2579 Novice buyer in Puglia

Having viewed over 30 properties on numerous trips to Puglia we have finally found a home which we both like. Last week we put in a offer, which has been accepted. The property is a medium sized Trulli 5km outside of Alberobello. It is currently uninhabited and will require a considerable amount of work to bring it up to scratch.

I have read through some guides regarding the whole purchase process but am finding it slightly daunting. I have a couple of questions and any advice that members on the forum can give would be much appreciated.

For the reservation agreement I am required to pay a deposit? What is the usual amount or percentage of the purchase price?
I need to open a bank account. Can anyone recommend a decent Italian bank? Are they all the same? I guess I need one that has a branch office in Alberbello.
Is it worth employing a lawyer to take care of the legal issues to ensure the contract is correctly drawn up?
Should I go with the Notary recommended by the Italian estate agent or should I appoint one myself? Can anyone recommend a decent one?
Should I hire a geometra to orgainise a survey? It hardly seems worth it as I already know there is a considerable amount of work required.

Are there any other issues specifically to buying Trulli / in Puglia I should be aware of?

Thanks

Category

Property Sales/Rental Advice

[quote=lorenzo]Having viewed over 30 properties on numerous trips to Puglia we have finally found a home which we both like. Last week we put in a offer, which has been accepted. The property is a medium sized Trulli 5km outside of Alberobello. It is currently uninhabited and will require a considerable amount of work to bring it up to scratch.

Are there any other issues specifically to buying Trulli / in Puglia I should be aware of?

Thanks[/quote]

[LEFT]I wouldn't hand over any money yet and don't let the agent force you into doing so. If they tell you that they have other buyers waiting in the wings, don't fall for this Don't delay, buy it today ploy.[/LEFT]

I would suggest you get up to speed on the relevant planning permission. Alberobello has strict planning restrictions. A visit to the local council will prove very useful.

You are entitled to select your own Notaio.

The cost of renovating a Trullo is approx between 1500 to 2000 euro per sqm so it is essential you do your sums.

A lawyer will be very useful if you feel uncomfortable with the issues.

As Aliena says, there's quite a bit of information on this forum. Have a look and take your time and don't make any hasty decisions.

Send me a pm if you would like more info as well as some contact names.

Hi Novice Buyer,
We can probably help with some of your queries. With regard to the bank - I don`t think there`s a huge amount of difference but it`s sometimes difficult to find a bank that will take you on. I would probably just go with whichever bank you feel ok with and that is most convenient to get to - they all charge for everything!!

The notaio - you are entitled to choose your own notaio. After all, it`s you who will be paying the bill! If you are OK with the language, or have someone who can help, go round several and ask for a quote (preventivo) - this is the normal way down here unless you have one that you have faith in and don`t want ot offend by going elsewhere.

A lawyer would probably be a good idea, although people don`t seem to use them very much down here for house purchases. But probably a good idea for you. Ditto the geometra - you`ll need one anyway for all the planning permission etc. so why not start now in order to get an idea of what your costs will be. Don`t expect to get all the work done quickly and be in your trullo by the summer - these things take ages, especially with all the strict planning regulations in the Alberobello area. :)

I`ve sent you a pm.

caio lorenzo we bought a trullo last june and are in the process of having it rennovated. we used a lawyer in bari who was first class, he also took us to the unicredit bank and guided us through the process of setting up an account which we can manage online, we have no complaints about that, however i know that the rules changed recently allowing you to have a post office bank account which are generally cheaper to run, and you can manage this online as well. if you want any info on the lawyer builder we used then please pm me i will let you have the info i have ciao marco

Are there any other issues specifically to buying Trulli / in Puglia I should be aware of?

Thanks[/quote]

Do try the post office. It is reliable and economical - the lowest charges, I believe, and can be used over the internet - even for mobile phone recharging.

hi lorenzo,

even if your offer has already been accepted, you should have a survey of the trullo before making any payment to the vendors.

If you discovered any problems with the title or the land after you paid the deposit, the process of getting a full refund of the deposit is very long winded as you may need to go through the courts.

The benefits of hiring independent lawyers and independent geometras have been discussed in other parts of this forum, you can send me a PM and I will point you to the links of the forum where you can find more info.

You can contact Giambrone Law solicitors for an initial consultation, which is free of charge. ([url]www.giambronelaw.co.uk[/url]) they specialise in Italian real estate law and other users of this forum have recommended them in the past.

Alternatively, the Law Society has also a list of Italian solicitors in the UK but make sure that they specialise in Italian Property Law.

If you decided against using a solicitor, you will need to ensure that a number of checks on the trullo will be carried out by the estate agent to guarantee that there is no bad debt registered against the property, check out the pre-emption rights issue, ensure that the vendors legally own the house and so on. I am not a specialist in this area but maybe if you sent a PM to the notaio, he will be able to let you know what you need to be aware of.

Bear in mind that, whatever people say, the estate agent has a vested interest because he wants to sell you the trullo: no sale=no commission. In my opinion, a lawyer guarantees a higher degree of independence because he gets paid in any event, even if the sale does not complete. Maybe you would have wasted £500 on legal fees, but think about what you could save!

Same goes with the geometra: it is always good practice to use an independent one rather than "the local friend of the friend" who then turn out to be the vendors' cousin.

I am afraid, I cant help you with local geometras, but I am sure that people like trulloMF can maybe recommend you a good local geometra.

Our lawyer did everything for us: they found a geometra, who made a sworn static survey, they appointed the notaio and have also vetted the building company which is renovating our house; and the legal costs are a fraction of the sale price, so well worth it...

If you are averse to risk, use the conservative approach and let the professionals deal with it: independent lawyers, geometra and notaio. If you prefer to keep costs down, search through the history of this forum and as aliena suggested, read as much as you can as knowledge is power!

Good luck!

[CENTER][CENTER][COLOR=black]If you can't speak Italian and your agent was not a recommendation then you must get recommended legal help or you could end up in a mess and everything tends to take a long time.[/COLOR][/CENTER]
[CENTER][COLOR=black]No doubt knowledge is power! [/COLOR][/CENTER]
[CENTER][COLOR=black]Don't despair it's all worth it all in the end. [/COLOR][COLOR=black][/COLOR][/CENTER][/CENTER]
:D

the best way is to either use an estate agent who is highly reputable and regulated by the camera di commercio or instruct a lawyer of your choice who would normally carry out all the background work for you and will advise you about surveys, pre-emption rights, bad debts and so on.

there are also a few good books on the subject of buying a house in italy, they have all been mentioned in a previous thread

[QUOTE=trullomartinafranca][CENTER][CENTER][COLOR=black]If you can't speak Italian and your agent was not a recommendation then you must get recommended legal help or you could end up in a mess and everything tends to take a long time.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]No doubt knowledge is power! [/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]Don't despair it's all worth it all in the end. [/COLOR][COLOR=black][/COLOR][/CENTER][/CENTER]
:D[/QUOTE]

Can anyone recommend a bank to use in Puglia, specifically in the region between Brindisi and Lecce? The nearest large town in San Pietro / Lendinuso?

Also: Has anyone any experience of setting up standing orders for utilities etc?

We live in trulli and absolutely love our place but we did buy it habitable. Although we will have the trulli restored at some point in the future as the cones have been renovated by an unqualified artisan in the past.

Just wanted to say that you should get a geometre, independant to the agent selling the property, as he'll not only tell you the obvious like the work that needs to be done but he can also check that the buildings have been registered and are legal and therefore all taxes have been paid to date. He could also recommend qualified artisans to do the work. Don't just go by price but take into account that they are qualified to do the job.

As for setting up direct debits, we didn't, we chose to pay by credit card over the internet. It's easy to do and the likes of ENEL for example, can be accessed in English.

We used Unicredit in Fasano, (but opened up the account in the London branch), to make all our transactions for purchasing the property but have since opened up an account with a local branch in Cisternino, and we've had no problems setting up overdrafts, credit cards etc. The service is friendly and competent.

Hope all goes well with the purchase but like Aliena and Hazel have said, have as much knowledge as possible before buying.

An Italian friend of mine once said to us that "whilst there are 50% of the locals that would be happy to put in the s..t, there are equally 50% who will help you get out of it". But if you can avoid it, don't get that need.