Detailed List of Services
We offer a highly personal and comprehensive quality service:
By visiting our web site, you will find a selection of homes that we offer for Sale. We regularly update our site as properties sell and as new homes come on the market. As you peruse the web site, please understand that we can only show a few photographs to begin to tell the story. We suggest contacting us with any questions then we can send you more photos along with a more elaborate description to provide a complete picture of the property that you are interested in.
We can correspond in English, German, and French and of course in Italian. Therefore, should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
We can help you find the right property for you.
Simply contact us by email and we will forward a more detailed description by either traditional mail or email, whatever your preference. In your correspondence, please provide as detailed a description as possible of the kind of home/apartment you are looking for. Tell us what is important to you. The size of home, the amount of land, the location and then give us a budget to work within. We will begin a search for a property that will meet your needs.
We provide support to all our clients throughout the entire process of buying a home in Italy. We begin by meeting in our office to review our portfolio of properties and discuss what qualities you might be looking for in a home. We can advise you about the location and what amenities you could expect in that area. The entire experience will be discussed and then we will proceed to arrange appointments to see some homes that meet your criteria.
We are here to advise you through the entire process and to carefully explain each step in the process. We do not simply leave you on your own to find your way through the legalities of another country, we will personally be with you in part of the process. This ensures that when we come to the Public Act of Purchase, there will be no surprises. We will be with you in the Notary’s office on the day of purchase to assure everything goes smoothly and we will have a translator there to assure that you understand all details about the transaction.
For further details, please review the section on purchasing a Property in Italy.
Over the years, we have had many successful real estate transactions and as a result have built valuable relationships with notaries and lawyers. The people we work with, we trust completely. We know from experience that they will provide us with sound advice and see that the transaction between the Vendor and Purchaser is a smooth process.
For further details, please review the section on purchasing a Property in Italy.
You can also use the services of Italian Quality Houses in case you want to sell your property in Italy. We will send you the list of documents required for this. We or an agent collaborating with us will visit your property, take many pictures, write a detailed description which will be translated into several languages after your approval of the draft. As soon as we have received all the necessary documents and the intermediation contract we will publish the property on the website and in magazines or newspapers. We can send you a contract upon request.
Offer for sales
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Purchasing a Property in Italy.
Legal Description:
The following information is provided without any responsibility on the part of the real estate agents, but we will assist you with your purchase and you can draw upon our experiences. We will assist in securing appropriate legal council to act on your behalf in the purchased of a home. They may be different than what you are accustomed to, but at Italian Quality Houses, we are here to assist you through these procedures.
Please note: Italian Law does not place any legal restrictions upon the purchase of a property in Italy by non-citizens. Foreigners are in no way treated differently than Italian citizens. There is no special consideration for foreigners in the Italian tax system. Please consult your country’s tax and immigration treaty with Italy, in order to fully understand your position with the Italian government.
Should you choose to use a real estate agent to locate and negotiate the purchase of a property in Italy, one should check with the local Chamber of Commerce to be certain that this agent is licensed to conduct business. There is a registration number along with a Partita IVA or VAT tax number that will identify registered real estate agents.
It is important to note, that all property in Italy is considered Freehold, regardless of whether it is an apartment, a farmhouse, a castle or a piece of land.
The 3 Phases of Purchasing a Property in Italy.
Generally there are 3 phases which comprise the purchase of property in Italy:
The Offer to Purchase:
1. The irrevocable offer subject to contract (proposta irrevocabile d'acquisto).
At that time when a price and all other items regarding the purchase of a property are fixed or nearly negotiated by the prospective buyer and seller, a written proposta irrevocabile d'acquisto is forwarded by the real estate agent to the vendor along with a deposit to the seller (usually between 2% or 3% of the purchase price) ranging from EUR 2,000.00 to 7,000.00. This deposit confirms the buyer's intention to purchase the property and prevents the seller from initiating any further negotiations with a second party. With the signing of this document, both parties become legally obliged to sign a preliminary contract or sale agreement ("contratto preliminare or compromesso ").
he Preliminary Contract or The Compromesso:
2. The Preliminary Contract or Compromesso is a private contract between the buyer and the seller in which all the details of the final contract are laid out, all the terms and conditions, methods of payment, dates for making of the final contract and any other details are stated. It provides a description of the property and its structures as they appear in the local City Property Registry Office (Nuovo Catasto Edilizio Urbano) and/or in the local Land Registry Office (Catasto Terreni). In it, the seller warrants that the property is unencumbered by financial and legal liabilities. The seller also must assume complete liability (the terms of which vary per contract) should encumbrances arise from the previous ownership of the property which were not made evident and subsequently expunged at the time of the signing of the preliminary contract. Though it is a private deed, we always recommend generating this act by or in front of a Public Notary! He/she will make a title search and see that there are no loans, liens or other impediments on the property, that the property is the exact one that is for sale and that all permits and permission for the building are in order. In this contract the price being paid for the property is stated. At the time of signing the preliminary contract, the buyer usually pays between 20% and 30% of the value of the property. This is called “caparra confirmatoria” and being a confirmatory deposit this is not held in escrow but goes directly to the owner of the property. If the purchaser then defaults on the contract they lose this deposit. If the seller defaults on this contract they have to refund the full amount of the deposit plus an equal amount to the purchaser. The real estate agent’s essential task is fulfilled as soon as the purchase is protected by the preliminary contract. Real estate agents in Italy operate with a split fee between seller and buyer, which is 3% to 5 %+ VAT on the full purchase price for each party.
The Final Contract:
3. The final contract: Within 1-3 months after the signing of the preliminary (this date has been agreed within the preliminary contact itself), the final contract is signed by both buyer and seller. This has to be signed in front of the public notary. At the signing of this final contract the property is officially transferred to the buyer and the balance of the purchase price is paid to the seller. The Public Notary's fee is paid (according to Italian Law the Notary's fees are to be paid by the purchaser) and the payments for the government purchase tax and registration fee are paid too. This contract in fact is registered in the property registration office (Ufficio del Catasto and the Conservatoria dei Registri Immobiliari.). After the signing of this contract there is a period of approx. 3 weeks before the new owners receive this document. This document is equal to a Title Deed and is the document of ownership of the property. Italian law categorizes 2 forms of property: an exclusive possession by a single person, and, a communal possession by a married couple. This categorization is determined by the notary and documented within the notary contract.
Additional Costs:
You normally need to budget for an additional 10-15% of the purchase price to cover tax, notaio (notary) fees, translator and agents fees, and more if you hire an expert (geometra, accountant, lawyer).
Taxes:
Purchase taxes: When foreign purchasers, who do not own any other property in Italy, acquire a property for residential purpose (i.e. register that the property they purchase is to be their main place of residence i.e., that they will live in that property for at least six months and one day per year), then the government purchase tax will be 3% of the price declared in the final contract if you buy from a private individual (and is called imposta di registro) and 4% if you buy from a company (and is called VAT); and 18% of the price declared in the final contract for the agricultural land. In any other circumstance, as for a second home purchase the purchase tax amounts to 10% for the building and court and 18% for the agricultural land. For an Agricultural Property if the property will be your place of residence and your principle activity will be agricultural, then the purchase tax will be 11% for the agricultural land instead of 18%.
Notary Fee:
In addition to the purchase tax the buyer has to pay the notary fee, which is approximately 1.500,00 to 3.000,00 Euros plus IVA (VAT). The fee is calculated on the price declared in the final contract and is usually no more than 4 % of the declared value, and is to be paid at the signing of the final contract.
Real Estate Agent’s Fee:
The agency fee or sales commission is payable to the real estate agency once the Preliminary Sales Agreement has been signed.
Annual Taxes and Fees:
The annual property tax is called the "ICI" (Imposta Comunale sugli Immobili). This is a municipal
Tax which is determined by the size of the property (including the surrounding land) and the quality of the structure(s) on the property (whether it is a single apartment, independent house or a luxury villa). Normally, the tax is not very high, especially for country properties. There is a local garbage collection tax too which varies from municipality to municipality but is usually very low. (Rifuti Solidi Urbani).
Required Documents:
- A valid passport for the person or persons who are going to purchase the property.
- Current address and full name of the person or person who are going to purchase.
- An address in Italy (you can use ours until you have one of your own).
- A Codice Fiscale. Everyone who lives or owns a house in Italy needs to have a fiscal code number (like a social security number not a tax number). This is necessary for the signing of the notary contract and to obtain electricity, telephone and gas contracts. On receipt of a copy of your passport the notary will obtain this for you.
- Bank Account in Italy. It would also be helpful for you to open a bank account here in Italy to facilitate payments to the various bodies such as the electrical, gas and telephone companies.
We hope that this information has given you some insight into the procedures and implications of buying a property in Italy. We are here to assist you in every possible way. Before, during and after the sale, we will even help you settle into your new home. Please feel free to contact us at your convenience. We are at your service.