On Thursday 25th July 2024, we hosted a webinar titled, ‘Who’s who in your Italy property purchase: The role of the lawyer, notary and surveyor.’

It provided buyers of property in Italy with valuable insight into the buying process in Italy and shared information on the roles of key services, essential to buy a property in Italy.

We were joined by:

• Manlio Gervasi, founding lawyer of c_legal&tax, a boutique law firm based in Rome with offices across Italy
• Guilia Barbagallo, Italian notary (notario) based in Palermo
• David Collins, a civil engineer and founder of OurToscana, based in Tuscany

In the webinar, we spoke to each expert to better understand their role in the property-buying process for foreigners in Italy.

One very clear thing is that buyers in Italy are encouraged to speak to an independent lawyer, like c_Legal&tax sooner rather than later in their Italian buying process.

Buyers in Italy are encouraged to speak to an independent lawyer, like c_Legal&tax sooner rather than later in their Italian buying process.

The lawyer acts almost like an administrator for the process, connecting the buyer with trusted services, like Guilia and David, who you may not have otherwise known to contact.

Meet the experts

Manlio Gervasi said, “As a lawyer, I assist international buyers in various fields, from real estate law to immigration law, tax law, inheritance law and succession law.”

Guilia Barbagallo said, “I am a public officer and a specialised councillor on real estate loans, mortgages, and company loans and I have a key role in the process of purchasing a property in Italy as it’s a legal requirement for purchases to be overseen by a notary in Italy.”

David Collins said, “I lead a company called OurToscana and we specialise in helping people buy and restore properties in the Tuscany region. We’re made up of a group of architects, engineers and geometras, which are kind of like surveyors and I’ve been living here for the last 30 years now.”

Each of our experts goes on to discuss the specifics of their role in detail. You can watch a recording of the webinar here, on Your Overseas Home in your own time.

Watch the webinar on demand

Webinar highlights:

[5 mins]

• Differences between the buying process in Italy to the UK and US
• Importance of independent legal advice
• The binding nature of purchase proposals and contracts

[11 mins]

• Giulia Barbagallo discusses the notary’s role
• Verification of identities and legal documents
• Ensuring the authenticity and legality of transactions

[19 mins]

• David Collins explains the surveyor’s role
• Importance of technical inspections and due diligence
• Relationship with lawyers and notaries during the process

[From 30 mins]

• Questions from the audience – lots of FAQs are covered here, which could be useful to buyers in Italy.

Should you have any questions about buying a property in Italy, we encourage you to reach out to one of our buying consultants at Your Overseas Home. Simply call us on 0808 252 7870, email us at info@youroverseashome or book a callback at a time that suits you.