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PROPERTY

Revealed: The most expensive places in Italy to buy a house in 2022

Many factors are at play when deciding where to purchase a home in Italy. To help you decide, here are the most expensive and sought-after locations in Italy, according to the latest data.

Published: 18 May 2022 17:08 CEST
Revealed: The most expensive places in Italy to buy a house in 2022
Where are the most expensive places to buy and where's the most popular? Photo by Caleb Miller on Unsplash

Searching for the right property in Italy involves a balancing act of location, price, convenience and how much, if any, restoration work needs to be done.

Budget usually tops the list for house-hunters, narrowing down the number of potentials for making your move to or within Italy.

If the entire country is your blank slate, here are the areas in Italy that rank as the most expensive – and desired – according to data from property portal Idealista for the first quarter of 2022.

The report ranks the top 100 municipalities according to popularity, based on those listings generating the most leads (email contacts and shares) and those where the average final sale price is highest.

READ ALSO: How bargain homes made one Italian town €100 million in two years

Taking the top spot for the most expensive place to buy in Italy is Pietrasanta in Versilia, in the province of Lucca, which the researchers also state holds first place in the top 100 most expensive places to rent a house too.

This area includes the playground of the rich, Forte dei Marmi, where the average selling price of a house is over half a million euros (€541,351).

The table below shows the full ranking.

In second place is Alassio, in the province of Savona, where homebuyers will on average shell out €467,019 for a residential property (again, valid for the first quarter of 2022).

Venice comes in at third place, where the average asking price is €433,640.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: The hidden costs of buying a home in Italy

In the top 10 spots, the report noted that the most expensive properties are in tourist resorts, possibly driven by those wanting second homes in popular locations.

Such locations include Lerici, Riccione, Desenzano del Garda, Camaiore and Cervia, while the cities of Florence and Milan, where average sale prices exceed €350,000, have also made the top 10.

The study revealed that the final average price of a house for sale in Rome is €273,341.

Researchers also looked at popularity of locations, based on pressure of demand on supply across Italy.

Bologna topped the charts, making it the city with the highest number of contacts per advert (4.7) of houses for sale published on idealista. Cagliari followed in second with 3.8 contacts per advert and Milan (3.4 contacts per advert). Trieste, Naples, Rome, Salerno, Brescia, Verona and Lecce also made the top 10.

READ ALSO: 15 insider tips to make living in Bologna even better

Here’s a selection of the most popular places to buy in Italy based on the report data, narrowed down to the top 20.

See more in The Local’s Italian property section.

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MONEY

Everything you need to know about closing a bank account in Italy

There are multiple reasons why you may want to close a bank account in Italy. But the process may not always be as straightforward as it should be.

Published: 19 April 2024 12:13 CEST
Everything you need to know about closing a bank account in Italy

There are various reasons why you may want to close your Italian bank account. 

Perhaps you’re packing up and leaving the country, or maybe you’ve just had enough of steep maintenance fees and are looking to switch to a different bank.

Whichever reason you may have to close your Italian bank account, doing so may not always be straightforward, especially if you’re not familiar with the ins and outs of the process. 

How long does it take?

Bank accounts in Italy can be closed at any time and without prior notice.

It generally takes between six and 15 working days from the day you submit the request for the bank to close the account. 

READ ALSO: The verdict: What are the best banks for foreigners in Italy?

However, under an EU directive adopted in March 2015, if you ask for your account to be transferred to a different bank, this will have to happen within 12 working days from the day of the request. If the bank in question fails to comply, you’ll automatically be entitled to compensation. 

Is there a charge?

As of 2006, closing a bank account in Italy is entirely free, meaning you won’t face any closing fees or penalties. 

Having said that, any outstanding maintenance fees or stamp duty (imposta di bollo – this only applies to accounts whose average balance exceeds €5,000) will be automatically deducted before the account is closed. The same goes for any unpaid fees related to extra services connected to the account, including credit card costs.

Is there anything I need to do before closing the account?

Before requesting that your account be closed, you’ll have to make sure you have a positive balance and stop or transfer to a different account any direct debits or recurring payments. 

People walk past a branch of Italy's UniCredit bank in Milan

People walk past a branch of Italy’s UniCredit bank in Milan in August 2011. Photo by OLIVIER MORIN / AFP

You’ll also have to complete any pending banking operations, including transfers. 

Do I have to go to the branch to cancel?

Though some smaller institutes may still specifically require clients to close an account in person, most major banks in Italy currently allow customers to close an account remotely by sending a registered letter (lettera raccomandata) to the relevant branch or a PEC message to the branch’s email address.

READ ALSO: Can I open a bank account in Italy as a non-resident?

In either case, the message should enclose your account details, a completed cancellation form (this can usually be found on the bank’s website) and all the required documentation, including a copy of a valid form of ID. 

That said, while it may be possible to submit an account closure request without visiting your branch, you may still be asked to return any debit or credit cards, or, if applicable, your chequebook in person. 

Should you not be able to do so (for instance, because you live abroad) you’ll have to get in touch with the bank to make different arrangements. 

Things are generally far more straightforward when transferring an account to a different Italian bank as the new institute will handle the process for you (including the closure of the former account) and you may not be asked to visit the ‘old’ branch at all.

What about closing joint accounts?

If you have a joint account with ‘conjunct signature’ (firma congiunta) authorisation, the cancellation request must be signed by all named account holders.

READ ALSO: Which documents do I need to open an Italian bank account?

If you have a joint account with ‘disjunct signature’ (firma disgiunta) authorisation, the request can be signed by just one holder. 

Can I close the account if I have a mortgage?

Under Italian law, banks cannot force customers to keep an account open for the purpose of managing other banking products, including a mortgage. 

This means that you can close your account with the bank granting the mortgage, and keep making payments from a different account. 

However, you’ll have to make the transfer prior to submitting your account closure request.

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