To increase the value of a holiday home in northern Sardinia it pays to invest first in five things: heat-pump air conditioning, a stable internet connection, comfortable outdoor spaces, quality beds and kitchen, and professional photos and listing. These are works of a few thousand euros at most, which make people choose your home more often and make it attractive in May, June, September and October too, not just in August.
Since 2011 we have managed holiday homes between Porto Torres, Stintino, Alghero, Castelsardo and Gallura, and every year we see which works change the reviews and which are money badly spent. Here you will find priorities, verified indicative costs and the cases where an investment doesn't pay off.
No work increases the value of a home that cannot be published. Before thinking about pergolas and furnishings, check the basics:
It is a modest outlay, but it is the starting point. You will find the full list in our checklist for renting out a holiday home in Sardinia and the rules explained in the guide to the regulations on short lets in Sardinia.
| Investment | Indicative cost | What changes for the guest | When it makes most sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat-pump air conditioning | Mid-power single-split unit installed: around €300–600; dual split from around €1,200 upwards | Cool nights in August, a warm home in March and November | Always, especially in top-floor apartments or with sun-exposed bedrooms |
| Stable internet connection | Home fibre offers from around €18–26 a month, plus any activation fee | Can work, watch films and call home without problems | Always; essential if you want guests in spring and autumn |
| Outdoor spaces: shade, shower, furniture | On quotation: depends on materials and permits | Lunches and dinners outside, sand that stays outside the house | Homes with a garden, courtyard or terrace |
| Beds, kitchen and washing machine | On quotation; in some cases with a tax deduction | Sleeps well, really cooks, stays longer | Homes for families and stays of a week or more |
| Professional photos and listing | On quotation from a local photographer; included if we manage the home | Immediately understands what the home is like and chooses it | Always, and again after any major works |
These are orders of magnitude from public sources 2025–2026: always ask for two quotes locally.
In August, on a top floor in Porto Torres or Alghero, the air conditioning shows up in the reviews. But we put it first for another reason: a heat-pump air conditioner heats as well. This means being able to welcome guests in March, April, October and November, when evenings are cool and many second homes don't have adequate heating.
According to estimates published in 2025 and 2026, an installed mid-power single-split unit costs roughly between €300 and €600, while labour alone for a standard installation is around €150 to €350. If the pre-installation work is missing or the outdoor unit is far away, the cost rises. In an apartment block check the regulations for the position of the outdoor unit; in old town centres, such as Castelsardo or Alghero, there may be additional restrictions.
For these works the building tax deductions may apply: under the rules in force in October 2026, for a second home the deduction is 36% in 2026 and drops to 30% in 2027. The 2027 Budget Law has not yet been approved, so check with your technician or accountant (commercialista) before starting.
Wifi is among the first things guests check, and a slow network is a frequent reason for negative reviews. And out of season the demand for homes with a good connection grows, as we explain in the guide to workation in North Sardinia.
In October 2026 fibre offers for the home start from around €18–20 a month on promotion and reach around €26 at full price; they are often tied to an electricity or gas contract and some have an activation cost. Country houses, for example in the hinterland of Stintino or in the Gallura countryside, are sometimes not reached by fibre: there you consider a radio connection (FWA) or 4G/5G with a good router. Check coverage at the exact address before signing.
If the home is on several floors add a repeater, and write the real speed in the listing.
In Sardinia you live outdoors. A terrace without shade in July is unusable from 11am to 5pm, while an awning or a pergola turns the same space into the most-used room of the house. In homes near the sea, such as those between Stintino and La Pelosa or along the Platamona coast, an outdoor shower solves the problem of sand in the house and protects floors and drains.
Add a table to eat together, a clothes airer for towels and lights for the evening, with materials that withstand salt and the mistral. For pergolas and fixed coverings, find out first from the municipality or a technician: along the coast there are often landscape restrictions.
Guests forgive simple furnishings, not an uncomfortable mattress. Quality mattresses and pillows, two sets of linen per bed and blackout curtains are the interior works that weigh most on reviews.
In the kitchen you need decent pans, knives that cut, a moka pot and a coffee machine, a dishwasher if the home sleeps four people or more. The washing machine is almost indispensable for families and for anyone staying more than a week. In areas near lagoons and wetlands, such as around Alghero or Stintino, mosquito nets are a small investment that is noticed immediately.
If you also carry out renovation works, the bonus mobili (furniture bonus) may apply to furniture and appliances, at 50% until 31 December 2026 with a spending cap of €5,000: check the requirements with your accountant (commercialista).
It is the smallest investment and the one that makes all the others work: if the photos are old, nobody will know about the new air conditioning. Photos should be redone after any major work is done, with natural light and the home prepared: beds made, clear surfaces, a few chosen objects.
The text of the listing counts as much as the photos. Write real distances (on foot or by car), the exact number of beds, whether there are stairs, where to park. A home in the old town of Castelsardo, for example, has a unique charm but often steps and distant parking too: saying so beforehand avoids disappointed guests.
If you entrust the home to us, the professional photo shoot and micro-staging are included in our service.
Before spending large sums, ask yourself whether the guest you want to attract will really notice.
Finally, remember that the value of a holiday home also depends on how many months it works. The investments in this guide serve above all to lengthen the season: we discuss it in detail in the article Outside July and August.
In most cases heat-pump air conditioning: it cools in summer and heats in spring and autumn, so it makes the home rentable for more months. Right after it comes a stable internet connection.
According to estimates published in 2025 and 2026, an installed mid-power single-split unit costs roughly between €300 and €600. The price rises with a dual split, without pre-installation work or with masonry work: ask for at least two quotes locally.
Under the rules in force in October 2026, building tax deductions for second homes are 36% in 2026 and 30% in 2027. The furniture bonus at 50% is valid until 31 December 2026, only together with a renovation. The 2027 Budget has not yet been approved: check with your accountant.
Yes: they are the first thing the guest looks at and they should be redone after any major works. For the homes we manage the shoot is included.
No. Working gas and carbon monoxide detectors and compliant extinguishers are mandatory for every short-let home, even for private individuals. Without them the fine ranges from €600 to €6,000.
Every home is different: a three-room flat in Porto Torres, a villa in Gallura and an apartment in the centre of Alghero don't need the same work. We make a free valuation of your home and its potential, and tell you frankly where it is worth investing and where not. Submit your home to AffittaSardegna and we will get back to you.
The tax and regulatory information is general in nature and up to date as of October 2026: for your specific situation, check with your accountant.
