The Who's Who in Buying Property in Italy

Agente Immobilare: This is the real estate agent who may be working for you or solely for the seller of the property. There are numerous agente in Le Marche and Abruzzo; many have web-sites which provide information in English. They work on a 3-6% commission. You should verify that the agente is a member of the Federazione Italiana Agenti Immobiliari Professionali (FIAIP) and registered with the local Camera di Commercio or Chamber of Commerce.

Acquirente: That’s you…the buyer.

Venditore: This is the seller. Naturally, they want to make money in this transaction.

Geometra: A combined architect, general contractor, “gopher” and problem solver, the usual translation is ‘surveyor’ but the duties they perform go beyond that. They are not builders and they are not architects, but they work with both if you are doing a restoration project. If you are rebuilding a property you are wise to hire a geometra, who works for a fee.

Notaio: This is the state’s representative attorney and is responsible for making sure all of the documents are correct for the sale transaction, collecting the required taxes and registering the transfer of the property. The notaio does not work specifically on behalf of either the buyer or seller but you can not complete a sale without them.

Impresa Edile: If you are rebuilding a property you will need a building contractor to price the project and carry out the work. Your geometra will work with the impresa edile.

Italy Property Preview: We are the one party available in your Italian property search that will work solely for you and give you an unbiased view of your property.


Other parties may be required depending on your circumstances:

Ingegnere: An engineer may be useful if you have a rustico or renovation projects with parts of the structure that are questionable as to their soundness.

Architetto: An architect who you might require if involved in a rustico project.

Avvocato: A lawyer.

Commercialista: An accountant.

Sulmona

Sulmona

Sulmona is located in the L’Aquila Province just off the A24 motorway, the autostrada providing easy access to both Roma and the Adriatic coast near Pescara. Sulmona itself rests in the Peligna Valley giving it a level lay-out while offering great views of the surrounding mountains from the piazzas of this medieval town.

The centro storico is a lively and livable area with a long history despite having survived several severe earthquakes. There are numerous shops along the main streets, many selling confetti, the sugar coated candy for which Sulmona is famous. You can also visit some of their factories just outside of town and fully indulge your sweet tooth.

The main piazza, Piazza Garibaldi, is the scene of a jousting competition each year, a reminder of the city’s medieval roots. Demarking the west side of this piazza is an operational aqueduct from the 13th Century, feeding the Fontana del Vecchio at the end, where you can have a cool drink of fresh water.

Outside of the centro storico there is a centro commerciale, or shopping center, and the city has both train and bus service to other destinations in Italy. There are several hotels in and near the medieval center, as well as plentiful fine restaurants. Sulmona is a fantastic base for travel into the nearby Parco Nazionale della Maiella and to explore other nearby small mountain villages.

If you are looking at potential properties in the Sulmona area, Italy Property Preview can be of assistance to you by providing comprehensive inspections.

Shutters

Le persiane

One of the practical characteristics of houses in Italy is the use of window shutters. For most Americans these are unique as they are actually functional parts of the home, not the fake plastic decorations bolted to the side of so many homes in the landscape of suburbia.

First of all, they can be locked from the inside thus providing security to the home. Second, they provide ventilation when closed with the window open as well as keeping out rain. Third, they help to darken the room and, last but not least, they provide a beautiful accent to the window, open or closed. They can be opened fully and have clasps on the outside walls to hold them open when windy.

In addition to the outside shutters, many older windows have solid panels on the inside that can be closed and, in combination with the outside shutters, can make a room completely dark in the middle of the day. Room darkening shades are no comparison to this Italian classic.

Ascoli Piceno

Ascoli Piceno is the city we call home and is truly a gem undiscovered by most tourists. This city has a history going back before the founding of Roma and has a vibrant centro storico. The traditional Italian flow of the day is still very evident here with riposo and la passeggiata.

The centro storico has Roman ruins, medieval piazze as well as baroque touches. Piazza del Popolo has to be one of the top 10 piazze in all of Italy with its travertine pavement and domination by the Palazzo dei Capitani. There are over twenty historical churches, several museums, Roman ruins, fortresses, claims of one hundred towers, stone bridges and all framed by lush river valleys and mountains.

The centro provides all that is needed for daily living with a wide assortment of coffee bars, pasticceria, alimentari, ferramente, clothing stores and some great local eateries. Souvenir stands are not the norm as this provincial capital is still mostly undiscovered by tourists yet still has a vibrant life with a mercato twice a week, antique market once a month and various social events almost weekly.

The top photo is a view looking north over part of the city from Fortezza Pia with Mount Ascensione in the background. The side photo shows some of the medieval towers in the centro storico in the Porta Solesta area while the bottom photo shows Piazza del Popolo at night.

Italy Property Preview

Italy Property Preview

Doing a quick web search will bring up a lot of companies that will sell you property in Italy, finance a purchase, help you to rebuild a rustico or even act as your broker in the purchase. All of these companies have a vested interest in the sale of properties; no sale and they will not be making any money. But what I haven’t found are any companies that will provide an unbiased view of a property, especially from the view of a non-Italian. Independent inspections that are a must in any real estate transaction in the US are not the norm here.

I spent sixteen years working in the insurance claims business in the US before quitting my job so we could pursue our dream of living in Italy. My focus was on the assessment of damage to homes, everything from a water leak to total burn-downs as a result of uncontrolled forest fires. Throughout my sixteen-year career I gained a wealth of knowledge in what to look for, in both obvious as well as hidden problems with structures, and found myself many times pointing out things to property owners that they had never seen before, despite their living in that house daily. I always thought this experience would be helpful outside of the insurance business.

While we were in the United States dreaming of our move to Italy we would browse the various web-sites selling property in Italy and always wondered just what the properties really looked like. Was it next to a factory; would you have to drive everyday just to get a coffee and pastry? Was the low price offered a reflection of something obviously wrong with the property that was not being disclosed by the agency? The small photos and brief descriptions the agents provide left a lot of questions unanswered.

Before leaving the US we discussed potential business ideas with friends and family and one idea that many felt was a good fit for my skills was a company that would provide inspection of properties before the sale to potential buyers of property here in Italy. This would be a critical-eye view of the important issues regarding the structures – is it earthquake-damaged, sited above a train tunnel, suffering a sagging roof – but also regarding the amenities for the area, such as access to the property, proximity to services, lay of the landscape, etc. From this comes Italy Property Preview, officially launched this week.

www.italypropertypreview.com

This web-site is the product of Pauline Kenny who also assisted with input on the content and format of the site. Italy Property Preview is an internet-based enterprise focused on providing an unbiased critical-eye view of a property for a potential buyer before a large commitment of time, travel and money is expended. A detailed inspection report complete with photos will be provided to the potential buyer to assist them in making informed decisions. This approach will help the buyer to have a look at the property beyond the rose colored view associated with any purchase, especially property in “bella Italia”.

Check out the website; spread the word!