The northern Italian region of Lombardy is home to one sixth of the entire population of the country and its de facto sartorial capital, Milan, home to the designer clothes and shoe factories that form the basis of stylish Italian elegance. However, Lombardy isn't just about haute couture, it is also home Italy's beautiful northern lakes, and the luxurious villas that overlook them.

The Italian lakes are one of the most popular holiday and property regions of Italy, up there with the Chiantishire favourites of Tuscany and Umbria, as well as the Riviera of Liguria. The most famous of the lakes is Como, shaped like an upside down Y with villages and towns dotted along the extensive shoreline against the dramatic backdrop of the Alps. The lake's namesake town of Como lies at the southern end of one of its forks, and is just 45 minutes north of Milan. From here the selection of lakeside towns spreads along the western and eastern shores of the lake, taking in George Clooney's adoptive village of Laglio, the pretty town of Tremezzo, and Bellagio, which sits at the centre of the lake's southern shore. Lake Como's popularity as a holiday destination dates from the Roman era; property prices reflect the history, beauty and fame of the region, as well as the finite supply of lakeside houses.

Rupert Fawcett of Knight Frank says that across the lakes prices have stabilised after strong growth, but that prices "will continue to rise for those very important and unique properties (especially waterfront and especially on Lake Como), which are for sale in a very limited supply, and often through private 'off-market sales'." On the market, though, is a converted period house with two apartments for sale in Faggeto, about 15 minutes from Como. The two-bedroom apartments cost ?525,000 (?415,000) and ?598,000 (?472,000, through Knight Frank, and are just five minutes? walk to the beach, marina and pier. For something a little bigger, the company has a five-bedroom modern villa for sale in Mezzegra, where Benito Mussolini and his lover Claretta Petacci met their end at the hands of the Italian resistance. The villa has views across the Bellagio peninsula and a 3,500-square-metre garden and is on sale for ?2,200,000 (?1.7 million).

Target Immobiliare, which specialises in property on Lake Como, agrees that prices have stabilised at the lake despite the wider market recording a notable slowdown. "This is because the nature of the territory doesn't allow extensive development of house building so the great demand for houses on the lake cannot be fulfilled. The area mainly consists of restructured or restored houses while the offer of new constructions is quite limited." The company also says that properties with parking, either a garage or car access, increases the value of a house; Target is selling a semi-detached town house in Faggeto Lario, just north of Como, with spacious terraces and views of the lake as well as the all-important garage for ?610,000 (?482,000).

The second-largest of Italy's northern lakes is Lake Maggiore, which separates the regions of Lombardy and Piedmont and juts into the Swiss Alps at its northern tip. The most popular resorts, like the pretty town of Stresa, are on the western, Piedmont side of the lake, which is served by the main railway through the mountains to Lausanne and Geneva; but the eastern side, with its proximity to Milan, is still sought after.

Frances Petersson from Jackson Stops & Staff International says: "There seems to be a renewed interest on Maggiore, whether it is all the recent press or just that people are realising what a convenient place it is. Unlike Como, it has many more beaches and water sports clubs, some very prestigious golf clubs and in winter is close to several ski resorts as well as in commuting distance to Milan." She adds that prices are also more reasonable than at Lake Como or Lake Garda, with lakeside homes still available for under ?500,000 (?395,000) with very little work to do. Jackson Stops & Staff has an apartment on Isola Bella, one of the picturesque Borromean Islands in the middle of Lake Maggiore, for sale for ?320,000 (?253,000). The spacious first-floor apartment in one of the traditional fisherman's houses has two balconies from which to enjoy lakefront views.

On the Lombardy side of the lake, the town of Maccagno is the site of the new Golfo Gabella development, made up of 90 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments in five buildings with communal swimming pool, gym, restaurant and on-site rental facilities. Properties start from ?194,000 through Pure International and there is an option of a private mooring on the lake.

Pat McCreddie at Unicasa, which also markets properties at the Golf Gabella development, says an owner looking to rent their property can expect to receive around ?250 (?197) per person per week. ?Therefore, if you have a one-bedroom apartment, which can easily sleep four, the income would be ?1,000 [?790] per week. This is an average figure throughout the year and of course some weeks would command higher rents than others.? (Summer rents can command up to ?300 (?236) per person per week.)

Lake Garda is the largest of the Italian lakes, located to the west of the region but still within an hour's drive from Milan's Bergamo airport or, depending on which side of the lake you are going, Brescia and Verona are also airport options. Like its northerly counterparts, Lake Garda also served as a luxury Roman holiday destination, and remains a bustle of lakeside resorts including Sirmione on the southern shores and Riva del Garda in the north. Along the south-western shores of the lake, Casa Travella is selling a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment overlooking the centre of Padenghe sul Garda for ?330,000 (?260,000).

Although the northern lakes are close to the Alps and winter skiing, the high rental season is relatively short, running from May to September. But Linda Travella of Casa Travella says investors can realise rental for up to 40 weeks of the year, albeit with lower winter rates. For example, Travella says a three-bedroom, two-bathroom luxury apartment can go for ?900 to ?1,500 per week in high season but this drops to around ?500 per week in the winter months. If you're looking for a more regular income though, property in Milan can earn over five per cent rental returns for smaller properties and around four per cent for larger more expensive properties according to the Global Property Guide, an online residential property guide. But be aware that the Italian rental laws are very prescriptive and don't always work in the best interests of the landlord.

The process of buying is relatively simple and includes a proposal offer, which, if accepted, is followed with a ten per cent deposit. The preliminary contract of sale usually takes about four to six weeks and the completion comes when the notary contract transfers ownership of the property. New-build properties attract VAT of four per cent for first homes while resale properties incur a registration tax of three per cent.