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I am buying some land in Umbria - If I understand correctly, the first step is to find a Geometra - who designs a Project, which seems to be a plan of the house. How much design detail do I need to give him in terms of requirements i.e. do I need to state the internal details , numbers of rooms etc or it is just the externals? Melanie
Hi Melanie My husband and I have gone through the process of the plans etc. The geometra you find will find, will probably want to look at the house first and take measurements etc. If you choose to go with him (I would recommend to get a couple of quotes), then he will produce a number of documents. He will give you a quote for the work - ours is charging 10% of the total renovation work and that includes him as the project manager.
He will then produce plans of the house (the current state) and then with the changes. The law in Italy is that you areunable to build any extra parts to the buildings i.e. you canonly use the square footage that you have and cannot increase this. From start to finish the plans will take around 4-6 weeks to complete, depending on how complex it is. Ours is a total renovation on a 17th century farmhouse!
The geometra will undergo a house survey etc.
After all plans have been agreed between you and the geometra, you should speak to him about getting local builders and it's advisable to ask him to get quotes from 2-3 builders and probably best to go for a fixed price contract with the builders through the geometra as a tender, this way you will see all three quotes from the builders and you can choose which to go for - sometimes the cheapest isn't always best - maybe ask the builders to show you around houses that they have renovated already and likewise with the geometra - ask him to show you some houses that he has designed and managed. The geometra will also have a list of builders etc. that he has worked with before and has already established a relationship with them.
The progetto (the plans) will then be presented to the Comune by the geometra for approval. The process is 30 days. After 30 days if you have not heard from them, you can officially start the work on your house.
Do you live in Italy or are you based somewhere else? Where is the house out of interest?
Good luck. Teresa
Some good advice Teresa BUT remember the 30 days apply only to a DIA for what are considered normal works. Any major interventions require a longer application process; depending what is involved it can take 6 months or more. Also worth considering what you want to have as an end product; maybe an architect would be better than a geometra for some people. Also look at www.italianpropertyexpert.com
"Under the Tuscan Sun" and "A Vineyard in Tuscany" are two good books to read.They both have a wealth of practical information regarding long and shortcuts to finishing a "fixer" in Italy. Making contact with a seasoned agent is a must. Been there done that!
