Foreign buyers often receive beautiful photos, an agency description and a stack of notarial documents — but may not fully understand whether the property is technically and legally compliant. That is where I come in.
Italian property law is layered. A house that looks beautiful, and comes with a full set of documents, can still have unauthorised works, missing permits or cadastral inconsistencies that make it very difficult to resell — or to renovate legally. Some problems only become visible after you have signed the deed and paid the price.
An independent pre-purchase survey is not an optional luxury. It is the document that tells you what you are actually buying.
I verify that the building was authorised and that what stands today matches the permits on file at the municipality.
I compare the actual state of the building with the municipal documents and the cadastral plans, and flag any discrepancy.
I identify any unauthorised works — extensions, new rooms, structural changes — that could require a sanatoria or, in the worst case, demolition.
I check for landscape, hydrogeological or planning restrictions that affect what you can do with the property — common in the Lucca hills.
You receive a written report in English summarising what I found, what it means, and what — if anything — needs to be resolved before or after the deed.
As part of the conveyancing process under Italian law (Art. 29, L. 52/1985), a geometra confirms the building's compliance at the time of the deed. I prepare the required technical declaration and can attend the notary's office on your behalf as special attorney, if you cannot be in Italy on the day.