Thinking of building or renovating in Italy? Be patient.
It's no accident that Italy's beautiful towns and villages have remained largely unspoiled. The country's stringent building regulations make building or restoring a property more challenging than in many other countries. There are those who avoid the problem by ignoring the law - an estimated Italian 150,000 buildings have been completed without ... planning permission.
We wouldn't recommend the illegal route, however. But nor should you try to go it alone. Understandably anxious to safeguard and preserve their surroundings, it's safe to say that overseas investors and property buyers (that's you!) are not the locals favourite people. So hire a local "Geometra" - a combined planner, surveyor and engineer - to help you through the planning nightmare. They'll be aware of all the issues specific to the region (local building code structural requirements etc.) and help you get things done faster.
