Italy Guide: Property

Buying a house is time-consuming, difficult and very expensive - especially if something goes wrong! Get your house search off to a good start with our buying property guide. Make sure you find out about the property market and understand how the system of buying a home works as it might be very different from your home country.

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  Introduction

  An introduction to buying property in Italy

  Once you’ve considered possible locations for your dream home in Italy, you must decide on the type of property that will best suit your requirements and consider the purchase options and the fees associated with buying.

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  Legal Advice

  Let the professionals help you

  It cannot be emphasised too strongly that anyone planning to buy property in Italy must take expert, independent legal advice. If you aren’t prepared to do this, you shouldn’t even think about buying a property!

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  Subrogation & Finance

  What you should know

  One Italian law that property buyers should be aware of is the law of subrogation, whereby property debts, including mortgages, local taxes, utility bills and community charges, remain with a property and are inherited by the buyer.

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  Estate Agents

  All you need to know to deal with estate agents

  Unlike some other countries, where almost all property sales are handled by estate agents ( agenzie immobiliari) or other agents ( mediatore), a large percentage of sales in Italy are private (directly between vendors and buyers) to avoid agents’ fees.

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  Viewing

  What you should expect

  If possible, you should decide where you want to live, what sort of property you want and your budget before visiting Italy.

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  Property Prices

  How much does property cost in Italy?

  Property prices in Italy rose considerably in the 1980s in most areas, driven by the high demand for second homes from both foreigners and Italians.

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  Negotiating The Price

  Tips and tricks for good bargaining

  To get an idea of property prices in different regions of Italy, check the prices of properties advertised in English-language property magazines and Italian newspapers, magazines and property journals.

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  Fees

  Extra costs when buying property in Italy

  A variety of fees (also called closing or completion costs) are payable when you buy a property in Italy.

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  Inspections & Surveys

  What you need to know

  When you’ve found a property that you like, you should make a close inspection of its condition.

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  Checks

  What you should look out for

  Always discuss with a surveyor exactly what will be included in a survey and, most importantly, what will be excluded (you may need to pay extra to include certain checks and tests).

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  Renovation & Restoration

  All you need to know to renovate your home

  Many old properties purchased by foreigners in Italy are in need of restoration, renovation and modernisation.

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  Planning Permission

  How to obtain planning permission

  If modernisation of an old building involves making external alterations, such as building an extension or installing larger windows or new doorways, you will need planning permission ( permessi comunali or concessione edilizia) from your local town hall and a building licence ( licenza).

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  Conveyance

  What is it and what does it entail

  Conveyancing ( pratica), or more correctly ‘conveyance’, is the legal term for processing the paperwork involved in buying and selling real property and transferring the deeds of ownership.

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  Contracts

  All you need to know before signing a contract

  In some transactions, the first stage in buying a home is the signing of a ‘purchase proposal’ (promessa d’acquisto or prenotazione or promesso di vendita), which is usually drawn up by the estate agent and presented to the seller on the buyer’s behalf.

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  Completion

  The final step

  Completion (closing or exchange of contracts), called atto in Italian, is the name for the signing of the final deed ( rogito, atto di compravendita or scrittura privata), which is drawn up by a notary.

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  Property Tax

  How much is property tax in Italy?

  Property tax ( imposta comunale sugli immobili/ICI – pronounced ‘itchy’) is paid by everyone who owns property or land in Italy, whether resident or non-resident.

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