FAQs Puglia Residential Italy
Please feel free to view our frequently asked questions.
Q. How much initial deposit should I put down on a property I like?
A. A minimal amount of 100 Euros is enough to show your intention to buy, if you should decide not to go ahead, this is refundable to you.Q. I have heard that the purchaser and vendor use the same solicitor is this true? And who does he really work for?
A. The solicitor does really work for both parties involved, the appointed solicitor is government registered and cannot take any preference to one or the other, you can also appoint your own independent solicitor, but this is a waste of money, but if you feel more secure in doing this, then you should!Q. I have heard a lot of talk about the “compromesso stage” can you explain it more thoroughly.
A. We do have this explained on our resource page, but I will explain for you, the compromesso stage is when the searches have been done and everyone is happy, the contracts have been signed and monies handed over 25-30% of the asking price, it is the stage before completion, after this point, if you decide you do not wish to proceed for personal reasons, you will lose the compromesso that you paid, this is seen as compensation to the vendor, if however the vendor decides they no longer wish to sell, they will have to refund your compromesso and pay you the same again as compensation, this is a fair and just system in practice, it avoids gazumping and stops people wasting time.Q. Much has been said about “abusive builds” and “outstanding debts” can you enlighten me as to what this means?
A. yes, we can: an abusive build is when a property owner builds an extension or a property without planning permission, this will picked up by the solicitor working for both parties and will inform you of this fact, he will advise you on the correct next step to take, this will come out before the compromesso stage.
Outstanding debts, this is when a property owner owes money to a bank or individual and a claim has been made against the property, this is one of the worst scenarios, again this will come out before the compromesso stage, we will advise you not to proceed else you will be liable for the debts they have, and this can be a very bad situation to be in, so you will be strongly advised not to proceed.Q. I have heard of some expats in the building trade working in Italy and doing very bad work and not finishing a job is this true?
A. unfortunately there have been some unsavoury “builders” trying to take advantage of unsuspecting British property owners, sometimes new people to the area do not want to take advantage of our advice, not to go into too much detail, plumbing, electrics, building, carpentry is nothing like back home in Britain and should be left to the professionals (Italians) and not opportunists, which is why we offer an all round service, even if you do not wish to use us, we will still recommend a good reliable tradesman from the area.Q. I have a dog, is there going to be a problem with rabies in Puglia and I also understand there are a lot of stray violent dogs.
A. the first thing you should do is have your dog checked and get a passport for it back home, then you will have no problems at all. The stray dog issue, there are stray’s in every country not just Italy, I personally have never been growled at or bitten, the stray dogs normally keep to themselves and oddly enough are quite friendly, with the arrival of foreign investors, more and more of these “stray dogs” are being homed and cared for.Q. My family and I purchased a villa with land in the spring of this year, on our return we found the lovely land had overgrown so much, that we cannot possibly tend to it, what do we do now?
A. Give us a call, we know lots of local farmers with tractors that will help you out! Please remember you need to turn over the land twice a year if you are not going to cultivate, and more importantly NO OVERGROWING in the summer, you will be fined and it could cause fires!Q. If I decide to retire to my villa will I be entitled to health care?
A. You will have the same rights as a normal ItalianQ. How can we buy a house that does not have an address or have mail delivered?
A. It does seem strange, I know, but it does not affect the fact that you will own the house, after all, some of these properties are hundreds of years old and the land registry knows who owns them. For your mail I suggest you buy a box in town or you have it delivered to your U.K abode.Q. What is a fiscal code?
A. Similar to a national insurance number really.Q. Why do the people from the north of Italy say the south is lazy?
A. This similar to London, Liverpool, Manchester etc, but mainly because in the south it gets very hot in the summer afternoons and people stop work and resume again in the late afternoon , early evening.Q. Is it true Julius Caesar visited Brindisi?
A. Yes it is well documented, there are steps and columns where it is said he sat and surveyed the port with his army.
Q. How long does it take for a sale to go through?
A. Anything from 1 week to 4 weeks it depends on everyone having things in order.Q. Is Puglia a good place to invest in?
A. What can I say? Plenty of foreign investors think so, and more are arriving on a daily basisQ. I visited a friend who owns a townhouse in the white city (Ostuni) he tells me his property has doubled in the last two years, is this true?
A. I don’t know your friend, you never supplied that information, but it would be fair to say it must be worth more by now, property prices are always on the “up”Q. What is the crime rate like?
A. Lower than it is back home.Q. why have I never heard of Ostuni, Brindisi and Puglia as places to invest in before?
A. Maybe you have not been watching television, there have been enough programmes on the area, but granted when an area is recognised for its potential, investors are hardly going to shout about it until they have had the best pickings, are they? There still is a lot of potential left, give us a call and we will advise you.Q. Why has Puglia become so popular with the Brits
A. Many factors really, to list some, property prices are more competitive than say Spain or Portugal, the laws are more simplified, Ryanair air flies directly to Brindisi airport , most properties are close to the coast, there is plenty to do and see, the list goes on too much to mention.Q. I have heard it said that Puglia suffers from water shortages, is this true?
A. No more so than rain soaked Britain! I think what you are referring to is shortage of rain water, which is used for bathing and washing, nearly all Puglians have drinking water delivered, nobody drinks tap water, most villas have an underground rain water accumulator this is quite vast, if it should go dry you can have it delivered and pumped into your reservoir, at minimal cost.Q. I want to set up a horse riding school in Puglia, is it possible to find enough land for this?
A. Yes no problem give us a call, we have some Massarias that would suit you.Q. My wife and I are thinking of buying a trullo which has no bathroom or water storage, is this going to be a problem regarding planning, the agents we are dealing with speak very little English, your help would be appreciated.
A. Should have come to us first! Don’t worry to answer your question, by law in Puglia you are entitled to have bathroom, therefore it is not unreasonable to build an extension of 50sqmtrs you are also entitled to have a water reservoir for collecting rain water or you could drill for spring water, just make sure you get planning permission first! Do not build abusively. If need be get an interpreter.Q. As last winter was cold we are thinking of putting in central heating, but we do not have gas mains and I am uncertain about the electric voltage being powerful enough for storage heaters as the fuses keeps popping.
A. Not a problem, you can have gas heating, you need to have a gas storage tank put in, and have the gas delivered or you can have air conditioning which blows hot and cold, your electricity power should handle this easily, I know why you fuses keep popping, quite simply you are using British apparatus which work on a higher voltage, even an electric kettle will pop the fuse!Q. Are the beaches free in Brindisi or do we need to reserve a sun lounger?
A. The short answer is some are, some aren’t (most are)Q. I am a builder by trade, can I get a job in Brindisi?
A. To be truthful to you, you would need to restudy, even brick laying is not the same, lime is still used here in the mix, I think it would be better for you to work with a professional Italian builder and learn that way, laws are very stringent in Puglia.Q. What are the laws on taxes if I work for myself and make some profit?
A. I do not want to get too involved in this because I am not 100% sure of what capacity you're asking, a good rule to remember is, you have to pay tax somewhere along the line, whether in Italy or back home, it must be paid.Q. How do I go about opening up my own electrical retail shop, regarding forms and unit usage?
A. That is a question for our accountant in Puglia, he knows more about that kind of stuff.Q. would you say it can be more economical to build a property in Puglia from scratch, rather than restore?
A. In some cases yes, for instance to buy a large listed building that requires restoration with materials made in the traditional way, can be very expensive and you could be restoring one thing and something else could go wrong, on the other hand a Puglia property built from scratch will have none at all and you have all the newest materials and techniques incorporated in your new build, then you can relax and enjoy your property!Q. We are planning on visiting Puglia in the summer (we will come and see you) with the intention of buying land for new builds, can you tell my partner and me how many properties we can erect on a plot of an acre in size?
A. I look forward to a meeting with you, but I must point out to you at an early stage, it’s not a question of how many properties you up on an acre, the local authorities will not allow land or vista to be abused by multitudes of properties to be erected in Ostuni or Brindisi and to be fair I can’t blame them, this would ruin it for everyone else that’s seeking peace and tranquillity and nice views, we can source building land for you that is designated for your type of project, in saying that, a good yard stick you would say 1% of the total of land can be built on (residential) larger projects need to be built on designated allocated land, which we can mediate on your behalf with the authorities.Q. Hello, can you tell us what the public transport is like for trains and buses?
A. Hi, yes it runs smoothly and is a lot cheaper than back home! The trains are great, like something from a bygone era, with guards visible on them, the buses are punctual and you buy tickets from a tobacconist shop.Q. I understand that that you are developers and builders, are any of your work force foreign?
A. I think I know where you are going with this, no our work force are local Puglia trades people that live and work in Brindisi or Ostuni or the surrounding area, we do not employ people that are not from the area, who knows the rules and regulations better than local tradesmen? And after all it’s their community and they deserve the work, we do not cut corners with cheap unknowledgeable labour, we can’t take risks with your money.Q. How do I go about raising the money for buying a property in Puglia?
A. You can remortgage your property back home or you can talk to one of our financial experts (you would need to make an appointment) or see your own financial advisor, this sort of business is now simple.Q. I have been told that on the day of completion you must turn up with a carrier bag full of cash is this true?
A. This is true if you want to, in the earlier years that’s exactly what happened, times have changed and a bank transfer is acceptable, although some of the older vendors still prefer cash!Q. Can you tell me who sorts out the rates electric etc?
A. The correct people will be informed by us to who the new owners are, it would also be an idea to give your billing address in the U.K as some villas do not have an address.Names and email addresses have been removed as we adhere to the privacy protection law any correspondence between ourselves and clients is strictly between ourselves and clients, only with their permission do we publish any questions or literature.
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