The real estate agent focus on how buying and selling properties, it is our job and we have been doing it for years. You can take all the stress off about the purchasing. The process in a foreign country is different than yours and bureaucracy could be not easy also for a not professional, so the best solution is to charge e real estate agency.

This depends from the type of the house, as each house history is different. Usually takes from 6 to 8 times but could take longer or could be agreed also for seller’s and buyers exigences.

Home inspections can be required before starting the buying process, but could be avoid in case the house has clearly good structure and roof. The survey can be required using a surveyor you can select by yourselves or asking to us. The cost is usually around 300 euro to pay directly to the surveyor.

Yes it’s necessary to pay a down payment. There is no law regarding this, and so not fixed percentage. It’s usually an amount strsting from 3.000 euro and up according to the sale price of the house (more expensive is, more higher will be the deposit).

Before proceeding with the purchase you need to make a tax code or “codice fiscale”, that is a like a social security number used for signing contracts, getting paid and opening accounts in Italy. Many website said that it’s necessary open a bank account in Italy:  NO, IT’S NOT NECESSARY, you could easily make once the final deed is done. Exclusive Property will assist you for both case without further charges. The Agency will collect all the necessary documents related to the property as: cadastral maps, title deeds, registered mortgages and any other required legal information. To make the deal becomes binding for both parties the next step is making a preliminary agreement or a compromesso with which the seller and the buyer engage themselves to sell and buy the property. In the contract, there are details about the parties, he sale price, the amount of the deposit, the completion date and details referring the property.  When the preliminary agreement is signed, it’s necessary, according to the law, record it to the Income Revenue Authority. The next step is the payment of a deposit, that consists in a percentage of the whole price of the property. According to art. 1385 of the Italian Civil Code, if the vendor decides not to sell the property after having signed the preliminary sale contract and collected the deposit, he must pay the purchasing party back twice the sum received. In Italy therefore it is highly unlikely that a vendor will contemplate paying back double the sum by changing his mind after the preliminary contract has been signed.

Closing usually takes six to eight weeks. The notaio or notary public has the responsibility of performing due diligence and he acts for both parties.

The Notary Public is not the same as a British solicitor. Here in Italy he must only guarantee that the deed is legal, that the house is in order and that the payment is made in a legal manner. The final deed is a legal document drawn up by the Notary, the formal handover of the property will take place by signing the deed and paying the remaining amount in front of the Notary. It can also be done through a special proxy if the buyer cannot be present. When you own the property you need to transfer under your name the utilities as water, electricity. Also in this case we will assist you without any added charges. To make some renovation we can help you too; we offer an advice-only consultancy service. If you need a full consultation and quote, we have a number of trusted contractors experienced in dealing with residential properties of all sizes, types, ages and conditions, to help you find the perfect solution which is the best for your needs.

The power of attorney can be used for many purpose, one of this is to buy or sell Italian property. A Power of Attorney (POA) is document which allows an individual (the “principal”) to grant another person (a trusted person) the power to act on his or her behalf and represent him or her legally.

It is used in the case you are in the process of purchasing a property in Italy, but do not have time or in case of pandemic, the chance to travel to Italy to make the formalities. It’s often used even if you can be present to make the final deed, this applies when the principal does not speak Italian and his/her signature is required in front of an Italian notary public. More specifically, when a non-Italian speaking party is involved in person in a notarial deed (such as a property transaction), the law requires such deed to be drawn up in two languages, i.e., in Italian and in a language understood by the non-Italian speaking party. Also, the law requires that an interpreter is present for the entire duration of the meeting.

The POA is in Italian and in the language of the principal.

A power of attorney can be signed abroad in your country. It’s enough to sign it in front of any foreign Public Notary or a solicitor there who speaks Italian too, who will authenticate the signature. After this, an Apostille is necessary to complete the POA made abroad. The Apostille is an official certification authenticated by the Competent Authorities designated by the State. Each State has a different Authority which issue the Apostille, the consulate or the embassy, National Apostille office, Government office or Tribunal.

Sellers can flat-out accept or reject an initial offer. But is quite common, sellers can initiate a counteroffer. Remember this: a deal isn’t dead until it’s dead.

Yes, sales price are  often negotiable. But remember drop a price could be offensive and a cheap sale price could indicate that the sale price is firm.