Buying in August

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If you have already visited Italy in the past in August, you may be familiar with the sign in the picture. It literally means: “closed for holidays”. Funny uh? Well..., yes, August is the king of the Italian summer holidays and almost everyone…

One-off taxes and costs when you buy a property in Italy

When you buy a property in Italy there are some taxes and expenses you may want to take into account to set your overall budget. Taxes are different if you buy a prima casa (main residence) or if you buy a seconda casa (holiday home). Taxes…

Buying in Italy, the “categorie catastali”: what are they?

While looking for a property to buy, you may have bumped into some “categoria catastale A3” or “categoria catastale C3” etc. and you may have wondered what that was. The categorie catastali are classes properties in Italy are grouped…

Buying in Italy: “prima casa” or “seconda casa”?

As a preliminary remark, it’s essential to say that the amount of tax to pay when you buy a prima casa, primary residence, is lower than when you buy a seconda casa, holiday home; that’s why it is relevant to know if you are going to buy…

The buying process in Italy: some HEADS UP

This brief article is meant to give some heads up on two problems I bump into more and more often. 1. What you have visited is not what you are buying. This happens more often than you could expect. Properties in Italy are identified by…

“NUDA PROPRIETÀ” AND “USUFRUTTO”

While looking for a property in Italy, you may have bumped into a nuda proprietà for sale and you may have wondered what that was. In very simple words, in Italy the ownership (piena proprietà) of a house is made by the mere ownership of…

THE OFFER TO BUY: A CRUCIAL STEP IN THE BUYING OFFER

The offer to buy is one of the most important and crucial steps in the buying process. It includes clauses, terms and conditions of the sale, most of which will be reported in the final contract; it is a proper agreement, binding for both…

PRIVATE SALE OR AGENCY SALE?

Property private sales are still quite popular in Italy and this is mainly due to the saving on agency fees. Let’s see the main characteristics of each one. Agency sale: 1. When a property is advertised by an agent, the agent should…

Buying a property in Italy: do I need a lawyer?

The law in Italy doesn’t require you to be assisted by anyone in a property transaction. The only essential figures in a property transaction in Italy are the seller, the buyer and the notary. Hence the short answer to that question is: “nope,…

Buying in Italy: how to protect your deposit

When you make an offer to buy a property in Italy, you are requested to pay a deposit to prove you’re serious about buying. Agents usually ask for the buyer to leave a personal check with them, which they will then hand over to the seller…