The secret way to buy a house in Italy "Vendesi"

INSPIRATION

Secret Ways To Buy A House In Italy

WANT TO BUY A HOUSE IN ITALY?

If you’re looking to buy a house in Italy keep a look out for the Vendesi sign

Something that I loved about our house in Italy is that it was never for sale.

As with many properties in Italy my husband found it totally through word of mouth. On the very last day of his trip to purchase a renovation project and future home he happened by chance to meet with someone who knew someone who was interested in selling.

Having gone through the process of selling multiple houses in Australia ourselves, it is still a jolt to see only these often faded tiny Vendesi signs on houses for sale.

Part of the process in Australia is having a huge billboard outside your house with glossy images of every aspect of your home at it’s best. It has the contact details for the agent and lists the main features of the property.

Of course ‘dressing’ your house for sale is now a thriving business in Australia and you can even hire furniture (which we did on our last renovation in Australia).

Having a billboard sign on your property makes it easily visible to anyone out house hunting.

JOIN THE RENOVATING ITALY CLUB…

JOIN NOW!

NOT SO IN ITALY?

Unlike Australia there are no massive signs with glossy images, often you’ll just find an A4 size card (usually bright orange) covered in plastic that has the word Vendesi and a phone number. If you’re lucky you’ll get a little two line description as well.

With our house there wasn’t even a sign, we would never have found it without help from someone in the village.

We have sold our own home a number of times now, this seems such a great way to sell, although not so wonderful for those looking to buy. It’s been a long time since we have used an agent to sell a house, but we have never sold on word of mouth alone. I wonder how those who don’t speak the language or have an Italian heritage fare using this system.

Of course we are most interested in those that never get that little Vendesi sign on the front door. The ones that only the locals know about.

If you want to buy a house in Italy find the area you want to live, & keep a look out for Vendesi signs, even better if you speak the language ask around for the ones that aren’t advertised.

and the gang x

35 replies

Sue Austin says:
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We looked at buying a house through an agent in Italy. The problem that arose was back here,in Australia. Just be aware that there are multiple legal issues regarding tax and property if an Australian owns offshore property as well. There are also obligations concerning capital gains tax on the property being held if you choose to live in your house overseas and must return to your Australian domicile within a certain time frame to avoid losing the capital gain, if ever you need to sell your Australian property asset. It’s worth checking out with a property lawyer first, before looking around O.S.
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Mariana says:
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I have just started researching re buying a place in Italy, after a stay the recently.
I am very interested to read all the comments, i guess this process puts us right in there in experiencing and understanding italian society etc
I am Australian but I have applied for my Italian citizenship as my father was Italian, so i can claim it by descent. This will help me in buying property
I am also wanting to find other interested party/parties who might be interested in sharing a property purchase and renovation process.
I am a very flexible and adaptbale person, and believe that with goodwill and integrity, and good communication such partenrships in sharing resources have a lot to offer.
Any and all suggestion sre this concept are very welcome
Mariana.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Hi Mariana, sounds wonderful, I’d suggest you email my husband Sam directly as he is the one to chat with about this.
  
  lisa x
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Aden Rossinni says:
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Hi,

Does anyone know how to get a loan in Italy or Australia for a house in Italy? I want to buy in Abruzzo or Molise.
Also, does anyone have information about I can live in Italy i I buy a house. I am Australian but can’t prove my dad (who was Italian) was my dad. I want to buy and live.

Any help would be appreciated.

All the best.

Aden
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Hi Aden you can email my husband Sam directly at admin@renovatingitaly.com he is the one to talk with!
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gloria says:
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Hii..!!!
Even I believe that buying a property through an agent can be safe and secure. I loved this post buddy.
Thanks for sharing…!!!!
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Sam Chiodo says:
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I agree, in some respects but in Italy the locals know best and a day in the local bar will give you more information than any real estate agent …here the Purchaser and the Seller pay a commission which in my opinion is a conflict of interest. Agents like to think that they are impartial but in the end they have to eat and will do what ever they have to to achieve their goal… I have renovated and sold 13 houses both here and in Australia in the last 10 years and of those, I sold most of them myself and of the ones I sold using an agent, only one actually gave a great service…Yes they are safe and secure but not always acting in the interest of the purchaser or seller… SAM
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isabella says:
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My house has been for sale 3 years now, with the local agencies and apparently they say
people have no money to buy houses.Maybe because they are asking more than what I am ready to accept.My house is in Barga (Lucca) the most english spoken town in Italy.It’s situated in a
lovely quiet part of the town with a beautiful panoramic view.It is 100 sq.mt with 3 bedrooms,
bathrooms,living room with fireplace,kitchen, and an attic which covers 3/4 of the house,2 balconies and private parking place..independant central heating.the price? €.165.000,00 which is
negotiable.
What do you think?
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- Rebecca says:
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  Hi, just wondered if you managed to sell your house? I realize this post was made some time ago but thought I’d enquire anyway. I had a property here before and want to return.
  
  Regards
  
  Rebecca
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  - Lisa Chiodo says:
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    Oh ciao Rebecca, we have the house in piemonte only now. What part of Italy are you looking at? You can always send us an email at admin@renovatingitaly.com xx
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- Roberta DelToro says:
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  I’m interested ; just returned from Barga last week went looking for places in old town send me link to your place
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Linda says:
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I have personally bought 8 different places over the past 7 years in Sicily and found many homes for friends – never used an agent. Never had the problems,dramas I have read so much about ,all when using an agent.

Seems that it would be the agent’s job to know about all the details BEFORE letting you make an offer,spending money on flights and having letdowns when things do not work out. I am not against finding a house with an agent but I would never lay down a dime without doing my own checks .

It should not take months and months to close on a property unless someone was not prepared to sell it. If an agent is listing it -it should all be in order. This is my pet peeve . It all comes down to doing your own research, and taking no one’s word , poking around. Go to where you would like to buy and rent first.

To sell I have made use of an estate agent who has very good marketing skills and it was very much worth the fee.
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Katina Janakis says:
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Ciao a tutti,

We bought our place in Puglia, the heel of Italy, with an agent. My research started online, and it was everyday for over a year and a couple of visits before we found our dream house.
Our agent was very patient, wonderful and not pushy at all. We picked up our keys to our property early January ’12 and renovations have begun and it’s a renovation project. Just returned from a visit there and can’t wait to return Christmas time. Had a few hiccups and dramas regarding the whole process, but it’s all worth it 🙂
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Ciao Katina,
  Your agent sounds wonderful and it was well worth the wait to find just the right place. How exciting to have a project underway, you’re most welcome to come and feature at Renovating Italy!! It’s such a process to go through but as you say so worth it. I’d love to hear more about your renovations. Sorry I have been a bit lax getting back to everyone. sending love and happy renovating ciao lisa x
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Debra Kolkka says:
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We bought two of our properties in Italy through an agent. The little shop under our apartment had no signs, but it had been empty for years and we just approached the owner and we had it a few days later. We still don’t know what to do with it, but we didn’t want an inappropriate business setting up under our living room, or possibly, that it would just fall to bits.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Oh how funny I am thinking of all the inappropriate businesses you could have on your doorstep and getting the giggles. A very wise move to buy the place and I’d love to know what you end up doing with it!
  ciao lisa x
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Trisha Thomas says:
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You are right Lisa, the vendesi signs in Italy are special. You have captured some great ones with your photos. In Rome I love to stop and read them on lamp posts and gates just to see if by any chance I might find my dream apartment (that I could never afford). It has to have a roof-top terrazzo with a fabulous view of the city, lots or rooms and plenty of light. The vendesi signs give me a little dreaming time.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  It took me some time to realize what the signs were for, a bit like the picture of the horse at the butchers in Saluzzo. Your apartment sounds wonderful, a real retreat in the city and I bet one day when you least expect it you’ll find it! Dreams are always the best place to start. x ciao lisa
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Ingrid says:
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Lisa – my house found me via a Real estate Agent! I am not so sure it would have found me if I didn’t happen to be on the internet but maybe it would have 😉 !!

The house was better and worse than the pics on the website and once viewed in person despite viewing 13 other properties in states from more ruin than house to inhabitable now my ‘ruin’ stole my heart and my imagination!!

Can’t wait to see your renovation in progress!! Mine has been temporarily interrupted by Ferragusto but hoping things get busy again very soon – still in planning stages but cracking the whip for a roof before winter!!

Ciao Ingrid xox
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  I just can’t wait to see your house Ingrid, and hear about all your renovation plans first hand!
  It is wonderful the way a house can just “steal your heart” ours in Gambasca did that and I know this
  one took Sams and am sure mine will follow when I see it!!
  We will have so much to talk about and whip cracking to share, a roof would certainly be a bonus LOL xxx
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Andreana says:
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We’ve only bought with agents. Here in California, although it can be done without an agent the vast majority use agents due to all the laws, paperwork etc. I myself being an agent find it scary NOT to do it through another agent. In Italy how would you know what you are truly getting and who would help both sides make it totally legal with no surprises? I have to say I’ve heard some crazy stories about agents in Italy though.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  I was horrified the first time Sam talked of selling ourselves, I couldn’t imagine how we would work it all out. He took a real estate agents course some years ago so knew the basics but that was it. Although this is the man who after being present at the birth of our daughter by caesarian looked at me and said “I reckon I could do the next one” the system in Italy is complex and I don’t think they even know what they are doing. Sam speaks Italian so that helps and we have a wonderful lawyer friend that we trust totally so some bases are covered. Our friend here is an agent and she just laughs and shakes her head, she knows us well.
  ciao lisa x
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jann says:
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Lisa, how exciting your news is!!! Congratulations! I found my house in Sicily (it took 5 years of on and off again looking till I found the right place) with a little green “Vendesi” sign on the door. I had tried using agents, with no luck….
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  A house in Sicily, I can’t wait to see it. I think I could frame that little Vendesi sign if we had one. Things are moving!
  love lisa x
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Janine says:
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I much prefer the low key Italian word of mouth system to the brash campaigns in Australia somehow…In Italy, I gather, selling is often the last resort. Families prefer to hold tight and live smaller which I love, personally. I too hope your road is smooth from here on in. At least for a while. 😉 Just like everything in Italy it’s who you know and who you ask that counts and I know you worked that out long ago. It really pays to be a bit cheeky too. Ha, I remember the vendesi signs being one of the first verb conundrums I came across first time round in Italy…Have a beautiful week. Jxx
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  It does seem that way doesn’t it, an unwillingness to let go. My husband is certainly cheeky, he talks with everyone and makes friends very easily. It wouldn’t be us if the road was smooth, ours is like a 4 wheel drive track! LOL
  x
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Francesca Muir says:
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This is so inspirational – I can’t wait for your return to Italy. May it all go smoothly from now own. Fx
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- lisa | renovating italy says:
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  Yep smooth sailing for us all the way to Italia…maybe a few storms to make things interesting along the way!!
  love lisa x
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Cathy says:
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We used an agent to buy our house, the local Tecnocasa. It wasn’t a straight forward sale as the owner didn’t sell us enough land to finish the house and we had to do a second ‘atto’ so we could finish our house.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  So did you find it yourself or totally through the agent Cathy? How funny that the owner didn’t sell you enough land, only in Italy! We sold the house in Gambasca ourselves after a horror run with the agent. We couldn’t even find the photo in the agents window as he had taken it from down the hillside capturing only the roof of the house lol. He then told Sam “you try and do better” so we did, and sold in less than a week unfortunately at less than we thought as we were going on the agents advice. Live and learn, a local told us to list it in the paper and sell it ourselves.
  love lisa x
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  - Cathy says:
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    Totally through the agent. So true, live and learn Lisa. House buying in Italy can be full of adventures and we both know plenty of people who’ve been through them!
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    - Lisa Chiodo says:
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      We bought the house in Gambasca through an agent, it was an incredible process both buying and then later selling! So intricate, almost a stage show, we laughed many times at the differences to the way we were used to selling.
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Lisa Wood says:
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Incredible how it was via word of mouth! We sold our house in Australia, and it was through a real estate agent. It was really weird – the lady that purchased our house, her son used to live in it and rent it before we had purchased it!
He was renting it with his girlfriend and we purchased it, did it up and then sold it to his mum 🙂
Love the idea of renovating something with so much character. You guys are going to have so much fun.
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- lisa | renovating italy says:
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  what a small world Lisa, such a funny story! I think it’s because my husband loves to do things for himself. He did a real estate course some years ago but didn’t take it up, so used what he learned to sell our own house. I was a bit skeptical the first time but we got what we wanted and now don’t find it intimidating at all. We still use Save on Commission who can then handle the negotiations and paperwork if you want them to do so.
  
  It always suprises me when I think about how much we actually know about our passion. It’s a bit like when I worked at the paint shop and just took for granted that people knew what type of paint etc they needed…I forgot how much I had learned and that it was all new to them.
  xx
  Reply