Our Process & Services
The path to buying a home often has its share of twists, turns, unexpected detours and dead-ends. There are occasionally dangers with scammers and deceptive information. It can be daunting. Finding Italy has a tailored and dependable approach that is structured around 4 key steps leading up to closing, and post-closing assistance.
1. Getting Started
One of the most important steps in buying a home starts at the very beginning with the decision to buy. Buying isn’t for everyone, and you don’t have to buy a home in Italy to have good reasons to travel, visit and take-in the country.
We begin our process with each client through our individualized Intake Discovery Questionnaire. Knowing more about you and where you are in your own process allows us to better calibrate where and how we can be most helpful. After completion, you will be able to schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation to discuss your vision and goals.
If both parties decide to move forward, we will send you a second questionnaire and invite you to book a 45-minute intake session. During this call, you’ll gain concrete next steps and a better understanding of your interests. You’ll also learn more about the buying process and gain insight into the regions that best fit your lifestyle.
2. Your Guide
The road to a home in the right location, at the right price, with the right features and on your ideal timeline always has twists and turns. We work to break this process down into a handful of defined steps and deliver the ones most important to your unique path. We do this in the comfort of private, individualized 60-minute consultation sessions where you are able to select from a menu of learning and assistance modules that include:
- A general overview of the home buying process
- How to work with and questions to ask real estate brokers in Italy
- The taxes you can’t avoid
- Getting a mortgage in Italy (Hint: It’s not as hard as you think)
- The big importance of the notary (“notaio”) in a successful closing
Members of our US team are physically in markets including Los Angeles, Memphis, and Washington DC, but we have found virtual one-on-one consultations to be most effective. If you are in one of our primary markets, options for in-person consultations can be discussed.
3. Finding Your Right Home
If getting additional opinions about homes you’ve already found, or tapping into our trusted brokerage partners in Italy is of interest to you, we specialize in home matchmaking.
Members of our US team travel to Italy a minimum of 3 times each year to personally see properties and meet directly with the brokers that are part of our referral network. We pride ourselves in having access to some of the most cherished and demanded properties in Tuscany and Umbria.
Our home-matching and broker facilitation services, if leading to a closing, is provided as an additional advisory/brokerage charge at the time of closing.
4. Keys to the Door
When you’re ready to make an offer, we ensure the process is as smooth and transparent as possible. We’ll help you manage the necessary legal and financial steps, including setting up a bank account, arranging financing, and coordinating with a notary.
We provide direct hand-holding through these steps, including where a power of attorney can be used, and where you must appear in-person for original signatures (i.e. signing of the deed). Should the purchase fall through, we’ll help you identify new properties and continue the search.
During this phase, we offer a continuation of our hourly consultations as needed, depending on the complexity and frequency of the required services.
Post Purchase Management
As with any home, upkeep and maintenance will require attention. Once you’ve closed on your property, we are able to provide guidance on how to organize and prepare for many of the key areas that will require attention. Within some regions, we may also be able to offer custom ongoing maintenance options which may include help facilitating day-to-day management and handyman resources. If you plan to rent your property during some periods of the year, we may also be able to staff your rental process, from setting up host platforms to organizing cleaning and guest services. Please let us know if a discussion of these post-closing services may be of interest to you.