Ensuring Your Purchase of Italian Property Runs Smoothly and There Are No Legal Delays
When purchasing any property it is essential that you are in close contact with all parties involved, in particular the lawyers and estate agents. Purchasing Italian real estate while living in another country may have its pitfalls. This is where Italian Real Estate Lawyers step in to help and guide overseas clients.
Our firm specialises in the purchase of Italian property of behalf clients who live overseas and will need specialised lawyers to act on their requests and in some cases act as their powers of attorney.
Before we initiate the property purchasing process, clients need to obtain an Italian Tax Code: an alphanumeric code assigned to all Italians at birth and to non-Italians who live and work in Italy. Requesting and obtaining an Italian Tax Code is relatively easy simple for non-residents.
Foreign citizens can apply for an Italian Tax Code without incurring any costs at:
- Any Italian diplomatic or consular office, even if it takes a little bit longer;
- any Italian Revenue Agency office directly by the person concerned.
In both options, we assist and help our clients to obtain an Italian Tax Code.
Property Purchasing Process
The purchasing process of Italian real estate is a complex procedure structured in three main stages:
- The Purchase Offer or the Reservation Offer
- The Preliminary Contract of Sale
- The Final Agreement (you can find a detailed description of each phase in the section “Property Purchase Guide”).
The entire process involves five or more individuals each playing a part in the transaction:
- The Seller
- The Buyer
- The Real Estate Agent (if present)
- The Notary
- The Property Lawyers of both the buyer and seller.
Our role within the property purchase for our clients is extensive and encompasses the full range of requirements to complete the property transaction, which is especially helpful for those who are not familiar with Italian Law and the Italian property market.
We deal with all legal aspects of the process related to the purchase of the property in Italy (Power of Attorney, Preliminary Contract of Sale, Contract of Sale), we help clients overcome language barriers by translating documents and certifying legal translations (contracts, deeds, vital record documents, divorce decrees, dual citizenship documents, technical reports,), and by providing the legalization for international use of any foreign documents used in the process (legalization through the local consulate or Apostille Seal).
In summary, clients who use our services are able to complete the entire property purchase in a timely manner, which in turn allows them to enjoy their new property as soon as possible.
We are generally able to move from the Preliminary Contract to the Final Agreement in a month.
There are exceptions to this, notably when the properties are more expensive and this generally requires additional care. Likewise, if the property being sold is co-owned by two or more parties, this will complicate matters and consequently slow down the process.
If you have any questions relating to purchasing an Italian Property, please do not hesitate to contact our team of experts.