Home-seller's checklist in Italy
Home-seller's checklist in Italy / Gtres

Planning to sell your home in Italy? Selling property in Italy can be a complex process, especially if you don’t have the right information from the beginning. But fear not, here at idealista, we want to make the process of selling property in Italy as easy as possible so that you can get the deal done as quickly and easily as possible. Check out our checklist for selling property in Italy.

Do your research

Before you even put your property in Italy up for sale on the market, it's very important to do your research. This includes many elements, such as:

  • Property prices in the area you're selling.
  • The situation of the market, including property supply and demand: are there lots of similar properties on offer in your area? You might have some competition! 
  • How much your property is worth: it's important to set a realistic price so that buyers will be interested in your property and that at the same time, you don't end up making a loss. Check out our free valuation tool to help you with this. 

Find a real estate agent

Although you can sell a property by yourself in Italy, we highly recommend using an estate agent to help you. A real estate agent in Italy will make the selling process a lot easier for you and will look after everything, from marketing the property to negotiating with the buyer. Their knowledge and advice are often key to a successful sale, especially if you've never sold property in Italy before and don't speak Italian. At idealista we can help you find the most suitable real estate agency to sell your property in Italy, by offering you a free tool to find the perfect agency, including agencies specialising in helping international clients.

Prepare your property

The condition of your property is also very important when it comes to selling and this will affect the price that you can put it on the market for. You want to show your property off in its best light, as people will be coming to visit and first impressions are very important. Here are some tips to prepare you property in Italy for sale:

  • Freshen everything up: give your home a deep clean and this will make a big difference when it comes to showing off your home to potential buyers. 
  • Fix anything that's broken: most people are not very convinced about buying a house that needs to be completely renovated, and for this reason, any visible damage may put buyers off. 
  • Give the property a fresh coat of paint: this gives a fresh and clean impression.
  • Light and space are key: try and show the property during the day when there's more natural light and remove any unnecessary clutter. 
  • De-personalise your home: removing photos and very personal items will help the buyer picture your property as their own home.

Get all the necessary documents prepared

One of the most time consuming parts of selling a property is the paperwork, especially in Italy where there is web of bureaucracy to navigate. Remember that if you are selling a property in Italy as a non-resident, then you will also need to show your passport and proof of where you pay your taxes. If your documents aren't in Italian, they will need to be officially translated. Both residents and non-residents in Italy will also need the following documents in most cases:

  • Energy performance certificate
  • Cadastral study and plan
  • Building permit
  • Certificate of urban destination
  • Certificate of viability or habitability
  • Deed of origin
  • Certifications of conformity of installations and boiler booklet
  • Identity card or tax code
  • Certificate of residence (or self-certification), certificate of civil status or extract of marriage certificate

More information about each document and the full details on selling property in Italy can be found in our guide to selling property in Italy

Close the deal and sign the contract

This is the most crucial stage in the process in order to complete the formalities and make sure the deal is closed successfully:

  • You may have already signed a preliminary sale contract and now it's time for both parties to sign the definitive property sale contract.
  • You'll need to go to a notary to do this. 
  • Registration of the act of sale of a property in Italy: this is the last step to make the transfer of ownership visible in the Land Registry in Italy. 

Hand over the keys

Congratulations, you've sold you home in Italy! All that's left to do is hand over the property and the keys in your obligation as a seller.