When you have found the property you have been looking for it is time to get the notary involved. A good notary can be trusted to take care of your deed in the right way, triple checking every possible detail to make sure you start off with the right paperwork.
- This may however bring to light mistakes in previous deeds related to your property, or for example the need to have other documents updated before a new deed can be drawn up and signed. The costs of this are normally for the seller, however we would suggest to have every piece of paper checked before even doing a formal and binding offer. This to prevent unexpected delays or other issues.
- An Italian notary however depends on some other professionals to get things right too and so he or she will not be responsible or liable for the full 100%. To give an example the floor plans in the land registry have to comply with the actual situation. So let’s imagine a dividing wall between two rooms has been removed but still shows up on the floor plans. In this case the land registry has to be informed by a geometra and an adjustment will have to be made. It may seem logical that it will not be the notary who comes to check whether or not the floor plans are up to date but for a foreigner unaware of this situation it are details like this that can lead to problems later on when your broker is not doing this part of the job right.
- As we are in Italy and any dispute over documents will be in Italian all deeds have to be signed in Italian. Of course they can be translated but this means the costs will increase if the buyers do not speak Italian. You will need a translator and all the paperwork, all related documents and even the lengthy energy label will have to be officially translated. The translator and an additional witness have to be present at the signing of the deed as well. If you have a good and dependable broker a way to avoid the additional costs might be to have them sign for you, as we have done occasionally as well, for that you will need to sign a proxy.
- To have things go as smooth as possible, without any unclarities or uncertainties is is a great idea to ask the notary for a draft of the preliminary contract or deed so there is time to go over every word before it is time to sign. The formal Italian language is not an easy one and understanding the long deeds can be quite a trial. We will gladly help you out with this part as well.
- Until earlier this year the rates for notaries were all fixed and similar. As this has changed it may be worthwhile to ask your broker for quotes from at least two notaries as it may turn out an easy way to save some money.
The notaries we suggest to our clients have a long history as well as a thorough and experienced staff of paralegals and assistants. We can ask information and questions any time and do so gladly as all of us feel better safe than sorry and as a team we are here to make sure every detail is taken care of and every deed is done the way is should. Starting of a new life in Italy can be an exciting challenge and we feel your foundations must be as safe and secure as they can possibly be.
