The Italian buying process explained: from offer to deed

Buying a home in Italy follows three legal steps: a written, irrevocable offer (proposta d'acquisto), a preliminary contract (compromesso) with a deposit, and the final deed (rogito) signed before a notary. The offer becomes binding on both sides as soon as you learn that the seller has accepted it. From an accepted offer to the deed usually takes 6 to 14 weeks with a mortgage, and 4 to 10 weeks for a cash buyer whose documents are in order.

The steps at a glance

How long does it take to buy a house in Italy?

After acceptance, expect one to four weeks to the compromesso, two to four weeks to gather documents, four to eight weeks for a mortgage (in parallel) and one to two weeks for the notary's final checks. That adds up to 6 to 14 weeks with a mortgage, or 4 to 10 weeks for a cash purchase.

Add the search, viewings and checks, and most purchases take three to six months from first search to keys. Delays usually come from planning irregularities, a slow bank, or a seller who is buying elsewhere.

Step 1: the offer (proposta d'acquisto irrevocabile)

In Italy you do not make a verbal offer. You sign a written proposal, usually on the real estate agency's form, stating the price, what is included, the deposit, the dates for the preliminary and the deed, and any conditions. It normally comes with a non-transferable cheque (assegno non trasferibile), which the real estate agency holds until the seller replies, and returns if the seller declines.

"Irrevocable" is literal: under article 1329 of the Civil Code, withdrawing an offer before its deadline has no effect. Validity periods of 15 to 30 days are common; a shorter one keeps you free sooner. Every condition that matters to you must be in the offer before you sign.

When does an accepted offer become binding?

Under article 1326 of the Civil Code, a contract is concluded when the person who made the offer learns of the acceptance. So the moment is not when the seller signs, but when you are told. If the seller changes anything (price, dates, furniture), that is not an acceptance but a new proposal, which you are free to accept or refuse.

An accepted offer that contains the essential terms usually works as a binding preliminary agreement. The real estate agency's commission normally becomes due at that point, and the real estate agency is among those required by law to register the agreement with the tax office. For what the commission and the other costs add up to, see the real costs of buying property in Italy.

Step 2: the compromesso (preliminary contract)

The compromesso, or contratto preliminare, commits both sides to sign the deed by a set date. It completes the offer with the full property description, payment schedule, deposit, deed date and notary. It can be a private agreement or a notarial act.

It must be registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate within 30 days of signing (the deadline was 20 days until 2022). The taxes are:

• Registration tax: a fixed €200, whatever the price.
• Proportional tax: 0.5% of any caparra confirmatoria and, since 1 January 2025, 0.5% of any payments on account (acconti) not subject to VAT. Before 2025 those payments were taxed at 3%. The tax can never exceed what the final deed would pay.
• Stamp duty: €16 per four pages, or per 100 lines.

The proportional tax is credited against the registration tax due on the deed, so it is an advance, not an extra cost. If you buy new from a developer, payments on account carry VAT instead; ask the notary how your deposit will be taxed.

Caparra confirmatoria, caparra penitenziale or acconto?

The label on the money you pay matters, because the Civil Code treats each one differently:

• Caparra confirmatoria (art. 1385): confirms the deal. If you walk away, the seller keeps it; if the seller walks away, you can claim double. The party not at fault can instead ask a court to enforce or end the contract, with damages.
• Caparra penitenziale (art. 1386): the price of a right to withdraw. Whoever withdraws loses the deposit or pays back double, and nothing more is owed.
• Acconto (payment on account): simply part of the price. If the deal fails, it is returned; damages must be proven separately.

The law sets no minimum or maximum deposit; 10–20% of the price is common. If the contract is unclear, courts tend to treat the sum as an acconto, so name it explicitly.

Should you transcribe the preliminary contract?

Registration with the tax office is a tax formality. Transcription (trascrizione) in the property registers, under article 2645-bis of the Civil Code, is a protection, and requires a notarial preliminary.

Once transcribed, a later sale, mortgage or seizure registered against the seller cannot prejudice your purchase, and your claim to recover what you paid gains a privilege on the property. The effect lasts until one year after the agreed deed date, and in any case no more than three years from transcription.

The Italian notaries' council says it matters most when months pass before the deed, when large sums are paid in advance, or when the seller is a business. It costs fixed taxes of €200 and €35 plus the notary's fee.

Checks before you sign

The best time for checks is before the offer, while you still have leverage on the price: planning and land-registry compliance, title and encumbrances, the energy certificate and the condominium, as explained in buying a home in Rome as a foreigner.

Ask the condominium administrator for a statement of unpaid fees and approved works. Under article 63 of the Civil Code's implementing provisions, a buyer is jointly liable for unpaid contributions of the current and previous year.

How the mortgage fits the timeline

If you need a loan, write a mortgage condition (condizione sospensiva) into the offer and the preliminary: if the bank does not approve a stated amount by a stated date, the contract falls away and your deposit is returned.

Approval usually takes four to eight weeks once the bank has a complete file, and non-residents should expect extra paperwork. Choose the bank while the preliminary is being negotiated and set the deed date with that margin. The mortgage deed is usually signed the same day, before the same notary.

Step 3: the rogito before the notary

The buyer usually chooses and pays the notary, who checks title, mortgages and land-registry data, reads the deed to the parties, collects the purchase taxes, then registers and transcribes the sale, usually within 30 days. Every payment must be traceable and is recorded in the deed.

If you do not speak Italian. Under articles 54 and 55 of the notarial law, if the notary does not know your language, a sworn interpreter attends; the deed is written in Italian with a translation attached, and both are signed.

If you cannot attend. You can sign through a power of attorney (procura) in notarial form: signed before a notary in your country with an apostille, then translated. Italian citizens abroad can also sign it at an Italian consulate. Ask the notary to approve the wording first.

Depositing the price with the notary

Under Law 147/2013 (art. 1, para. 63), as amended by Law 124/2017, if either party asks, the notary must hold the price or the balance on a dedicated account. The money reaches the seller only after the deed is transcribed and the notary has confirmed that no new charges appeared on the property. The account is kept separate from the notary's own assets, and a contract clause waiving this right does not bind the notary. Ask whether it changes the quote.

Handover and utilities

Keys are usually handed over at the deed, after a final walk-through. Then transfer electricity, gas and water to your name (voltura) with meter readings from the day, file the waste-tax (TARI) declaration with the municipality, and make sure the condominium administrator has a copy of the deed.

FAQ

Can I withdraw an irrevocable offer before the seller replies?

No. Withdrawing before the deadline you wrote has no effect, and an acceptance within that period binds you. If the deadline passes without acceptance, you are free and the cheque is returned.

What happens if the seller backs out after the compromesso?

With a caparra confirmatoria, you can withdraw and claim double the deposit, or ask a court to enforce the contract. A transcribed preliminary also protects you if the seller tries to sell or mortgage the home to someone else.

Is the compromesso mandatory in Italy?

No. If the accepted offer already contains every essential term, the parties can go straight to the deed. A separate compromesso is still common, because it adds detail and sets a firm deed date.

Do I need to be in Italy to sign the rogito?

No. You can give a notarial power of attorney to someone you trust. Signed abroad, it needs an apostille and a translation, so allow time and have the Italian notary check it in advance.

What if my mortgage is refused after I sign?

If the offer and the preliminary include a mortgage condition with an amount and a deadline, the contract falls away and the deposit is returned. Without that condition, failing to complete is your default, and you can lose the caparra.

How Giusto helps

Your dedicated Buyer's Agent works only for you, from the offer to the keys: drafting offer conditions that protect you, reviewing the preliminary and coordinating notary, bank and interpreter. Checks are always free and viewings are always with you. See what a Buyer's Agent does in Italy.

The search and the proposals are always free. If one of the homes catches your eye and you decide to go ahead, our fee is 20% of what we save you on the asking price. If you don't save, you don't pay.

Start your search on giustohomes.com

Sources

• Guida "L'acquisto della casa: le imposte e le agevolazioni fiscali" (March 2024) — Agenzia delle Entrate
• Circolare n. 2/E del 14 marzo 2025, imposta di registro — Agenzia delle Entrate (copy on dirittobancario.it)
• Codice Civile, art. 1385 – Caparra confirmatoria — Brocardi.it
• Acquisto sicuro: la trascrizione del preliminare — Consiglio Nazionale del Notariato
• Compravendita e deposito facoltativo del prezzo dal notaio: chiarimenti dal Notariato — ANCE
• Quanto tempo passa dalla proposta al rogito — NotaiOnline

Figures as of October 2026. Rules change: always confirm with the notary or a tax adviser before signing.