Italian restoration and project management
Abode have extensive experience in the complexities of Italian building works ranging from complete renovations of historic Italian properties to the building of extensions, swimming pools and new development.
We can assist in every phase of your project from selecting architects, engineers, surveyors and contractors to obtaining permits and following the building authorisation process as well as providing on-site project management and essential fiscal oversight.
Italian renovation
With Abode managing your Italian renovation, you can be assured that you will be kept informed at every step of your project, no matter where you are.
When considering the possibility of restoring an Italian property, rather than purchasing an already habitable abode, it is best to be aware of the likely timeframes.
Italian project management
Typically one should budget for a period of approximately six months for the issuing of planning permissions and sometimes up to a year. Every property is different of course and some works can be undertaken almost immediately with the presentation of a D.I.A. or Denuncia Inizio Attività (a declaration of start of works). Bear in mind also that rules and regulations can change greatly from one municipality to another, whereby something that is feasible in one place may not be in the neighboring town.
Italian planning
Where possible it is prudent to check on the feasibility of achieving what you are looking to do before you commit to a purchase. A good geometra (a cross between an architect and surveyor in the UK) will already know how to handle the permissions process to achieve the desired result, so the period of waiting is best used in preparation for the beginning of works. By the time you are ready to start setting up the building site, you should have a detailed C.M.E. (Computo Metrico Estimativo or Bill of Quantities) and a contract signed with a building team whose previous projects you have preferably had a chance to visit.
As a general rule for restorations, you should envisage the first use of your completed Italian property about 2 years after purchase. If on the other hand you want to simply refurbish the interior, ie new bathrooms, flooring, kitchen etc, you should be able to start these works immediately once you have purchased.
