In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Us Again.
Does anybody know if this has been covered by another thread. I often see people advising others to look at particular threads?
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
The difference between an architect and geometra (geometra means surveyor more or less) is that a geometra is a technician that finished a technical school (not a technical university), the architect has the same meaning in Italy as in UK (USA). The figure of geometra is slowly disappearing, people usually choosing to ask for building engineers or architects, anyway a geometra with experience could be a good solution as is an architect (or engineer) to undertake a technical survey.
Being the architected bound to the estate agency maybe it could be better to go for the geometra to be sure there won’t be any “surprise”, or you can choose to have both undertaking the survey to be absolutely sure the house is what you’re looking for.
Mind that agencies in Italy ask a commission that could span from 3 to 5 percent (..yes…I agree that it’s quite expensive). Better to ask if the architect’s fee is included in the commission or you have to pay out more money for him.
From a legal point of view the notaio (notary) is in charge to verify that the house your are going to buy complies with all laws in force.
...good luck !
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
A geometra is more akin to a surveyor, and he will also probably be more familiar with the routines of the land registry and other bureaucratic bits and pieces relating to property, but he doesn't have a great deal of design training - which is where the architect is stronger.
One snag with "geometras" is that the description fits a large number of practitioners, and some of them are considerably less well trained than others in any particular field.
If you indicate where your house is, you may be able to get someone on the forum to recommend a local geometra/architect. I appreciate your concern about using someone connected with the agency - but this is the usual way to find someone to do a survey and perhaps prepare plans for future work.
There are various threads on the forum dealing with all sorts of aspects of emplying geometras, or architects - probably so many that using the search facility on one of these words will result in a whole day's reading!
The search facility is on the second green line down on the main forum page.
Good luck
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
The search box is at on the second green line down in every thread. Makes life easier that going to the main forum page all the time. :)
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[QUOTE=Frankie & Poppy]Can anybody help?
We are using an architect that is linked to an agent. We have been told that they can also undertake a survey of the property prior to purchase. We are maybe being naive in considering using the architect to undertake the survey. We feel there may be a conflict of interests BUT they may find it easier having knowledge of the agent and the property etc. Would anybody have any advice or recommendations?:confused:
Frankie & Poppy[/QUOTE]
One piece of advice here. No matter who does the survey, walk round the house with it and look to see if it seems realistic. Look for any uneplained cracks and damp etc. If it's not on the survey, ask for an explanation and get some re-assurance. This way, if you are being mislead about something, or something is deliberately omitted, you will have a response in writing. This gives you some come-back if it all goes wrong and it proves to be more than was originally thought.
Most of the time we pay for surveys to tell us what any reasonable person would already know. It is the 0.1% of surveys which highlight major defects tah make them worth the money. The simple fact is, if you pay for a simple condition survey, that's what you'll get. Personally, i would go for a full structural survey to offer piece of mind.
Regards
Andy
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[QUOTE=Frankie & Poppy]We are using an architect that is linked to an agent. We have been told that they can also undertake a survey of the property prior to purchase. We are maybe being naive in considering using the architect to undertake the survey. We feel there may be a conflict of interests BUT they may find it easier having knowledge of the agent and the property etc. Would anybody have any advice or recommendations?:confused: [/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Frankie & Poppy]We should also have added what is the difference between a Geometra and an Architect? Or a Geometra and a surveyor? It doesn't help to be so ignorant!!!![/QUOTE]
I believe your instincts are right: you are wise to question whether there will be a conflict of interest if you ask someone with an existing commercial relationship with the agent for the property you are considering buying to give you an opinion on that property. Would you buy a house in the UK based solely on a report from a surveyor who is employed by the estate agency selling the house? Maybe some people would trust that professional standards and the possibility of subsequent legal action would ensure that such a report didn't gloss over problems, but it seems to me just asking for trouble not to seek a disinterested opinion.
To be blunt, I am concerned that you seem to have reached a fairly advanced stage in the purchase process without being clear on what a geometra is.
I'd recommend two books which could help you be a lot clearer on the process and the professions involved:
First, [URL="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0749441518/qid=1147770845/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_1_2/202-5250485-8535857"]The Complete Guide to Buying Property in Italy[/URL] by Barbara McMahon. Ignore the Amazon review by some silly person who complains that the book doesn't go into restoration in much detail; they apparently didn't bother to read the title. I think this is a good book which covers well the practical issues that are involved when purchasing a house in Italy
Second, [URL="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1860118798/qid=1147771140/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_1_2/202-5250485-8535857"]Buying a Property: Italy[/URL] by Monica Larner and John Howell. A point to bear in mind: John Howell is a solicitor who makes his living by dealing with Brits who want to buy a house abroad. I'm not suggesting that what he says in his section of the book is wrong, just that he's not someone you'd expect to ever advise someone that some property transactions in Italy might not justify the expense of a UK-based lawyer and could safely be done [I]The Italian Way[/I]. The book has a short section on surveys and (following on from what Andy says above) a DIY survey checklist at the back for those who want to make sure they haven't overlooked any questions they should be asking.
Hope this is of some help. Good luck.
Al
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Thank you everybody who added to this thread and given us something to think about.
We have done a lot of reading about buying in Italy and sometimes, the more you read, the more confusing it can get. I did have a reasonable idea about a geometra's job, but have had a lot of conflicting views from many sources about who is the best person to use. So I thought it prudent to post a thread as I know from reading others posts that there are a lot of people on this forum who talk a lot of sense and know both Italy and the buying process very well.
So, thank you all. I will look forward to more help from you all as we progress through the process and the restoration of the house.
We should also have added what is the difference between a Geometra and an Architect? Or a Geometra and a surveyor? It doesn't help to be so ignorant!!!!