What to check before buying a house: the complete guide

What to check during the visit: structural aspects and systems

The first visit to a property should go far beyond the aesthetic evaluation of the spaces. The structural elements and systems are those that have the greatest impact on the real value of the property and on the costs the buyer will have to face after the purchase.

The first aspect to observe concerns the condition of the walls, ceilings, and floors. Damp stains, halos, peeling plaster, or bulging floors are signs that should not be underestimated: they can indicate leaks, waterproofing issues, or structural settling that require expensive repairs. It is also helpful to carefully observe the corners of the rooms and the areas adjacent to the doors and windows, where moisture problems tend to appear more frequently.

The systems deserve special attention. The age and maintenance condition of the electrical, plumbing, and heating systems significantly affect both the safety of the home and future running costs. An outdated electrical system, one that is not up to code or lacks a certificate of conformity, may require a complete overhaul; an old boiler or a plumbing system with hidden leaks are elements that should ideally be identified before making an offer.

What to check regarding urban planning and cadastral documentation

The urban planning and cadastral regularity of a property is a fundamental prerequisite for a safe transaction. Irregularities in this area can block the closing or generate subsequent disputes that fall upon the buyer.

The first element to verify is urban planning compliance: the floor plan filed with the Municipality must correspond to the actual state of the property. Unauthorized internal modifications constitute building violations that must be resolved before the sale. It is the seller's responsibility to guarantee this compliance, but it is in the buyer's interest to verify it before proceeding.

The cadastral survey is another essential document to examine closely. It allows you to verify the match between the cadastral floor plan and the actual state of the property, identify any discrepancies in the declared surface areas, and check the cadastral yield (rendita catastale), which affects the calculation of taxes. Anomalies in the cadastral survey can signal irregularities that need to be investigated further before proceeding with any formal commitment.

What to check regarding the condominium

When the property is located within a condominium context, the due diligence must extend to the situation of the building as a whole. Elements that may seem marginal at first glance can have a significant economic impact on the future owner.

The minutes of the latest condominium meetings are a valuable document: they allow you to check whether any extraordinary maintenance work has been approved that could generate substantial expenses for the new owner. Generally speaking, works approved before the closing are the responsibility of the seller, but contractual exceptions are common and must be carefully verified.

A second aspect concerns outstanding condominium fees. If the seller has unpaid back fees, the buyer takes on joint liability for the current year and the previous one. Requesting an updated statement from the building manager regarding the status of payments is a step that should never be skipped.

What to check on the property from a legal standpoint

Before making an offer, it is essential to verify that the property is free from constraints, encumbrances, or third-party rights that could limit its full enjoyment or complicate the sale.

The presence of mortgages or foreclosures on the property can be verified through an updated mortgage survey, available at the property registries. An unextinguished mortgage does not necessarily prevent the sale, but it must be managed at the time of the closing, generally through the simultaneous liquidation of the debt and the cancellation of the lien..

A less known but significant aspect concerns properties received as a donation. In these cases, there is a risk that the donor's forced heirs could take action to reduce the donation, claiming a share of the property. This risk, known as an action for reduction, can materialize even years after the transaction and constitutes an element of uncertainty that some banks evaluate negatively when granting a mortgage.

Finally, it is important to check for the potential presence of third-party rights on the property: usufruct rights or rights of first refusal (prelazione) that could affect the freedom of purchase or subsequent resale.

Questions to ask the seller and the agent

An effective visit is not limited to observing the property: it also includes a series of targeted questions, addressed to both the seller and the agent, which can reveal decisive information for the purchase decision.

It is appropriate to ask the seller for practical information that only someone who has lived in the property would know firsthand: the actual amount of ordinary condominium fees, the history of maintenance carried out, the quality of the neighborhood, and any critical issues that have emerged over the years. A seller who answers evasively or contradictorily on these aspects is in itself a red flag.

To the agent, however, it is useful to ask more strategic questions: how long the property has been on the market, if there have been previous offers and why they fell through, what the seller's true motivation is, and if there is room for negotiation on the price. The answers to these questions provide valuable context for formulating an informed and well-calibrated offer.

More generally, it is important to pay attention to red flags in the answers: reticence on specific aspects, inconsistencies between the information provided and what emerged during the visit or from the documentation, and unjustified haste in closing the deal. An attentive buyer knows how to read not only what is said, but also what is left unsaid.

Why choose Engel & Völkers when searching for and buying a home

Evaluating a property with the necessary depth requires technical, legal, and market expertise that goes far beyond what a buyer can develop over the course of just a few visits.

Engel & Völkers supports the buyer at every stage of the process: from selecting properties that align with their needs to verifying urban planning and cadastral documentation, and from evaluating contractual conditions to managing the negotiation. A due diligence process conducted with professional rigor is the most effective form of protection for anyone preparing to make one of the most important financial decisions of their life.

From the very first visit to the signing of the closing deed, the presence of a dedicated consultant guarantees continuity, expertise, and the certainty that no relevant aspect has been overlooked.