How to buy a house in Italy
Le Marche, Italy.
Dream homes in Italy. There are thousands of Italian properties for sale with a range of prices which some would see as a bargain property to the high end, exclusive, villas and countryside farmhouses. However, there is good and bad news.
The bad news…
Hard to find but easy to buy. That is how I would sum up buying a house in Italy in one sentence. The dream Italian homes can be found in towns, villages and cities all over Italy. However, the one for you can be more tricky to find than you think.
Trawling property websites to fall in love with a bargain property that looks fantastic in photographs is quite different to being there and checking out the actual condition and the all important surrounding area.
Off the back of my YouTube channel I am getting many messages from people looking for advice and tips plus a few that are looking for me to get involved and help. As I listeni to the those that I speak to about this, when they explain their reasons for wanting to move to Italy or buy a house in Italy, the Italian dream is never just about the house. It is everything that Italy has to offer and the house is just a bit part player in that dream. The food, the wine, the history, the landscapes…. The lists go on and on. Searching for that sweet life sounds to me as many see it as a varied list of activities that all come together in a relaxed setting. The sweet lift is not rushed, hectic, or noisy. It is slow placed - slow living - in surrounding that naturally make you slow down and enjoy each and every moment. The art of doing nothing. It sounds so simple and until I moved to Italy I never really understood the value of these simple pleasures in life.
When discussing the Italian dream that people have and as I listen to what is being said and how they explain their vision, something interesting happens. Their posture changes. Their shoulders drop. A relaxed sate arrives immediately and they look up as if they can see the dream as they describe the visual that they have for their dream life in Italy.
The property - or the house - fits into the dream rather than the property being the dream itself.
Location, as with most property purchases, becomes a high priority.
The good news…
The good news is there is an abundance of choice. Italy has countless villages, towns and cities that are remarkable in their beauty and many of these places satisfy the tick list that many have.
Access, infrastructure - healthcare and supermarkets, social life, natural beauty, weather. Then the history and culture of the area and surroundings tends to follow.
The actual property falls into and behind this list. Of course you may get lucky and the dream house that is for sale online happens to have all of this to come with it or you may be inclined to sacrifice some of the typical requirements because the house is just that extra special and you are willing to give in exchange for that house being ‘the one’.
In most cases, and has been the case with everybody that I have helped to work through their long list of potential properties to date. Location becomes more and more important as you get closer to feeling that you are ready to make an offer. Working the long property list down to a short hit list so that a property viewing holiday can be organised and effective does take time. Travlling aournd regions that cover tens of thousands of square miles means a lot of travelling every day to see as many properties as you can in a week, or long weekend. Miles and mlles of country roads in a small hire car is hard work and so anything that makes that easier, quicker, and cheaper is a good idea.
Tuscany is a little under 10,000 square miles.
The direction that my research takes when speaking to people that are looking for help is the same. While it is ok to get a feel for the house style that you feel you love and get a feel for the size and condition of the house or project from looking online, until you figure out what is important to you, or not, from the check list that you create then online searching the entire country is a little bit of a waste of time.
I hear stories of people putting in offers on properties without visiting the house or the area itself. That feeling of being in a rush and needed to secure the house before someone else buys it takes over. That itself is not the sweet life and the reality is that many properties have been sat on the market for years already. I should try to meet these people to see how their story played out and if the dream is alive or if they have an wisdom for others thinking the same.
My house near Corinaldo, Le Marche. Italy.
My top 5 tips and advice for your search.
Write up that lifestyle wishlist. What does the dream look like?
Access and travel.
Finding the region that you love and suit you for how you are going to use the property.
Set your budget and appetite for a rebuild / a renovation / a house ready to move into that just needs your personal touch added.
Land - it sounds appealing but can be a lot of work.
What next…
Start looking for the region within a region with that dream list in mind and don’t be sold to. Once you find that area or town you will be amazed how many properties start appearing that you would have never found online.
Hard to find but easy to buy. You can have the keys as fast as 6 weeks after the offer is accepted…..but that is another story.
If you have any questions that you feel I could help with I am happy to help where I can and I try to cover as many subjects as I can in my YouTube videos. Or, if you would like more specific help then please do contact me. I work with 4 clients at a time so that everybody gets the details and service that they need and I only work for you and with you. No cuts or side deals from my side.
