The Complete Guide to Buying Property in Italy

Barbara McMahon lives and works in Italy. She bought and restored her own house in Umbria, having thoroughly researched every aspect of buying the property first. She has been a journalist for over 20 years and writes for a wide range of newspapers and magazines.

1 Choosing your location and your property How much do you want to spend? Do you want rental income or is the property only for you and your family? Will you go twice a year or every other weekend? Are you certain that this will only ever be a holiday home? What kind of climate do you want to live in? Do you want to have access to the sea or are you content to be inland? What size of house? Do you want to move into a house that is already habitable or to restore a ruin? Will your regular guests -- like elderly parents and teenage children -- be able to drive? Do you want to be way out in the country or near to a town or village? How much land do you want? Do you want to be in a tourist-oriented area? How important is a swimming pool? Getting started 2 The regions and provinces of Italy Abruzzo Basilicata Calabria Campania Emilia-Romagna Fruili-Venezia Giulia Lazio Liguria Lombardy (Lombardia) Marche Molise Piedmont (Piemonte) Puglia Sardinia (Sardegna) Sicily (Sicilia) Trentino-Alto Adige Tuscany (Toscana) Umbria Valle D'Aosta Veneto 3 Renting a home in Italy Examples of why you should rent first Short-term rentals Long-term rentals Disdetta Rent and deposit for damages Unfurnished and furnished accommodation Condominiums Tenants' responsibilities Commission Cost of rental Leaving 4 Searching for a house Estate agents Take notes Rough ground Mobile phones Perseverance Maximize your chances Check things out Architectural features Views Walk the boundaries Water and other services Live/work space Property already converted Planning decisions Part ownership Keep checking Adventures in house buying Stay focused Make up your mind Negotiate Final advice 5 The purchase process Legal advice or not Appointing a surveyor The compromesso di vendita The deposit Proposta irrevocabile d'acquisto Notaio L'Atto di acquisto Declared value Property ownership The costs Power of attorney The purchase of an apartment in a condominium Cautionary tales 6 Banking and mortgages Transferring money to Italy Mortgages 7 Restoring a property Choosing an architect or designer Budget and talking the same visual language Geometra Preventivo Choosing a builder Building contract Keep your own records Communication Paying cash Do-It-Yourself The final weeks Guarantees Fees 8 Buying a new property or having a property built Building plots Buying from a developer Building guarantees 9 Utilities Electricity Gas Other heating methods Water Telephone 10 Settling in Learn the language Retiring to Italy Driving and buying a car Red tape Television and radio Swimming pools Pets 11 Education and health Education Health 12 Letting and selling your Italian home Letting Selling your property 13 Working and setting up a business in Italy Working in Italy Setting up a business in Italy 14 Taxation Tax forms Liability for income tax Income tax for house-owners Rates of tax Employing the services of a commercialista Fiscal representative ICI (Imposta Communali Sugli Immobili) Wealth tax Capital gains tax Appeals Conventions for the avoidance of double taxation Postscript Appendices 1 Useful addresses 2 Direct flights to Italy from the UK 3 Useful vocabulary 4 Universities in the UK where Italian is taught 5 Italian public holidays 6 Pet travel arrangements 7 Miscellaneous information 8 Recommended reading