The Complete Guide to Buying Property in Italy: Buying, Restoring, Renting, Letting and Selling [Paperback]

"Clearly written, authoritative guide." Italy "Offers advice on finding, buying, restoring, letting and selling your own place in anywhere from Lombardy in the north to Sicily in the south." The Real Homes Magazine "This gem of a book gives extremely sound advice... an informative, witty and interesting guide." The Italian Magazine "Provides tips on living and working in Italy so newbies will have an understanding of the practicalities of utilities, education and health care." Reference and Book News

Both inspiring and practical, this is the definitive new guide to every aspect of buying or renting property in Italy.

Italy is a beguiling country and one of the most popular destinations for people buying property abroad. Contemplating such a move is exciting, but you need to be aware of all the regulations, practices and legal jargon involved.

Both inspiring and practical, this is the definitive new guide to every aspect of buying or renting property in Italy. Written by someone who has first-hand experience of the process, it will help you to make the right decisions at every stage, including:

choosing a location - the different regions of Italy

finding a property

the purchase process

restoring a property

buying a new property

renting a home

financial issues and inheritance laws

coping with the language

setting up a business

With maps, checklists, Web sites, useful addresses and a dictionary of Italian terms, The Complete Guide to Buying Property in Italy will help you to avoid the pitfalls and enjoy life in your new home right from the start.

Barbara McMahon lives and works in Italy. She bought and restored her own house in Umbria, having thoroughly researched every aspect of buying the property first. She has been a journalist for over 20 years and writes for a wide range of newspapers and magazines.

1 Choosing your location and your property

How much do you want to spend?

Do you want rental income or is the property only for you and your family?

Will you go twice a year or every other weekend?

Are you certain that this will only ever be a holiday home?

What kind of climate do you want to live in?

Do you want to have access to the sea or are you content to be inland?

What size of house?

Do you want to move into a house that is already habitable or to restore a ruin?

Will your regular guests -- like elderly parents and teenage children -- be able to drive?

Do you want to be way out in the country or near to a town or village?

How much land do you want?

Do you want to be in a tourist-oriented area?

How important is a swimming pool?

Getting started

2 The regions and provinces of Italy

Abruzzo

Basilicata

Calabria

Campania

Emilia-Romagna

Fruili-Venezia Giulia

Lazio

Liguria

Lombardy (Lombardia)

Marche

Molise

Piedmont (Piemonte)

Puglia

Sardinia (Sardegna)

Sicily (Sicilia)

Trentino-Alto Adige

Tuscany (Toscana)

Umbria

Valle D'Aosta

Veneto

3 Renting a home in Italy

Examples of why you should rent first

Short-term rentals

Long-term rentals

Disdetta

Rent and deposit for damages

Unfurnished and furnished accommodation

Condominiums

Tenants' responsibilities

Commission

Cost of rental

Leaving

4 Searching for a house

Estate agents

Take notes

Rough ground

Mobile phones

Perseverance

Maximize your chances

Check things out

Architectural features

Views

Walk the boundaries

Water and other services

Live/work space

Property already converted

Planning decisions

Part ownership

Keep checking

Adventures in house buying

Stay focused

Make up your mind

Negotiate

Final advice

5 The purchase process

Legal advice or not

Appointing a surveyor

The compromesso di vendita

The deposit

Proposta irrevocabile d'acquisto

Notaio

L'Atto di acquisto

Declared value

Property ownership

The costs

Power of attorney

The purchase of an apartment in a condominium

Cautionary tales

6 Banking and mortgages

Transferring money to Italy

Mortgages

7 Restoring a property

Choosing an architect or designer

Budget and talking the same visual language

Geometra

Preventivo

Choosing a builder

Building contract

Keep your own records

Communication

Paying cash

Do-It-Yourself

The final weeks

Guarantees

Fees

8 Buying a new property or having a property built

Building plots

Buying from a developer

Building guarantees

9 Utilities

Electricity

Gas

Other heating methods

Water

Telephone

10 Settling in

Learn the language

Retiring to Italy

Driving and buying a car

Red tape

Television and radio

Swimming pools

Pets

11 Education and health

Education

Health

12 Letting and selling your Italian home

Letting

Selling your property

13 Working and setting up a business in Italy

Working in Italy

Setting up a business in Italy

14 Taxation

Tax forms

Liability for income tax

Income tax for house-owners

Rates of tax

Employing the services of a commercialista

Fiscal representative

ICI (Imposta Communali Sugli Immobili)

Wealth tax

Capital gains tax

Appeals

Conventions for the avoidance of double taxation

Postscript

Appendices

1 Useful addresses

2 Direct flights to Italy from the UK

3 Useful vocabulary

4 Universities in the UK where Italian is taught

5 Italian public holidays

6 Pet travel arrangements

7 Miscellaneous information

8 Recommended reading