situated on a steep slope, Ozieri is a small Sardinian village and the reference point for Logudoro, a vast area of central-northern Sardinia. It is home to historic churches, museums, and a charming historical center populated by palaces of Spanish and neoclassical influence and embellished with particular architectural features such as the traditional "altane, "terraces closed by colonnades. Here, ITS Lending has launched a campaign to restore a building located in a central position in the village. The works will involve, among other things, plastering the entire facade and overhauling the water and sewage systems and the electrical system.
As the broader project of ITS ITALY aims to support the local communities and bring the municipalities back to their older splendor, the company ensures to ensure to maintain the authenticity and peculiarities at the core of the building portfolio heritage during the restoration process. For this reason, in Ozieri, the fixtures will be changed, maintaining their original appearance with new laminated wood frames in Swedish pine essence.
Car and motorcycle enthusiasts may want to look into the campaign, in Montecreto, a village close to the heart of Italian "Motor Valley", a part of the Emilia Romagna region considered the motherland of some of the most essential Italian automotive industries, think Ferrari, Maserati, Ducati and Lamborghini. The campaign aims to crowdfund a coworking space open to the public, which will enormously benefit both temporary and permanent workers.
Soon, ITS Lending will launch a new campaign in Petralia Sottana, a small village located at the heart of the National Park of the Madonie and in the province of the Metropolitan City of Palermo. The town is developed around the nucleus of ancient castles surrounding the central "mother" church, characterized by narrow alleys, arcades, long stairways and picturesque fountains. Not surprisingly, Petralia Sottana is known as the "stone village".
In addition, the restoration works of the historic buildings will also upgrade their connectivity widening the possibilities of villages previously confined to only artisanal and agricultural production and helping to facilitate remote working instead. This way projects like ITS ITALY make these villages more attractive for future generations and young families.
Furthermore, the Italian-led company aims to promote Italian culture and towns well beyond tourism, creating concrete opportunities for foreigners to integrate themselves within the local communities.
As the company motto says: "Don't Just visit Belong!"
While thanks to ITS Lending, the project can now reach an entirely new sector of people interested in investing and supporting small villages and their livelihoods. The company offers more than just a wise investment in an exotic location, but rather the possibility of investing in people, their traditions, flavors, and everything that makes Italian culture unique.
Join ITS ITALY and ITS Lending pioneering projects at www.itsfor.it and www.itslending.it.
