Many places in the world have quirky, unique properties, but few are more unusual than Puglia’s Trulli.

The Trullo – circular properties with conical shaped roofs – are unique to the area of Puglia, or Apuglia, in Italy (the region that sits at the ‘heel’ of Italy’s ‘boot’). The area has gained world recognition for these unusual circular homes and they’re now even protected by UNESCO. Trulli can be found across the region, where they make a very different type of home or quirky holiday property, but they’re most commonly found in the Itrea Valley and in Alberobello.

Trulli date back to the 16^th and 17^th centuries and were originally built of dry limestone rocks, without the use of any mortar. Their thick walls help keep them warm during chilly winters and cool during hot, dry summers. Peasant families were the key residents in the 16^th and 17^th centuries, but adjacent Trulli used to be used to house their animals too!

Today the Trulli continue to be popular, with many older Trulli having undergone renovation and lots of new versions built to complement the old traditional homes. For a truly (sorry!) unique home that you certainly wouldn’t come across in the UK, then a Trulli fits the bill perfectly.

Trulli on the market

If you fancy investigating Trulli further, or exploring what the area of Puglia has to offer, then here’s a selection of these quirky homes currently on the market.

This Trulli in the Fasano area of Puglia has been lovingly restored to create a three-bedroom home with an entrance hall, lounge/large kitchen, bathroom and storeroom. It benefits from central heating, a carport, a patio and a converted stable, which is currently used as one-bedroom apartment. It’s on the market for £240,965.

This newly restored Trulli  in Ostuni has two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and bathroom (it’s worth clicking through and having a look at the pictures of this property, as they show how unique the inside of the building is). It’s located in the leafy green countryside, in an elevated position, and comes with enough land to build a pool outside, amongst the olive groves and pine trees. It’s on the market for £258,412.

This three coned Trulli in Di Sopra, Puglia, has been renovated, refurbished and extended, using local materials and techniques. It now has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two reception rooms, a dining room and large roof terrace with views across the valley. It’s on the market for £268,244.

This unusual five coned Trulli in the centre of Ostuni dates back to the 9^th century. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and one open plan kitchen and living area. There are original frescoes above the front door and 8000sqm of land outside, including a plunge pool built into the rocks. It’s on the market for £212,267.

If you fancy having a go at renovating and restoring your own Trulli, then here’s a potential project. These two Trulli buildings are ripe for renovation – the main house has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and additional outdoor kitchen and the second is a smaller one-bedroom property. They’re set within 8000m2 of grounds, with fruit trees and olive groves, and are on the market for £209,139.

Find more Trulli for sale here.

We’ve offered you the chance to own your own village, but how about your own island?

Yes, islands do come up for sale and in some gorgeously exotic locations, too. Not surprisingly, they (mostly) come at quite a price, so it’s not a purchase for the faint-hearted. But if you’ve won the lottery, are a self-made billionaire or simply fancy doing a Richard Branson, then owning your own island could be a distinct possibility.

One of the benefits of owning your own island is that it can be what you want it to be. You can set the rules and choose who comes to stay. You never need worry about getting a space on the beach, as you own it. You can grow what you want and build where you want. And if you simply want peace and quiet, you can head off to your island retreat on your own and not have to worry about noisy neighbours.

Sounds ideal? Here are some real life islands to get you dreaming.

Exuma Cays in the Bahamas is a 681 acre private island that’s up for sale at a price of £23,706,130. It’s surrounded by gorgeous turquoise sea, has plenty of secluded bays and beaches and tropical foliage. For those who own a private jet, there’s a 2,500 feet airstrip already in place, but there’s room to extend it further. The main property on the island is a two-storey house with six bedrooms, plus there are staff quarters nearby too. If you’ll only visit your island for holidays, this one comes complete with a resident caretaker – their quarters are at the other end of the island.

Bird Cay, part of the Berry Islands in the Bahamas is a 250 acre island that’s on the market for £14,041,608. This lovely looking island is located 30 minutes away (by air) from Nassau and was originally developed in the 1940s by Francis Francis, heir to the Standard Oil Company. The island comes complete with a main residence, five waterfront cottages, a guest house and a boat house, plus it has the pre-requisite sandy beaches, ocean views and exotic planting. This could be your own private island retreat or work as a holiday business venture.

I bet you didn’t expect to find an island for sale in Italy? But, yes, you really could purchase a small, 6,000m island in the Venetian Lagoon. The island was once a fortified point, which has been restored by the current owners, and features a four bedroom villa. The island, which comes with all mod cons, is reached via two large navigable canals and there are two wharfs for mooring boats. It’s up for sale for £10,911,600.

Also in the Bahamas is Leaf Cay, part of the Exuma Cays. This lovely little 45 acre island has almost pure white, sandy beaches and is surrounded by stunning turquoise seas. It’s located between Lee Stocking Island (what a great name) and Norman’s Pond Cay and has excellent fishing opportunities. This gem will set you back £3,510,402.

White Island in Grenada could be yours for the somewhat more affordable sum of £3,047,931. This immaculate Grenadine island is located 35 miles south of Mustique and one mile south of Carriacou and a 15 minute flight from Grenada International Airport (a private jet would be handy). This untouched island, surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, has its own mountains, woodland and 3000ft of coral sand beaches. It’s the ideal place to relax and unwind, or make the most of snorkelling and diving in the sea.

If I was living abroad (and indeed, if I had won the lottery), a vineyard would be a dream come true. I don’t know all that much about wine, but I do rather enjoy a glass. And there’s something rather romantic about rolling hills and serene countryside. That would be quite a nice view if you coupled it with a glass of white. Don’t you think? So here are my picks of the best vineyard finds.

France

This stunning French vineyard property is just 18 miles north of Bordeaux. It comes with 45 hectares of vineyards (the property has a whopping 75 hectares of land you see). There is potential to develop it into a hotel, and at £14 million you might want to see if you could get some of that cash back, but I can’t quite get past how pretty it is. I’d much rather keep it all to myself. Although exactly what I’d do with 20 bedrooms I’m not sure. Still, if you’ve got a few million quid in the bank, a (very) large family and a penchant for a good bottle of plonk, this place could be for you. Or, you can check out these other French vineyard properties.

 
Italy

We couldn’t write about vineyards without mentioning Italy, could we? We this lovely pile of stone is right in the heart of Chianti (yes, get your Hannibal Lecter impressions out of the way now, go on). And well, it’s not only a stunning building, it produces a staggering 250,000 bottles of first class wine each year. Yet it does that and still manages to look like a charming little Italian farmhouse. Isn’t that clever. I want this one. If you’ve got a spare £13 million then it’s all yours. I might have to save my pennies for a little while first. In the meantime I’ll drool over these too.

Portugal

OK, so I’ve gone a little teensy bit crazy with the pricey houses. And I don’t really need 20 bedrooms. So this Portuguese vineyard property might just be within reach. If you’ve got a million lying about in your pocket. But still, you’re saving heaps if you go for this one instead. It’s got 6 bedrooms, and a circular lounge with an all-important library. Whether or not the books are in Portuguese I don’t know. But there’s a vineyard in the grounds too, which is what we’re after. Great news. You can enjoy a tipple while you’re in the Jacuzzi. Wow.

For those buying a holiday home abroad who intend to make full use of it during the warm summer months, the ultimate must-have is a swimming pool.

There’s nothing quite like having your own, private swimming pool on hand, so you can take a dip and cool off, or get your daily dose of exercise without leaving the confines of your room. Plus, relaxing by the poolside in the sun, enjoying drinks by the pool before dinner or dining outside in the cooler evening air are the ultimate ingredients for perfect holiday living.

If you fancy snapping up your own luxury home with a swimming pool, then here is a great selection of prime homes, all sporting swimming pools of various sizes, located in the popular locations of Spain, France and Portugal. Take your pick!

Spain

Located in Atalaya Park, between Estepona and Marbella, this one-level house with five bedrooms and four bathrooms also boasts a private swimming pool, outdoor sauna and Jacuzzi. It’s on the market for £798,235.

Also available in Spain, is this five-bedroom house situated about five minutes from Palma. It benefits from air conditioning, has a large garden, extensive terraces and that all important swimming pool. It’s priced at £746,585.

France

A sunny six bedroom villa, located in the hills of Golfe-Juan and 10 minutes from Cannes is on the market for £895,994. Outside, it has a private heated swimming pool, plenty of space for relaxing on sun loungers and a stunning Mediterranean garden. Nice International Airport is only 15 minutes away.

An L-shaped, solar heated tiled swimming pool is the star of the show at a five-bedroom house in Montpelier for £861,730. Located in a residential area of a village, the outdoor living elements include a large covered terrace with exposed beams, landscaped gardens and the pool. The house comes with planning permission for an independent guest house.

 
Portugal

A five-bedroom country villa, located in Sta Barbara de Nexe, at Quinta do Lago in Portugal is on the market for £749,402. The house is partly furnished, has air conditioning and outside there’s a beautiful mature garden and lovely swimming pool. Faro International Airport, golf courses and beaches are 15 minutes away.

Elsewhere in Portugal, there’s a luxury villa for sale in landscaped gardens and citrus groves in the hills about Loule. Inside, the villa has underfloor heating, three double bedrooms solar panelling and air conditioning in the kitchen. Outside, it’s surrounded by gorgeous gardens and has an inviting swimming pool. There’s also a covered eating area with its own kitchen, which makes it perfect for outside eating and parties. It’s on the market for £727,803.

Being in a royal sort of mood today, I’ve kicked off our keyword search series with ‘castle’. Punching it into our international property search, these are the little gems we’ve uncovered.

£16,842,000

Parma, Italy

Built circa 846AD, this castle in Parma, Italy has a few noteworthy features, including an internal courtyard with columns made of Botticino marble, an entire floor dedicated to wine distillation, and of course an underground torture chamber with matching prison cells. These charming original features were presumably requested by the original owners, the bishops of Parma. So… they seem like nice guys.

£16,656,150

Haute Vienne, France

This medieval chateau (build in 1179) would do nicely for an aging rock star or celebrity chef. Features include a professional kitchen, grand hall with seating for 1,000 people, 16 bedrooms, a working tavern, lifts, central heating, six additional houses, five barns, five lakes, 200 hectares of land (meadow and woods), private cinema in a vaulted cellar, chapel, billiard room, smoking room (!), music room, library, breakfast room, dining rooms and an eight-hold gold course. Jeepers.

£1,586,300

Palazzo Cardinali, Mondavio, Italy

Or there’s this little gem if you’re on a budget. Perfect for someone who loves art and history, Palazzo Cardinali has 22 bedrooms and features a library with fireplaces and frescoed arched ceiling.

£3,172,600

Baroque chateau, Czech Republic

Just two hours’ drive south of Prague, this massive 38-bedroom baroque chateau was originally built for the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and features a 20-hectare park filled with statues. The agent suggests it would be good for a hotel, country club or casino. If you’ve been meaning to build that casino you’ve always wanted but your day job just keeps getting in the way, now’s your chance.

Offers in the region of £210,525

Schloss Wiesenburg, Brandenburg, Germany

If you’re not quite ready or able to fork out several million pounds for a castle of your own, you could always share one. Within the historic walls of Schloss Wiesenburg are several ultra-modern, high-tech, designer apartments for sale. You’ll get your own pad with all the trimmings, plus direct access to the castle’s public park, and communal areas that include a terrace, garden hall, sauna with whirlpool and ‘relaxation area’, whatever that means.

P.O.A.

Kinnitty Castle Hotel, Kinnitty, Ireland

This Neo-Gothic castellated mansion currently functions as a hotel – a pretty big one too, with 37 bedrooms, 38 bathrooms, 10 reception rooms, a banqueting hall, two restaurants, a couple of bars, and 61 acres of landscaped gardens, grassland and forest. However, the lucky buyer of Kinnitty Castle could make it even bigger if they wanted to – it’s not just any castle, it’s a castle with planning permission. For a conference centre. Plus you can convert the stables if you want. You know, do a Kirstie Allsopp, break through a wall or two, make a new bathroom. Think of it as a fun weekend project.

P.O.A.

Crabbenburg Castle, Brussels, Belgium

This is my favourite. Built between 1821 and 1823, Crabbenburg Castle is set on 17 acres of landscaped grounds with ponds, and features include a library, eight bedrooms, eight bathrooms, caretaker’s residence, indoor swimming pool, gallery and workshop. Gallery and workshop! Think about it! You could get yourself a beret, a paintbrush and a slightly temperamental disposition and hey presto – you’re an artist, and you know you are because you’ve got your own gallery and workshop to prove it.