After having a house in Volterra for several years, I find today that subdivided palazzi offer very attractive living spaces. When I bought, I was fixated on a house but today, I would look at all options because an apartment with high ceilings and high windows will be more cool in summer than an small house. Definitely to avoid are attic apartments, except if they come with a fantastic terrace and view, an elevator and air condition. Italian real estate ads will show you details of the bath rooms but not what you see from the windows. While one apartment will look into a narrow alley another which looks the same in the Internet, will have a breathtaking view or open onto a beautiful interior garden.
To buy an apartment or a house in Volterra is simple:
The first step is to look around on casa.it, immobiliare.it, subito.it to get an idea of what is available and how much it costs. If you are new to Italy, it might be a good idea to first stay in a rented apartment in the historic center for a few months. Once you know Volterra well, a beautiful palazzo from the 17th or 18th century might fall in love with you…
The second step is to find a trustworthy person to guide you through the process. I worked with the geometers at Studio Tecnico Associato Geom. Iozzi Villanelli Borghi and found them to be reliable and honest. They will contact the seller or the seller’s agent and organize the transaction. In Italy a geometer will check the sales documents and prepare the contracts. I believe other geometers in Volterra are also reliable and honest.
There are good real estate agents in Volterra who can help you to find an apartment or a house which is right for you, but please remember that a real estate agent is a servant of three patrons: You, the seller, and the agency. I don’t know any of the real estate agents personally. If you don’t speak Italian, they will take care of everything for you but you should still get the contract checked by an independent professional who is representing you and is paid by you for his time.
The contract has to be signed in front of the public notary in Volterra. Don’t pay before a sale contract has been signed at the office of the public notary! Don’t pay a different price than the price in the contract! Don’t accept a public notary in another location! If something smells fishy, it probably is. In Italy houses are not sold and bought with a handshake and a suitcase of cash. Italian real estate is not liquid. If it is not your primary residence don’t finance with a mortgage.
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When you arrive in Tuscany, you will feel like a kid in a toy shop. There are many beautiful houses and apartments for sale but while buying a house will take you a few weeks, selling it again may take years. If you dream of a romantic Bed & Breakfast, please don’t imagine that you can manage an Airbnb in Tuscany with an iPad from a deckchair in Acapulco. Tuscany is a not a virtual economy: You have to be here and earn the trust of the plumber, the electrician, and the mason otherwise nobody will show up when you need them.
La Hasa 