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

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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

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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”

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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

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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 parties,…

PRIVATE SALE OR AGENCY SALE?

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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?

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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

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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…

I’m a foreigner, can I buy property in Italy?

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This is a question very often asked. People from all over the world are fascinated by Italy and want to invest in the Bel Paese. Unfortunately not everyone can buy a property in Italy, though. In Italy there is a rule called “reciprocity”:…

Estate agents in Italy: peculiarities

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Sometimes people willing to buy a property in Italy are amazed to learn that estate agents in Italy work in a different way than in their home country and that the entire buying process is, more or less, different. To become an estate agent…

Let’s talk about the “codice fiscale”

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The codice fiscale - fiscal code – is an alphanumeric code, based on your name, place of birth and date of birth. It is assigned to all Italian citizens at birth and it lasts forever, i.e. it does not have an expiry date, nor it needs…