Buying in August

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 is on vacation.
Lawyers, builders, tax accountants, plumbers, notaries, tailors, architects, upholsterers,… all have a break and enjoy time with family and friends. Better not to have a breakdown in August, or it might be very challenging to get hold of an engineer, ah ah!
Public offices are open, of course, but short staffed.

Assisting clients doing business in Italy is very challenging since professionals, who may need to be involved, are off (the notary may not be available to receive your deposit, the geometra may not be available to check the land borders, the architect may not be available to give you an estimate of renovation works, and so on), hence our office, too, is “chiuso per ferie”.

However, I just want to give you some tips and advice, if you have planned a scouting trip in Italy this August with the aim of buying a property.
1. Visit the same place in other times of the year, since, if it’s a summer destination, you could find that that town is very lively, while it could be very quiet during the winter months (is that what you are looking for?). If it’s not a summer destination, you may find it silent because empty of natives who are on holiday, while may be busy during the winter months.
2. If you are not familiar with the buying process in Italy, think twice before signing an offer to buy, even if the agent says that there are at least ten people interested in buying that very property the following day, and ask yourself if you can afford to lose the deposit and the agent’s commission. Just be aware that, as soon as the offer is accepted, if there are no suspensive conditions included in the offer (which agents usually do not include), the agent is entitled to get their commission, irrespective of the outcome of the deal, i.e. even if the deal won’t finalise. And if the agent includes a condition, please make sure this is properly worded, or it wouldn’t be valid and wouldn’t actually protect your interests.

If you have the patience to wait until September, we’d be delighted to assist you in the purchase of your dream home. Email us today to secure your spot and we’ll reply to your message in order of arrival as soon as we are back at work.

This article is not exhaustive and is a guidance only

Barbara De Benedittis Relocation and Legal in Italy