It took us one year to find our present home in Italy. It was not that I was particularly picky. It was that I had no idea how the whole finding property in Italy phenomenon worked. Here are some interesting tips I learned about finding property in Italy.
1.Don't expect to find "for sale" signs in front of properties that are for sale. For some reason Italians are embarassed by this.
2.Don't expect to get a definitive answer from Italians if their property is for sale. You will get "yes, maybe if the price is right I can move" type of an answer.
3.Do expect to get prices quoted first in Lira, then in Euro, then in Lira, then in Euro.
4.Do expect the price to change continuously.
5.Do expect that the real estate agent will never return your calls, is not really interested in a sale, does not remember who you are or what you wanted.
6.Do keep a diary of the properties you already saw, the prices, date, description, contact name, location.
7.Do expect to be taken to see the same property again although you flat out said not interested.
8.Do expect the agent to not really care about what you want in a property.
9.Do scour the area you are interested in and ask anyone (farmers, residents,etc) if they know of properties for sale in the area. These people know more than anyone else.
10. Do use the internet www.casa.it to compare prices, areas, homes, etc.
11.Do be patient.
Experience true Italy with me as I give you a real life glimpse of what it is like living in Italy. This is about living a slower, simpler, more fulfilling life as the Italian lifestyle. This is about all things Italian: renting or purchasing property, off the beaten path tours, raising a family in Italy,regional unbelievable food, recipes,bargain shopping in Italy,and much much more.Enjoy!
2 comments:
I was interested to see your blog for the first time today, and it seems to have useful information for many people interested in living in Italy.
Congratulations on finding a home in Italy and I noted your 10 tips for buying.
However I would like to comment on some.
If you are an expat looking in Italy then you need all the help and support you can get. I would always recommend using an international Agent (try www.realpointitaly.com) and always use a lawyer.
Although Agents charge commission they can usually negotiate on your behalf to get a sensible price for the property (which has typically been increased for the international market).
I would recommend against trying to buy through locals - they are invariable promoting their own agenda and once they find you interested you can be sure the price will go up, and the information you receive will be less than accurate.
Lucia, whilst I agree buying a house in Italy is a challenge, our experience with real estate agents was definitely opposite to your item 5, (we used Romolini's in Anghiari), finding them made the rest of our journey so much easier.
Ian at http://chickenhouseproject.typepad.com/too_late_for_tuscany/
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