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Buying property in ItalyIf you are looking to buy property in Tuscany, Italy we wanted to put together our personal tips to help make things go smoothly from the start and help you secure the property of your dreams.
As a disclaimer; These are only what made our property search and purchase work well for us, every property purchase is different. If it is your first time buying property it can be a roller coaster ride of emotions, just try to keep a level head and be realistic about budgets and the amount it will cost to have changes or amendments made.
You may think that is it possible to not use an estate agent, or a lawyer, or an accountant, and you may be right but having peace of mind when it comes to such a small % of the total property cost means that we opted to use professional during our property purchase in Maremma.
Have a good idea of what you want to buy, and where, do your research and list what you want to get in your property, type, views, rooms, garden, land, pool, altitude, distance to nearest neighbor, hospital, shops nearby, distance to nearest town, time to nearest motorway, etc.. this will help any agent find you properties that fit your requirements, and not waste your, or their time,
When you find a property you like, go for it, and if your budget allows, and at the end of negotiations there is only a small gap, don’t lose it for a small % of the total price.
Get the property surveyed, depending on the property type you may ask for more than one survey type, electrical, structural etc. these survey costs are your cost. If issues are found before the contracts are signed, that are not inline with the current property plans, it is at the sellers expense to put them right. However once the contract is signed, if there are issus found, it is at your cost to put them right. Properties with issues have difficulty in selling so try to make sure everything is inline with permits issued and the properties latest plans.
If you are thinking of having an extension, building a pool or making changes in the house internally you may want to get an architect or geometra (surveyor) to check with your comune if the changes or additions you want can be made and also what they will cost to apply for an get approved. Some area’s like Maremma Tuscany are very strict on building changes, footprints, additions and changes. You can ask to have planning approval added into the contract, if you dont get approval, the deal does not go through.
It is very important to get a quote for the works you think will need to be done to get the house the way you want it, some costs may be higher than you expected, materials may not be available in your area, or the workers required may need to travel to your site, all this adds costs
In order to get qoutes for works to be completed you will need to find reputable builders in the area, ask neighbours who they use, they will have spent time getting to only work with the best
If you want to operate your property as a business, it would be wise to ask an accountant specialized in your area of business to advise you before property purchase as there may be tax differences.
Lawyers, buying property in Italy can be difficult, we would recommend having a lawyer particularly if you are buying property as a business. A lawyer can ensure there are not problems within the purchase contract as well as ensuring that the notary has completed the search on the property correctly.
Accountant, if you are relocating to Italy, or are thinking about opening a business then getting good advice is vital to ensure things go smoothly from start to finish. The rules on tax and property, property and business are complex in Italy, as they are in many countries now, so advice from someone who will listen to you about your plans for the future will help make sure that you have no issues moving forward.
If you are not a native Italian speaker, when completing the contract signing you will need an authorised English speaking notary to create the contract and organise the parties for signing, This is a legal requirement.
During our property purchase the below assisted us;
Antonio Russo property real estate – Real Estate agent, with determination they found us our home, recommended.