First question: is the home resident-only?
This is the check that decides everything. The restriction is recorded in the land register: ask the seller for the land register extract before making an offer. If there is a restriction and you do not meet the requirements, you cannot buy that home. Details in resident-only homes in South Tyrol.
Second homes and tourist areas
In tourist municipalities, the Province and the municipalities limit the building of new homes for non-residents. In the towns around Bolzano the share of unrestricted homes is generally higher than in the tourist valleys.
Taxes when buying a second home
- On purchase: registration tax (or VAT if you buy from a company), calculated as for a second home elsewhere in Italy, without first-home relief.
- Every year: municipal IMI.
- Holiday lets: renting to tourists requires the relevant permits, and the tourist tax applies.
What to check before making an offer
- Land register extract: owners, mortgages, restrictions.
- Cadastral and building compliance (get help from a local surveyor).
- Energy class and heating costs: mountain winters add up.
- Condominium fees and planned works.
The documents the seller must give you are the same as in documents to sell a home in South Tyrol.
If you are selling to a buyer from outside the province
State in the listing whether the home is unrestricted or resident-only: you will save viewings and negotiations that cannot succeed. An unrestricted home in a sought-after area can appeal to a wider audience: to find out what it is worth, start from the free estimate by address.