Before taking on a renovation project in Italy, it is worth bearing in mind that it will involve an awful lot of hard work and frustration. The work will take far longer than you ever anticipated it taking, and will cost far more than you ever anticipated spending. That is simply the nature of the beast.

A massive undertaking even when in the comfort of your home country; a renovation in Italy, with the different laws, regulations, language, work ethic etc is never going to be the proverbial walk in the park. That said, Italy still provides excellent opportunities for renovation projects, with ruined and abandoned buildings and houses dotted around the countryside that can often be purchased at a very reasonable price due to the current Italian preference for modern, urban living (I wonder if they will ever get tired of the rat race existence and begin to return to rural areas as the British have done?).

But whatever renovation work you plan to do, you will need to obtain planning permission, or at least inform the local “commune” in writing of your intentions.
When repairing something already in existence using the same materials that were formerly used, without changing the interior layout or constructing anything new on the exterior, then you will need to write to the council requesting “Manutenzione ordinaria”.

For other changes – removing or putting in walls or staircases, putting bathrooms where there were not bathrooms or replacing the roof, then you will need to submit a number of documents to the council, including photographs, details of the company undertaking the work and a project plan from a geometra (architect/surveyor). You will then have to wait for up to 20 days before the council confirm your right to proceed with the “Manutenzione extraordinaria”. Failure to comply with this can lead to a large fine, and the work being stopped indefinitely.#

For extending an old house or putting in windows or doors where there were previously done, the procedure is more complicated. A geometra must draw up plans, which are then submitted to the council’s planning board “Commissione edilizia”. Once the plans are approved, they are then sent on to the regional or provincial government for approval.

If you are doing any work that involves water – ie the construction of a bridge, diverting a small river or putting in a swimming pool - then your project will have to include a geologist’s report and be sent to provincial government for approval. If you are in a protected area (“Zona vincolata”) then your plans will be sent to the national “Sovraintendenza” to have the aesthetic implications approved.

When planning to renovate, the following guidelines are important:
Accompany your estate agent to the council office and consult the geometra about local planning permission/building laws and building ratio (“indice”).
If buying a rustico still registered in the land registry instead of the buildings registry (“Catasto urbano”), insist that the vendors have it re-registered before the sale at their cost, otherwise you will end up paying a fine.

Hire a local geometra, familiar with local regulations and limitations, to draw up architectural drawings of the planned building work. Once your plans have been approved, you then only have ONE YEAR in which to begin the work, which must then be completed within THREE YEARS. Remember that your geometra will have to name the building company doing the work on the planning application. The company will have to be registered with the Italian chamber of commerce, and be VAT (IVA) registered. If you are hoping to buy a piece of land and bring over a group of builder chums to do the work, think again.

If you are considering purchasing with a view to renovation, I cannot stress strongly enough the importance of first looking into the local planning laws. Just assuming that the work you wish to undertake will be permitted, or purchasing the property regardless, and simply crossing your fingers that the comune will come round, is a fool’s game. The last thing you want to do is saddle yourself with a property that can never reach its potential – either as a home, or as an investment.

Start your hunt for a home in Italy here…
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