Buying a home in Italy

Who can buy

An EU citizen buys in Italy exactly as an Italian does: no authorisation, no limit, no quota.

For a non-EU citizen the reciprocity condition applies: you may buy if your home country lets Italians do the same, or if you hold certain types of residence permit or an equivalent status. The notary verifies this before the deed in any case.

In every case you need a tax code, and in practice an Italian bank account, because payment at the deed is made by banker's drafts or traceable transfers.

The three steps

1. The purchase offer

A written offer, usually on the agency's form, irrevocable for a stated period. If the seller accepts and tells you so, the contract is already concluded: it is not a quotation.

A cheque is attached as a deposit, which the agency holds and hands to the seller only after acceptance.

2. The preliminary contract (compromesso)

The contract binding both parties to sign the deed by a set date. It sets out price, timing, condition of the property, and almost always a confirmatory deposit: if you pull out you lose it, if the seller pulls out they owe it back doubled.

The preliminary must be registered within 30 days. Having a notary handle it also allows transcription in the land registers: a few hundred euros more, and it protects you if, between preliminary and deed, the seller sells to someone else or is subject to enforcement. On a significant purchase it is money well spent.

3. The deed (rogito)

The public act before the notary, who reads the contract aloud, verifies identities, collects and pays the taxes, and registers and transcribes the act. From that moment the property is yours.

The notary is a public officer: not your lawyer, but a neutral party. They carry out the statutory checks, but if you want an adviser acting solely for you, that is a different professional.

What it costs beyond the price

The taxes

They depend on who is selling and on what the property is to you.

Situation	Main tax	Mortgage and cadastral duties
From a private seller, first home	Registration tax 2% on the cadastral value	€50 + €50
From a private seller, second home	Registration tax 9% on the cadastral value	€50 + €50
From a developer, first home	VAT 4% on the price	€200 each
From a developer, second home	VAT 10% (22% if luxury)	€200 each

Registration tax can never be less than €1,000.

The other costs

• Notary: fee plus taxes and disbursements. On an ordinary residential purchase, roughly €1,500 to €3,000 plus VAT, more with a mortgage. Quotes can and should be compared: it is not a fixed tariff.
• Agency: around 3% plus VAT from each side, with minimums.
• Mortgage: a substitute tax of 0.25% of the amount for a first home (2% otherwise), plus valuation and arrangement fees.
• Interpreter or translator: if you do not understand Italian, the deed requires an interpreter and a translation. It is a real cost — budget for it.

The first-home relief

It cuts the tax substantially, but it is a commitment, not an automatic discount. The main conditions:

• the property must not be in a luxury category (A/1, A/8, A/9);
• you must hold, or move your residence to the municipality within 18 months of the deed;
• you must not own another dwelling in the same municipality, nor another home bought with the same relief anywhere in Italy.

Checks you do not skip

The notary performs many of them, but some are worth knowing because they affect the price or the decision.

• Mortgages and seizures: the mortgage registry search. An existing mortgage is discharged at the deed out of the proceeds, but it has to be managed.
• Cadastral and planning conformity: the property must match the filed floor plan and the building permits. Discrepancies are fixed beforehand and paid by the seller — if found in time.
• APE: the energy performance certificate is mandatory and must be attached.
• Installations: ask for the conformity declarations for the electrical and gas systems.
• Condominium debts: the buyer is jointly liable for the current and previous year's building charges. Ask the building manager for a clearance statement: it is a normal request and must be made before the deed.
• Chain of title: if the property came through a gift, the sale can be legally more fragile. Discuss it with the notary.

After the deed

• Transfer the utilities and declare TARI to the municipality.
• Move your residence, if you claimed the first-home relief.
• Check IMU: not due on your main non-luxury home, due on everything else.
• If the property is or will be let, consider cedolare secca.

Common mistakes

• Signing the offer without reading the commission clause.
• Neither registering nor transcribing the preliminary on a significant purchase or an off-plan home.
• Claiming the first-home relief with no intention of moving your residence.
• Not asking the notary for prezzo-valore: it applies only if you request it in the deed.
• Buying without approved financing, then risking the deposit when the bank says no.
• Ignoring condominium debts: they surface afterwards, and they are yours.