Buying Property in Italy

In Italy properties for sale are dealt with by agenzie immobiliare (estate agents). Many are franchises, such as Grimaldi, and FIAIP registered.

The system tends to be for you to describe the type of property you are looking for, and name your price bracket. The local agenzie is best consulted when you are looking for regular modem housing. If you are looking for a property to renovate or one that is ready-restored, British agencies usually advertise in the property columns of the British Sunday newspapers. Alternatively consult the local town hall comune , in the area that you are looking for property.

Once you have found a property you will need to contact a notaio (notary), the public official responsible for drawing up the deeds ( rogito ) and registering the transfer of property. They are listed in the Pagine Gialle (Yellow Pages) under Notai .

The first step in the buying process is for the notaio to make searches into the ownership of the property in question, in order to ensure legitimacy of the seller and to check that there is no mortgage or other payment outstanding. At the same time a geometra should be employed to carry out a survey, and it is necessary to open a bank account.

The next step is to go ahead with the preliminary contract, the compromesso. While this is being drawn up you should obtain a Codice Fiscale, an Italian Fiscal Code number, which will need to be presented at all further meetings with the notaio (as well as a passport and identity card). The purpose of the compromesso is to clarify all conditions of the sale, including the price and terms of payment. This stage involves the payment of a deposit of between 10 and 30 per cent of the sale price of the property.

The normal procedure after signing the compromesso is to meet again in the presence of the notaio on the completion date to exchange contracts, a procedure known as the atto. The notaio should have rechecked the ownership of the property and any outstanding payments and have drawn up the title deed, the rogito. The notaio reads out the final contract and then certifies the signatures of the buyer and seller. Finally he asks the buyer to pay the fees incurred and also any taxes that are due. Once the purchase price has been paid to the seller, monies transferred and the title deed is signed, the property has officially changed hands. The notaio then has to register the title deed at the cadastro (land registry), and your copy of the certified title deed will be ready for collection or delivery after about two months.