Italy Property Buying
& Investment Guide

For UK buyers and investors purchasing in Italy

Important LINKS You Should Know About!
(If you just want to link to this website or have me provide a link to your website, click here)

Italy Property Buying Guide Services

Italy Property Buying Guide Forum

Please check out the Forum for information on all sorts of stuff...and remember to post some more questions or perhaps help us out and answer some others.

Visit the Italy Property Buying & Investment Forum

Smart Overseas Property Buyer Finder Form

Looking for a property in Italy and want some help in choosing an agent? Check out our property professional matching service where we will put you in touch with reliable and quality professionals.

Smart Italy Property Buyer Finder Form

Smart Italy Property Buyer Resource Form

Looking for a service professional that helps people buy in Italy? Check out our resource page and let us know if you're looking for a mortgage, solicitor, currency specialist, removals company or anything else you might need!

Smart Italy Property Buyer Resource Form

Previous to Going to Italy

Check out your Credit Rating Before Applying for a Mortgage
I just wanted to mention a very helpful site that you might find helpful. Check out: JoinCreditExpert as it allows you to enter your details and get a free credit report. This will allow you to check your credit history BEFORE you apply for a mortgage to ensure that it’s correct and avoid any unnecessary delays.

Order Books on Italy
In order to save you time and money buying the wrong information, I review various publications and offer my full reviews in my monthly eNewsletters. I often find the best selection of books on buying property in Italy can be located at Amazon.co.uk To check out the latest books, reviews and synopsis on Buying Property in Italy , follow this link to Amazon.co.uk and it will take you straight to the Italy Property book section.

Lonely Planet: Whatever stage you're at with your overseas property search - you're never better prepared than when you're armed with a Lonely Planet Guide Book. I've travelled extensively and have never been far without a trusty Lonely Planet. Whether you're in the first stages of research or are planning your new life in Italy , check out the extensive range of guide books Lonely Planet have to offer - they're invaluable, whether you're looking for somewhere to stay, somewhere to eat or even for directions or translations.

Furthermore, the locals will respect you more for making an effort to learn the language most important to them. Start learning as soon as you know you’re going to execute your plans!

There is a great UK website that offers audio-books. There are 70 audio sets on languages alone – take a look at the Audible.co.uk website

Travel Insurance for Italy
Recently I had to claim twice. Just a while ago I went overseas and for the whole duration of my trip I did not have my luggage. It simply stayed in Heathrow while I went crazy trying to locate clothes to sustain me. If I had not taken insurance, the airport would have only paid out 25 pounds/day whereas my insurance covered all of my costs (and they amounted to well over 25/day!)

American Express
This website has insurance for everything - home, motor, identity, and of course - travel insurance. If you click on the link above, you'll go to the Travel Insurance area. Personally, I feel that their prices are outrages compared to others.

Columbus Direct
I get my travel insurance from Columbus or Direct Line - one or the other is always cheaper than everyone else. The website could not be easier to use – it’s not crowed with all sorts of services…it just offers travel insurance. All you do is enter some details, determine what kind of insurance you want and decide if you want to pay the price. The site offers regular travel, over 64, adventure, pet insurance and more.

Travel Insurance Online
This company is part of Jade Stanley Limited which is regulated and authorised by the Financial Services Authority. They provide Annual Travel Insurance for UK Residents only. The insurance seems fairly cheap so check this site against the others to find out where you can get the best quote.

Getting and Going to Italy

Airline Related Websites for Italy

Airlines

British Airways
I have never looked for flights to Italy due to the low-cost carriers: however, someone mentioned that they were doing really good deals. Well – let me tell you…I cannot recommend more highly the entire process of buying and flying with British Airways (and that goes for flying anywhere in the world).

To begin, I booked my tickets over their website and it was totally awesome. You can specify whether or not you can fly +/- 3 days or +/- 7 days in order to see the various prices on each day. By booking this way, I found that it was £100’s of pounds cheaper to go out on a Saturday rather than a Sunday. If I hadn't known this, I would have simply booked the days I originally had in mind or used a low-cost, no frills carrier.

Then…when I arrived at the airport, all I had to do was go to a machine that looked like a cash machine (hole-in-the-wall) and enter the Credit Card I had used to purchase the tickets. After about 3 minutes of answering the security questions on the machine, my tickets popped out and I was instructed to go to the baggage drop-off point. Holy-flippin-smokes!!! The entire booking in process took no more than 7 minutes.

I highly recommend BA if you fly anywhere…they truly are a class act!

Travel Booking Webservices
I use the following two websites when I want to compare the prices that different airlines offer. It's easier than calling a travel agent as you simply enter your preferred dates and let the website work its magic. With both Opodo and eBookers I have never experienced any problems.

Opodo
This website is also fantastic – it is one of those sites that checks all air carriers at once. Every time I fly home to Rochester, New York, I use these people. It’s easy to use, the online system checks all the airlines flying to your particular destination and then ranks them according to price, dates or whatever you want them to be ranked by. The ickets are sent out automatically or you can often get electronic tickets. I’ve used this company at least 14 times and have not once been disappointed. The only thing I don’t like is that you can’t see the prices if you travel 1 day earlier or 3 days later as you can on British Airways.

eBookers
eBookers is an excellent site. You can book flights, hotel, car rental and anything else to do with travel. The site is easy to use and I find the prices very competitive. When booking flights I often check this one and Opodo. eBookers sends out eMails if the flight changes so I always feel confident that I know what's going on.

Thomas Cook
Don't forget to go to the Thomas Cook website before you book your flights. There may just be a holiday offer that would slot in with your plans to view property - a whole lot cheaper perhaps than it would cost you through a high-street travelagent. There is no better way to decide where to buy than to spend a holiday there, preferably out of season. Look at Thomas Cook's website for inexpensive holidays.

www.thomascook.com

Car Rental in Italy
I’ve found that in most countries it pays to sort out your car rental prior to flying over. In Spain, Germany, Cyprus, Italy , America and Italy I’ve successfully used Sixt Car Rental and truly feel that you get the best value for money. Hertz has always seemed to be the most expensive so I never use them.

Sixt Car Rental (This is my 1st choice...just make sure that you can pick up the car at the airport and don't have to take a bus to some far off pick-up point)!EasyCar is another good car rental option...

Property Buying & Completion

Save Money Buying a Property in Italy

Many buyers unknowingly pay £1,000 to £10,000 more than they have to - don't let this happen to you. By using a currency exchange specialist rather than a bank you can save money by:

1. Buying at a better rate (save 2% - 4%)

2. Creating a strategy to buy at the best time (save £1,000's)

3. Eliminating Italy Bank receiving charges that can be in the £100'sGo to Smart Currency Exchange Limited to find out how much money you can save on your property in Italy or call on their freephone on: 0808 163 0102.

Smart Currency Exchange offer a FREE full report on how the Currency Exchange Market works AND weekly currency updates on whether it’s a good time to buy, sell or hold tight, simply go to the site below (It’s NOT boring - I promise): http://www.smartcurrencyexchange.com/freereport.htm

or...Get a Quotation for Euros with Smarts Quotation form: www.SmartCurrencyExchange.com/smartsquotation.htm

Removals for Italy

Moving your valuables to Italy can be quite easy. At least 4 months before you plan to move to Italy send me an eMail or fill out my resource form and I'll happily get a good moving company to contact you.

Taking Pets to Italy

Pet Exports
The website states that international relocation with pets is sometimes a minefield of legislation, veterinary requirements and logistics. It is advisable to consult with an experienced professional, conversant with exporting domestic animals. This site aims to provide all the necessary advice and information in order to make this seemingly complicated process as simple as possible. Check these people out as they work with people going to Italy.

Pets Passports
Pets Passports is the leading pet relocation specialist and as such are devoted to the safety and welfare of ll animals. They seem to have a good website!

Living in Italy

Banking in Italy

Banca Agricola Mantovana

Ambroveneto

Banca del Salento

Banca Popolare del Verona

Banca Popolare di Novara

Banca Sella
Run by Maurizio Sella, president of the ABI, Italy's association of bankers, the Banca Sella was one of the first Italian banks to undertand the importance of E-commerce, and to make it possible for its clients to accept credit cards online.

Banco di Napoli
Banco di Napoli addresses itself to professionals, furnishing home mortgages, investment opportunities, legal counsel, and other services.

Cariplo
Cariplo was the only large Italian bank to offer online services to its customers as far back as 1995.

Mediocredito Centrale - Mediosim
Mediocredito Centrale recently became part of the Banco di Roma and offers banking services with Mediosim.

Monte dei Paschi di Siena
Monte dei Paschi di Siena, founded in 1452, claims to be the oldest bank in the world.

We@bank
We@bank was created by the Banca Popolare di Milano for customers to manage their checcking accounts, pay bill, buy stocks and do other things online. Quotations and financial news are furnished by two of the bank's companies, Banca Akros, an investment bank, and Bipiemme Gestoni SGR, which offers mutual funds and specializes in estate planning and investment.

Italy Tourism Website

http://www.italiantourism.com/

Other Useful Links

British Cornershop

(I will add more links as and when I find them!)

Link Exchange
If you would like to set up reciprocal links between this website and yours, please email me at: mailto:Kim@OverseasGuidesCompany.com

I am only looking to link to high quality websites related to buying a property in Italy or getting to and around Italy , and am not looking for links for links sake...

If you put up my link on your website please send me a link as to where I can see it, and then send me your link AND a description about your website. Once I publish your link, I'll send you and eMail confirming the location.

Here is my link for placement on your page: Please cut and paste:

URL
http://www.Italy BuyingGuide.com/italy.htm

Description
FREE Italy Property Buying & Investment Guide
Get your FREE Italy Buying Guide now. A Guide offering educational and easy-to-read tips, processes and methods to ensure your property purchase in Italy is a success. Find out how to save money, find your ideal home or investment property and access a series of resources to help you do your research.