More and more purchasers complain about building irregularities they discover after purchase. Here is a reported case involving a foreign couple who recently bought a house in Sicily.

Before buying, they did what careful people do: ask for the documents. The seller provided the purchase deed, the cadastral plan, and an old building permit. The notary ran his checks: ownership was clear, with no mortgages or liens. The purchase was completed, the keys were handed over, and prosecco was served to celebrate.

Three years later, they tried to sell the house. The buyer’s surveyor found that the house had an amnesty application filed years earlier but never paid. On paper, this is a pending request, which means the house is not regular. Consequently, the buyer’s bank refused the mortgage; the sale fell through, and rectifying the file took more than a year and incurred substantial costs.

For this reason, when you buy a property, it is advisable to engage a geometra or an architect to carry out the “verifica di conformità urbanistica e catastale” on your behalf. This costs money, but it is worth it. In certain Regions, such as Tuscany, notaries require this before agreeing to perform the deed.

If somebody tells you that it is not necessary because the notary checks everything, that is exactly the moment to have your own technician look; possibly do it before the preliminary contract (compromesso) to avoid unpleasant surprises.