10 December 2025

The stages of buying a property in Italy

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The purchase proposal is the first formal act with which you express the desire to buy a property under certain conditions (price, time, payment methods).

It typically contains:

  • Property and parts data.
  • Price offered.
  • Times for the preliminary and the deed.
  • Any suspensive clauses (e.g. granting of the mortgage).
  • Deposit paid as a commitment.

    • Preliminary contract (compromise)

    Once the proposal has been accepted or an agreement has been reached, we move on to the preliminary sale, often called a "compromise". Here the parties formally undertake to conclude the sale under the agreed conditions.

    The preliminary:

  • It defines price, payment methods and timing.
  • It provides for a confirmatory deposit (with specific effects in the event of non-compliance).
  • It can be stipulated by private deed or by notarial deed.
  • It must be registered with the Revenue Agency within precise deadlines.

    • Pre-deed checks

    Between the preliminary and the deed, many of the technical and legal checks on the property are concentrated. It is the phase in which all the documentation is put under stress to avoid surprises at the time of the act.

    During this period, the following are checked:

  • Urban planning and cadastral compliance.
  • Updated mortgage situation.
  • Any abuses that can be remedied or not remedied.
  • Status of condominium payments.
  • Any building practices in progress.

    • Notarial deed

    The notarial deed is the public deed with which the transfer of ownership is completed. The notary reads and explains the content of the deed, verifies the identity of the parties, the legitimacy to sell, the freedom from constraints of the property and the regularity of payments.

    At the time of the deed:

  • You pay the balance of the price.
  • Taxes and notary fees are paid.
  • The keys are handed over.
  • The notary provides for the registration and updating of the land registers.