A plain-English walkthrough for Americans — from your first offer (proposta) to getting the keys (rogito). What each step is, who does it, how long it takes, and the traps to avoid.
Start here
Buying a home in Italy is really just five moves. Everything else hangs off these.
The concept most buyers get wrong
These sound similar and both use the word "conformity" (conformità), but they check completely different things. A home can pass one and fail the other. Verify both before you sign the preliminare.
The catasto is about the property's identity and taxes (does the plan match reality?). Urbanistica is about whether the bricks are legal (was it all permitted?). A house can be perfectly cadastrally conforme — the plan matches what's there — yet urbanistically illegal, because that layout was never permitted. Check both. Every time.
Step by step
Check off each task as you go — the bar below fills up and saves on this device. Each row shows what to do, who does it, and roughly when.
You write the check to the seller (marked non trasferibile); the agent holds it in trust and releases it the moment the seller accepts. It becomes the caparra confirmatoria — your money leaves your account before you may have finished checking catasto, urbanistica, and liens.
Negotiate a written clause that the check is released/cashed only when the preliminare is signed and registered — e.g. "l'assegno sarà consegnato e incassato solo alla stipula e registrazione del contratto preliminare." Your cash stays parked through the due-diligence gap. If a red flag appears, your money hasn't moved.
| Task | Who | When | |
|---|---|---|---|
Make a written offer on the agency form Price, dates, and any conditions. Verbal offers count for nothing. | Buyer Agent | Day 1 | |
Attach a small good-faith deposit (assegno) A check (often €1k–€10k) made out to the seller, marked non trasferibile, held in trust by the agent. Ask for it to be cashable only at the preliminare (see box above). | Buyer | Day 1 | |
Put an expiration date on the offer e.g. 7–14 days, so you're not locked in waiting. | Buyer | Day 1 | |
Seller accepts — deal becomes binding Your deposit is cashed and counts toward the price. | Seller | Wk 1–2 | |
Confirm the agent is licensed & registered Enrolled in the Chamber of Commerce registry — required to earn commission. | Buyer | Wk 1 |
Do these before the binding preliminare — or make them formal conditions (see red flags). This is where the catasto and urbanistica checks happen.
| Task | Who | When | |
|---|---|---|---|
Cadastral check (conformità catastale) Does the floor plan on file match the real layout? Pull the visura and planimetria. | Geometra | Wk 2 | |
Building-legality check (conformità urbanistica) Were all works permitted by the Comune? Look for any abuso edilizio or amnesty. | Geometra | Wk 2–3 | |
Title chain (atto di provenienza) How the seller got it — purchase, inheritance, or gift. Each has its own risks (see fine print). | Notaio | Wk 2–3 | |
Mortgages & liens (ipoteche / pignoramenti) Any existing loan must be paid off and cancelled by the rogito. | Notaio | Wk 2–3 | |
Energy certificate (APE) Legally required — the seller must provide it. | Seller | Wk 2–3 | |
Condo rules & arrears (spese condominiali) If in a building, get a clearance letter — unpaid fees can follow the property to you. | Buyer Agent | Wk 3 | |
Easements & first-refusal rights (servitù / prelazione) Rights of way, or others' rights to buy first (farmers, the State). See fine print. | Notaio | Wk 3 |
| Task | Who | When | |
|---|---|---|---|
Draft it with all terms & conditions Price, payment schedule, firm rogito date, what's included. Have the notaio or a lawyer review. | Notaio Agent | Wk 3–4 | |
Add your conditions (condizioni sospensive) Financing and catasto/urbanistica conformity — these let you walk away and keep your deposit. | Buyer Notaio | Wk 3–4 | |
Pay the deposit (caparra confirmatoria) Usually 10–20%. Back out → you lose it. Seller backs out → they owe you double. | Buyer | At signing | |
Both parties sign A real, enforceable contract — a court can force completion. | Buyer Seller | Wk 4 | |
Register it (registrazione / trascrizione) File within 20 days. Registering via the notaio protects you from the seller reselling or new liens. | Notaio | ≤ 20 days |
Cash buyers skip this. If financing through an Italian bank, start the day you sign the preliminare — it's the slowest part.
| Task | Who | When | |
|---|---|---|---|
Apply for the mortgage Non-residents often finance ~50–60% of value; residents more. | Buyer Bank | Wk 4–5 | |
Bank appraisal (perizia) The bank's own surveyor values it — can come in below the sale price. | Bank | Wk 6–8 | |
Formal approval (delibera) Written commitment — this satisfies your financing condition. | Bank | Wk 8–12 | |
Sign the mortgage at the rogito Signed at the same notaio appointment; the bank wires funds to close. | Notaio Bank | Wk 12+ |
| Task | Who | When | |
|---|---|---|---|
Final title & lien re-check The notaio re-runs searches right before signing to confirm nothing changed. | Notaio | Days before | |
Final walk-through Confirm condition, included items, and that it's vacant (unless agreed otherwise). | Buyer | Day of | |
Bring funds & interpreter Balance by certified checks (assegni circolari) or wire. Interpreter required if you don't speak Italian. | Buyer | Day of | |
Notaio reads the deed; both sign The atto is read aloud, understanding confirmed, then authenticated. | Notaio | Day of | |
Pay balance, taxes & fees → get the keys Seller hands over keys (consegna delle chiavi). You're a homeowner. | Buyer | Day of | |
Notaio registers the deed & pays taxes Filed on your behalf in the days after. | Notaio | After |
At a glance
Paying cash is faster. A mortgage adds a parallel process and stretches the calendar. Weeks are approximate, from an accepted offer.
Cash: keys around week 6–8. Mortgage: waiting on bank approval pushes closing to ~week 12–16. Rural areas, August (Italy closes), and inheritance/title issues can add weeks.
Stop & check before you sign
The warning signs that most often burn foreign buyers. Spot one → pause and get your notaio or lawyer involved before you sign.
You need a mortgage but there's no condizione sospensiva del mutuo. If the bank says no, you lose your deposit anyway.
No clause requiring cadastral and building conformity. If plans don't match reality — or works weren't permitted — you may not be able to close or resell.
You're asked to wire the caparra to the seller's personal account before checks are done.
Wrong wording — you lose the double-back-if-seller-defaults protection.
The property still carries an ipoteca or pignoramento with no plan to cancel it.
No firm rogito date, or no consequence if the seller stalls indefinitely.
Jointly owned (comunione dei beni) or inherited, but not everyone is signing.
Pressure to sign before due diligence is done ("another buyer is waiting"), or no APE.
The fine print
Beyond the obvious red flags, these are the Italian legal "gotchas" — small clauses and quirks that can cost you dearly if missed. Have your notaio explicitly check each one.
If the seller received the home as a gift, the donor's heirs can challenge the sale for up to 10 years after the donor dies. Banks often won't lend on it, and resale is harder.
Can undo your ownershipThe seller inherited but never formally registered the succession. They can't legally sell until it's done — and all heirs must consent.
Blocks the saleIf it's agricultural land and a neighboring farmer cultivates adjacent plots, they can pre-empt you at the same price — even after you've agreed.
You can be bumpedIf the property has a heritage restriction (vincolo culturale), the State must be notified and can buy it first within 60 days.
You can be bumpedSomeone (often an elderly relative) keeps the right to live there for life. You'd only be buying the "bare ownership" (nuda proprietà) and can't use it until that ends.
You can't move inRights of way across your land, a shared well, a neighbor's drainage or pipes. These stay with the property. Check the deed.
Limits your useBy law you're jointly liable for unpaid condo fees from the current and previous year. Get a clearance letter (liberatoria) from the administrator.
You inherit the debtCommon in rural/older properties — the real boundaries don't match the map. Consider a survey (frazionamento) before you buy.
Disputes laterElectrical/gas systems without a conformity declaration (dichiarazione di conformità) may need costly upgrades.
Hidden costTo legalize past works (sanatoria), they must have been legal both when built and now — a technical hurdle that can fail.
May not be fixableHomes in scenic or flood/landslide-protected areas need extra permits for any change or renovation.
Limits renovationsClaim the 2% prima casa rate but fail to move your residency within 18 months (or sell within 5 years without rebuying) → repay the tax difference + 30% penalty + interest.
Expensive surpriseBudget beyond the price
Plan for roughly 9–15% on top of the price for a resale home. Rates differ for a first home (prima casa) vs a second home, and change if you buy new from a builder (VAT applies).
| Cost | What it is | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Registration tax Imposta di registro | Main tax on a resale, charged on the cadastral value (usually well below market) | 2% prima casa · 9% second home |
| VAT on new builds IVA | If buying new from a builder, VAT replaces most of the registration tax | 4% prima casa · 10% (22% luxury) |
| Notary fee Onorario notarile | The notaio's fee for the deed, searches, and registration (you choose & pay) | ~1–2.5% of price |
| Agency commission Provvigione | Real estate agent — buyer's share, plus 22% VAT | 2–4% + IVA |
| Geometra / survey Perizia tecnica | Cadastral & building conformity checks | €300–€1,500 |
| Translator / interpreter | Required at the rogito if you don't speak Italian | €300–€800 |
| Mortgage costs Costi del mutuo | If financing: bank fee, appraisal, and mortgage tax | ~1–2% of loan |