I have prepared a step-by-step guide for you.

Choosing a property

The first step is, of course, choosing the right property. The best-known Italian property portals, where both real estate agencies and private owners advertise, are Idealista.it and Immobiliare.it.
Sardaterra s.r.o. offers clients investment advice and assistance with property viewings in Sardinia. We always recommend visiting the chosen property in person, accompanied by someone who knows the Italian real estate market, because Italian law and customs apply in Sardinia, and they differ from those in the Czech Republic. Once you have chosen a property, a binding reservation agreement is signed between the seller and the buyer. Important: if the buyer later withdraws from the contract, they lose the deposit they paid. If the seller withdraws, they are obliged to pay the buyer double the deposit. The whole process usually takes about 2 weeks. The binding reservation agreement states the amount of the reservation deposit (usually around 10% of the purchase price) as well as the real estate agency’s commission. If the purchase is made through an Italian real estate agency, the commission is paid by both the buyer and the seller. So expect to pay a commission of around 3 – 5% of the purchase price plus VAT.

Tax identification number (Codice Fiscale)

To buy a property, you need to register with the Italian tax office to obtain an Italian tax identification number. My company, Sardaterra s.r.o., will help you obtain this document free of charge and conveniently from home.

Should you buy a new build or an older property?

The main difference lies in the taxes you pay. First of all, there is the property transfer tax. It amounts to 10% of the purchase price for new builds and 9% of the cadastral value for older properties. You will find the cadastral value in the document called “Visura Catastale” for the specific property.
There is also a tax relief available if you are buying your first property on Italian territory and intend to use it as your permanent residence (the so-called Prima Casa). In that case, VAT is 4% for new properties and the transfer tax for older properties is 2%.
Another difference is that when buying a new build, you must sign a preliminary contract, the so-called “contratto preliminare”, which is also concluded before a notary. This means you pay for a notarial act twice: once when signing the preliminary contract and again when signing the purchase deed.

The notary

In Italy, by law, notary fees are paid by the buyer, who therefore has the right to choose the notary before whom the preliminary contract or purchase deed will be signed. I usually send my clients quotes from 2-3 notaries, because notary fees often differ by several hundred euros.
The notary’s fee is set by law and ranges from 3,000 to 4,000 euros.
The notary prepares the purchase deed and calculates and collects from the buyer all taxes and fees related to the purchase of the property. I recommend my clients pay for an escrow account with the notary (this service usually costs 500 euros); in that case, all payments are sent directly to the notary, and if the purchase does not go through, the notary is obliged to return your money.

The procura, or special power of attorney

If you do not speak Italian, the assistance of an independent third party (a procuratore) is required to read out the contract in a language version the buyer understands. Sardaterra s.r.o. provides this service. This way you avoid certified translations with an official stamp for all documents, as well as the presence of an official state interpreter. The notary charges around 250 euros for signing the power of attorney. Assistance and the signing of the purchase deed by an independent third party costs between 1,200 and 1,700 euros, depending on the specific case.

Our assistance does not end with the signing of the purchase deed

The property is yours — what next? Sardaterra s.r.o. will keep looking after you even after the purchase deed is signed.

The last step is transferring the utilities (water and electricity meters) to the new owner; these costs also range from around 200 to 1,000 euros. You also need to register for the waste tax (TARI) and the property tax (IMU) if you did not buy the property as a Prima Casa (see above).

For any questions or a consultation, you can contact us at:

MAIL: info@sardaterraold.local
TEL: +393489037671 (WhatsApp, Czech spoken)