This gives a short précis of the main document which you can obtain by following the link at the end.

In common with development projects all over the world, there are many stages to building or renovating a property n Italy. The ‘rules’ regarding what is permitted vary from region to region and even within regions. For example, for houses in many parts of central Tuscany, getting permission for an outdoor pool may not be possible, whereas it is usually possible in Northern Tuscany. There are also variances on the sizes of property that will be ‘easily’ allowed, the number of windows and so on.

Local knowledge of these rules is invaluable and will save a lot of wasted time (and money) in having plans rejected. I suggest you talk to the sales’ agent (before you buy). He may be biased in his answer, but it is usually a good guide. The real expertise will come from the Geometra that you employ but more about that later.

The first step in the process is to get permission to build or make the changes that you want.

Who you need to employ

The main people and groups that you will deal with here are you (or your agent), the Geometra and the Commune.

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It is important to have a good Geometra. One who is sympathetic to your ideas for development, who knows the locality and, most importantly, the local Commune and local builders and who is also going to be good at managing the work afterwards.

The Geometra has a number of roles; the main one is as project manager.

The Geometra will use his local knowledge to guide you on what is likely to be allowed and what not. As will all applications, the outcome is subjective but there are still some guidelines that need to be followed. So your agent and Geometra’s friendliness’ with local / regional planning officers can also help (or hinder) progress.

The Planning ‘Rules’

While the planning rules can appear to be daunting and restrictive, the purpose behind them is laudable. The Italians do not want their picturesque, landscaped, regions spoilt.

The rules vary depending on the region. In northern Tuscany (Lubriano) for example, completed (smaller) villas are normally limited to 130 sq metres of floor space. In Southern Tuscany and Northern Lazio, this increases to 200 sq metres.

Another restriction is the size and number of windows you may be allowed. If you are converting an old farmhouse with small windows (built to keep the house in shade) then you may not be allowed to increase the number and size of these significantly.

Having said all that, there is nothing to stop you asking for more –all they can say is 'No' and you have to apply again.

In general, size limits only apply to floor space above ground.

Also, after permission has been formally given, any changes to the outside (different number of doors or windows, for example) will need supplementary permission from the Commune, whereas you are free to make what changes you like on the inside.

The Planning Permission Process

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Normally, there are two stages.

The first is when the draft plans are submitted, a provisional response given, changes made (if necessary) and then the formal plans submitted. Usually there are no changes are the provisional ones have been verbally agreed.

Eventually, you (or more likely the Geometra or agent) is told that permission has been given by the Commune.

After this, it is normally only one month for the formal notification to come. During this time, the neighbours are told about your plans, notices put in the local papers etc and they are given one month to object. Assuming there are no objections, a formal agreement can be given – in return for payment of a ‘tax’.

Building / renovating

The choice here is to “Do It Yourself” or use builders – and then whether you manage these directly or through an Agent will depend very much on circumstance (how much time you have, for example) and cost. There are benefits and obstacles or risks associated with each option. These are elaborated on in the full paper.

Getting Quotes

Costs to renovate, of course, depend on many factors such as state of repair, size, age, whether the building is ‘listed’ or not, and so on. It will also depend on quality of workmanship and whether you use local builders or bring in tradesmen ‘from Rome’.

When you are getting quotes for sizeable items of work, always get three – as you should for anything like this. Decide before you start what your decision criteria are going to be – cost only, what level of quality you expect, what guarantees on time you need, who pays for building materials, scaffolding, etc.

You should also decide how much risk you wish to bear and how much you expect the builder to take (in which case he will add a cost to his price to cover this. Many builder give estimates rather than quotes. Again, if you feel you want a ‘guaranteed’ price, then go for a quote – but it will cost more as again the builder has to add in cost to cover his risk.

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