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An estate agent accompanies a couple on a viewing of a bright home near the sea
Guides · For buyers

Buying a home with complete peace of mind.

Budget and taxes, checks on mortgages and planning compliance, the offer, the preliminary contract before the notary and the final deed: the steps to buy with confidence, with official sources.

Falling in love with a home is easy. Buying it well takes time, and the right people.

A home by the sea is often the purchase of a lifetime. The Italian system, with the notary acting as a public official, is among the safest in the world: but its protections only truly work if you use all of them, and in the right order.

The golden rule is simple: no signature and no payment before the home, its documents and the seller have been checked. And the preliminary contract is made before a notary.

Here are the steps, the documents and the checks, each with its official source.

The five golden rules

What we advise everyone.

  1. The preliminary contract, always with a trusted notary

    A purchase offer binds only the person who signs it; the preliminary contract (compromesso or preliminare) binds both parties. When drawn up by a notary (as a public deed or an authenticated private agreement) it can be registered: from that moment the home is “reserved” for the buyer, the seller can neither sell it to anyone else nor mortgage it, and the seller's creditors cannot seize it.

    Source: Consiglio Nazionale del Notariato (Italian National Council of Notaries) – The preliminary contract · accessed October 2026

  2. Only agents registered with the Chamber of Commerce

    To work as a real estate broker in Italy one must complete a course, pass an exam and be entered in the Companies Register (Registro delle Imprese). Anyone who is not registered has no right to a commission and is practising unlawfully. Registration can be checked with a simple Chamber of Commerce extract (visura camerale).

    Source: Camera di Commercio di Torino (Turin Chamber of Commerce) – Guide “Rivolgersi a un agente immobiliare” (Working with an estate agent) · 2021 edition

  3. And covered by professional insurance

    The law requires agents to hold professional liability insurance covering errors and negligence, to protect their clients. A serious professional will show it to you without hesitation: it is the guarantee that a mistake will not fall on you.

    Source: Law no. 39 of 3 February 1989 – Real estate brokers · current text on Normattiva

  4. Documents first, signatures after

    If the property does not match its cadastral floor plan, or the references to its building permits are missing, the notarial deed of sale (rogito) is void by law. Planning and land registry checks should be carried out before the offer, not in the week of the notary appointment.

    Source: Presidential Decree (D.P.R.) 380/2001 (Consolidated Building Code), art. 46 – Nullity of deeds · current text on Normattiva

  5. Traceable payments, a protected price

    The deed states the means of payment and the agency's commission. And the buyer may ask for the balance to be held in the notary's dedicated account until the deed has been registered: ring-fenced funds that cannot be seized, safe for both parties.

    Source: Consiglio Nazionale del Notariato (Italian National Council of Notaries) – Depositing the price with the notary · accessed October 2026
Step by step

The process, in order.

  1. The full budget, not just the price

    On top of the price come the taxes (when buying from a private seller: registration tax at 2% for a main residence or 9% for a second home, normally calculated on the cadastral value), the notary's fee, the agency commission and, if applicable, the cost of the mortgage. We work out the figures with you before the first viewing.

    Source: Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency) – Guide “Acquisto della casa: imposte e agevolazioni” (Buying a home: taxes and reliefs) · updated March 2024

  2. The mortgage, checked in advance

    If you need financing, a pre-assessment by the bank before making an offer avoids committing to a sum that may never arrive. The offer can include the condition “subject to mortgage approval” (salvo concessione del mutuo).

  3. Viewings with the right questions

    Orientation, damp, service charges, approved works, systems, restrictions. The agent is legally obliged to tell you everything they know about the value and safety of the transaction: make use of it.

    Source: Italian Civil Code, art. 1759 – Liability of the broker · current text on Normattiva

  4. The checks, before the offer

    A mortgage register search (ispezione ipotecaria) for mortgages and seizures, the land registry extract and cadastral floor plan compared with the property, building permits and habitability, the situation of the condominium. These checks can be done in a few days and should not be left until the deed.

    Source: Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency) – Mortgage register search (ispezione ipotecaria) · accessed October 2026

  5. A well-written offer

    The offer binds only the person who signs it and, once the seller accepts it, it already becomes a preliminary contract. That is why, from the outset, it must state the price, the conditions (mortgage, checks), the period of validity and the date of the deed.

    Source: Consiglio Nazionale del Notariato (Italian National Council of Notaries) – The purchase offer · accessed October 2026

  6. The preliminary contract before a notary, registered

    Drawn up by a notary and registered in the property registers, the preliminary contract “reserves” the home: no sale to others, and no later mortgage or seizure, can affect it. The protection lasts until one year after the date set for the deed, and in any case no longer than three years.

    Source: Italian Civil Code, art. 2645-bis – Registration of the preliminary contract · current text on Normattiva

  7. The deed and the price held in deposit

    At the deed you may ask for the balance to remain in the notary's dedicated account until the deed has been registered. The seller receives the funds a few days later; you have the certainty that no encumbrance has arisen in the meantime.

    Source: Consiglio Nazionale del Notariato (Italian National Council of Notaries) – Depositing the price with the notary · accessed October 2026
The documents

What to prepare, in good time.

Your documents

  • Identity document and Italian tax code (codice fiscale)noting any change of residence
  • Marital statusextract of the marriage certificate or certificate of single status, and any marital property agreements
  • Non-EU citizensresidence permit or entry visa
  • Companiescompany name, registered office and tax code, with the Companies Register certificate

If you do not have an Italian tax code, you can request one from the Agenzia delle Entrate or from the Italian consulate: we will guide you through it step by step.

Source: Consiglio Nazionale del Notariato (Italian National Council of Notaries) – Documents required for a property sale · accessed October 2026

For the notary

  • Main residence (prima casa)the deeds of any previous home, for tax reliefs and tax credit
  • Payments already madecopies of cheques and bank transfers paid as a deposit or advance
  • Agencythe broker's details and the agreed commission, with the means of payment
  • Mortgagethe details of the lending bank

This is the list generally indicated by the National Council of Notaries for a property sale: the notary handling the deed may request further documents depending on the specific case.

Source: Consiglio Nazionale del Notariato (Italian National Council of Notaries) – Documents required for a property sale · accessed October 2026
Planning, land-registry and tax checks

Where people most often stumble.

Mortgages, seizures, restrictions

These are checked with a mortgage register search at the Agenzia delle Entrate. The notary does this by law before the deed, but knowing beforehand, before the offer, spares you from committing your deposit to a property with problems.

Source: Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency) – Mortgage register search (ispezione ipotecaria) · accessed October 2026

Confirmatory deposit or advance payment?

If the buyer withdraws, they lose the confirmatory deposit (caparra confirmatoria); if the seller withdraws, they must return it doubled. An advance payment (acconto), by contrast, is simply a payment on account of the price. When the preliminary contract is registered, 0.5% tax is paid on the deposit and 3% on advance payments, later offset at the deed.

Source: Italian Civil Code, art. 1385 – Confirmatory deposit (caparra confirmatoria) · current text on Normattiva

Outstanding service charges

The buyer is jointly liable with the seller for condominium charges for the current year and the previous one. Always ask for the building manager's statement; extraordinary works already approved are settled in the preliminary contract.

Source: Consiglio Nazionale del Notariato (Italian National Council of Notaries) – Depositing the price with the notary · accessed October 2026

Beware of unregistered intermediaries

Anyone acting as an intermediary without registration with the Chamber of Commerce has no right to a commission and works outside the legal safeguards, starting with professional insurance. If something goes wrong, nobody protects you.

Source: Camera di Commercio di Torino (Turin Chamber of Commerce) – Guide “Rivolgersi a un agente immobiliare” (Working with an estate agent) · 2021 edition
Why use an agency

Safeguards only work if someone uses them all.

Talk it over with Iacopo
Frequently asked questions

Buying a home: the answers.

What is the difference between a purchase offer and a preliminary contract?

The offer is the buyer's proposal: it binds the buyer, while the seller remains free to consider other offers. Once the seller accepts it, it becomes a preliminary contract binding both parties. This is why the National Council of Notaries recommends always entering into a proper preliminary contract, before a notary.

Why have the preliminary contract drawn up by a notary?

Because only a preliminary contract made as a public deed or an authenticated private agreement can be registered. Once it is registered, the seller can no longer sell the home to others or mortgage it, and the seller's creditors cannot seize it, until the deed is signed.

Who chooses the notary, and who pays?

Unless otherwise agreed, the costs of the deed of sale are borne by the buyer, who by custom also chooses the notary. We are always happy to work with the notary you trust.

What taxes are due when buying a second home?

When buying from a private seller, registration tax (imposta di registro) is 9% (2% for a main residence, the so-called “prima casa”), with a minimum of €1,000, plus €50 mortgage tax and €50 land registry tax. For private individuals it is normally calculated on the cadastral value rather than on the price paid. Source: Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency).

How can I check that the estate agent is properly registered?

Ask for their Companies Register number and check it with a Chamber of Commerce extract (visura camerale); you may also ask for the details of their professional liability insurance, which is compulsory by law. A reputable agent will provide them straight away.

Can a foreign buyer purchase a home in Versilia?

Generally, yes: citizens of the European Union buy on the same terms as Italians; for some non-EU countries the principle of reciprocity applies. You will need an Italian tax code (codice fiscale). We regularly assist international clients and coordinate everything with the notary.

Read also: for sellers
Let's talk

A question about documents, or the price?

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Sources

This guide is for information only and summarises the rules and guidance of the official sources below; it does not replace the advice of a notary or accountant on your specific case. Last checked: October 2026.