26th September 2020

Italian Real Estate

Buying real estate in Italy is a complicated process yet this should not be a deterrent to acquiring a beautiful villa or estate in our favourite European country.

Very often what is registered at the Comune by way of the catasto does not match the cadastral plan (showing boundaries and structures) at the land registry. This may be, for example, because a swimming pool or building extension was carried out in the past without formal consent having been granted. In such cases, retrospective permission will be needed. This should be handled by the buyer’s appointed lawyer who will work with a notaio – a public notary.

When an offer is made and a price agreed the first contract takes place and a substantial deposit is payable. Later, depending on the terms of the first contract and what needs to be done by way of conveyancing in the interim, there will be the signing of the deed of sale.

We strongly advise all clients to appoint a top, international Italian-speaking lawyer to act for them and ensure everything is handled correctly. We can propose contact names if necessary.

Much of the real estate openly on the Italian market is over-priced. Many properties have been sitting on the market for a long while with over-valued pricing imposed by vendors.

We tend to operate more with off-market inventory, often through local specialist contacts. Our team will carry out pre-due diligence on pricing and recent valuation and other trends on our client’s behalf. We do not sell anything – our role is one of advising and acquiring, and in this way we can remain impartial and objective.

Our areas of greatest expertise and local knowledge, outside the major Italian cities, focus primarily on the super-prime sector, notably oceanfront villas in Monte Argentario (southern Tuscany), Capri and the Amalfi Coast and Portofino. This proficiency also extends to rural estates in the Tuscan interior as well as waterfront villas on Lake Como.

We recently returned from a real estate trip to the south of Italy and have earmarked certain properties of special interest. If you are interested in considering super-prime Italian real estate, please contact Debi Zornes, who will direct your enquiry.