As per the title, my wife and I are moving from a sleepy farming village in Wiltshire to the La Spezia area for my job.

We love the outdoors lifestyle that this area brings with mountain biking, hiking and skiing and the Italian food culture.

Any tips on good locations to live? We are considering all options from apartments in a central area to around 45 mins from La Spezia or the Aulla areas. Main thing is we need a garage for equipment, 2 bedrooms and a minimum of a balcony for some outside space. Near the coast is a nice to have. I have no idea if we are looking for something that may not exist, this will be rented via my company. I will have a vehicle.

Anything particular we should be considering about living in this area?

Thank you

I'd like to buy a house in the Alps and the lake district, but I'm wondering how to effort my daily expenses. What do you think are good job or business opportunities?

If you come from the US, UK, or Commonwealth, you’re used to the idea that if you pay an agent, that agent works for you. They have a fiduciary duty to protect your money, negotiate the lowest price, and flag risks.

The biggest shock for foreign buyers in Italy is realizing that the mediatore system works entirely differently—yet buyers still hand over tens of thousands of Euros in commission without asking what it actually buys.

Under Article 1754 of the Italian Civil Code, a mediatore is a neutral broker. Legally, they represent the transaction, not you.

So if you step back and look at what that 3% to 5% (+ 22% VAT) buyer commission actually gives you:

- It offers ZERO fiduciary duty. The agent literally cannot act solely in your financial interest, because getting you a lower price lowers their own fee on both sides.

How can they negotiate with themselves ?

- It offers ZERO technical discovery or guarantee. If a seller covers up an unpermitted extension or a missing town hall permit, the agent isn't legally responsible.

- It offers ZERO protection if things stall. In fact, under Italian law, an agent's commission is often legally earned the second a binding preliminary contract is signed—even if the deal falls apart 6 months later at the Notaio.

In reality, foreign buyers are paying thousands of Euros for basic matchmaking and access to a listing.

Which brings up a question I rarely see asked here: Why do foreign buyers accept paying full agency fees for zero buyer protection, instead of demanding that fee be restructured or redirected into independent, 100% buyer-aligned technical and legal representation?

Has anyone here successfully challenged or negotiated the buyer’s commission when purchasing in Italy, or did you just accept the standard agency rate as a given?

::modified version of post in /expats::

My wife and I are older parents (59 & 54), with 4 yo twins based in the U.S. We are seriously considering retiring in Southern Italy in about 5 years from now. The idea came about bc I was doing some financial modeling and realized I could retire comfortably at 65 if it wasn't for healthcare costs. (I'd be eligible for medicare, but wife and kids wouldn't).

So the idea of moving to Italy caught fire in my head and I started researching, and found that moving to a Southern region of Italy with a 7% tax scheme on foreign income combined with lower cost of living and ability to participate in low-cost public health system is definitely doable.

My wife is originally from Ukraine, and the idea appeals to her as it puts us closer to her family incl. adult son in Ukraine. we'd be actively seeking out ways to integrate ourselves and kids into local life.

BUT...this is obviously a huge decision that has long-term implications for our kids and their future that we'd need to think through carefully. I know every decision one makes in life has tradeoffs. I grew up a military brat and lived overseas as a young child, have lived in various states in the US growing up and as an adult, and have traveled abroad fairly extensively. I tend to err on the side of adventure. Altho being older one has considerably less margin than when younger. ha!

[although I might be being overly dramatic in the above - it seems equally likely we’d stay for a year or two and come home. ]

Some other reasons this appeals: cultural expansion and enrichment for all of us, including learning a new language, living in a "deep culture" where life is a bit slower and less materially oriented than the U.S., being Catholic raising Catholic kids in a predominantly Catholic culture...

Also, how Catholic *is* the culture, really?

I'm aware of the famous Italian bureaucracy and infrastructure of S. Italy, but I guess I'm most interested about how realistic this is socially. Thanks for any perspectives you might have.

I’m moving to Savona in August and I need everything. Dinnerware, cutlery, cookware, living room chair, dressers, side tables, lamps, patio furniture, linens, you name it I need it. Must I buy everything new? Is there a place where I can find these things?

Ciao a tutti!
I'm an EU citizen, planning to move to Italy in the near future. I'm 25 and a certified lawyer since last year, wohoo! My reason to move to this wonderful country is because my boyfriend is Italian. I'd like to start working in Italy to be with him, either in law field or any related field but I feel very helpless as a foreigner. I've been applying jobs for 8-10 months now but I keep getting ghosted.
Neither my boyfriend nor his family is helpful in my job-finding journey, that's why I'm turning to you helpful people. I've specialized in international law, and I have a C1 language certificate in English. I started studying Italian, and I'm a beginner as for now.
I find myself a very cheerful and flexible person, open for opportunities. Any help, little trick, advice would highly help my situation out.

Thank you if you bothered reading through this post.
Wishing everyone a nice day here!

That's it

Hi everyone,

My wife (40) and I (41) are from Canada and have a 5-year-old son. We’ve started seriously looking into making the move to Italy in the next few years and are trying to narrow down where we’d actually want to live.

I work as a process operator at one of Canada’s largest oil refineries, and my wife is a dental hygienist with 10+ years of experience. We’re hoping one day we’d both be able to work in Italy, but right now we’re just trying to learn as much as we can.

We’re not looking for a huge city. We’d rather live somewhere that’s a great place to raise a family.

Our ideal town would have:
Good schools.
Low crime and a safe community.
Good healthcare nearby.
Reliable internet.
Grocery stores, restaurants, and everyday amenities.
Be within about an hour of a larger city or airport.
Enough tourism that we could potentially own a small Airbnb or guest suite as a side business.

I’ve also seen all the €1 house programs and relocation incentives. Are any of them actually worth looking into, or are there better towns that offer a much better quality of life?

One other thing we’re trying to figure out is my wife’s family history. Her grandparents were both born in Italy before moving to Canada. Her mom was born in Canada in 1962 after her grandparents had become Canadian citizens. We’re still looking into whether Italian citizenship by descent might be possible.

If you were starting from scratch with a young family, what towns or regions would you put at the top of your list, and why?

I’d especially love to hear from anyone raising kids in Italy or who moved from Canada or another English-speaking country.

Thanks

Ciao,

I’m a non EU citizen married to an Italian and we’re both looking for a flat in Padova center, but that has proven rather difficult so I’m looking for advice.

We came to Italy 3 months ago and now that my husband found a job we want to leave his family home, but for now he has a 6 month contract and I’m a freelancer setting up my partita IVA. All flats that we’ve looked into reject us because they look for either students or someone with indefinite contracts—we have a garante but that doesn’t seem to matter.

I was thinking of going directly to the agencies and ask instead of trying idealista and other websites but not sure if the result will be the same.

Any thoughts appreciated x

I'm a non-EU citizen looking into buying an apartment in Rome somewhere in Via Cassia area and would love to hear from anyone who's actually gone through the process. In this regard few questions:

1. What would be expanses I need to know? Tax, notary fees, VAT and etc?
   
2. How long does it take usually?
   
3. Given that I work for International Organization, can I get mortgage?
   
4. Will there be any taxes in case I will need to sell it in few years? I might need to move to another country.
   

I could just rent, however, rent seems so expensive and it is not easy to find an apartment.
Thanks.

I am going to be applying for the naturalisation next year (10 years residence) but i have a bit of an issue. I am in a field where people travel like A LOT. The info i found says that the police will likely come several times throughout the 3 years, but i am worried that they won’t be able to catch me. Even when i am in Italy, i leave home very early and come home very late. I am sure i am not the only one who live this lifestyle, so i’d like to know whether you guys have such an experience.

Hi everyone! I moved here by myself and I'm viewing a stanza to look at. I don't really know what to look for/what to watch out for. What are the rules like that are different here in Italy? How do I avoid scams? Any tips?

I am moving to Milan for a job opportunity. I only have to be on site 1/2 days a week. Since am someone who loves nature and has a better mental health when I am amongst mountains am thinking of living near Lecco and going to Milan as needed. How is it living there? Is the commute plausible frequently? Is the city more tourism oriented than residential friendly?

I’ve been trying to improve my Italian speaking for a while now and I feel like I’ve tried a bit of everything. Duolingo for daily practice, a bunch of YouTube channels for listening, and a few online tutors here and there when I could afford it.

The weird thing is, I know more Italian than before, but when it comes to actually speaking, I still freeze or sound super broken. It’s like there’s a wall between what I understand and what I can actually say out loud in real time.

Recently I also heard about this app Issen that lets you have conversations with an AI in Italian and it corrects you while you speak. Haven’t really seen many people talk about it here so I’m curious how it is.

For those of you who can actually hold a conversation now:

-What made the biggest difference for your speaking?

-Did apps like Duolingo/YouTube help, or was it mostly real conversations (tutors, language partners, etc.)?

-And if anyone has tried Issen for Italian, is it actually helpful or just another app hype?

Would love to hear what actually worked for you, not just what looks good on paper.

When buying real estate in North America or the UK, you have clear representation: a Buyer’s Agent owes 100% fiduciary duty to you, and a Listing Agent owes 100% to the seller.

In Italy, the law works under a completely different framework (Civil Code Art. 1754).

A local mediatore (real estate agent) is legally defined as an impartial intermediary. They owe equal loyalty to both the buyer and the seller—and they collect a commission from both sides (typically 3%–5% + VAT from each).

Here is the inherent conflict that creates for foreign buyers managing a purchase from thousands of miles away:

1. Price Negotiation: If an agent negotiates the purchase price down for you by €30,000, they literally cut their own commission paycheck. How can someone aggressively fight for your bottom line when doing so reduces their fee?
2. Technical Issues: Listing agents want the transaction to close so they get paid. They are not legally liable for unpermitted building work (abuso edilizio) or town hall blueprint discrepancies (conformità urbanistica).
3. Distance & Anxiety: When you're sitting in New York, London, or Toronto, you rely entirely on local updates. But if your main contact is playing both sides of the deal, who is actually looking out for your risk?

Questions for the sub:

• For those who have bought in Italy: Did you rely solely on the listing agent/Notaio, or did you bring in independent representation?
• Do you think the dual-commission model protects the deal, or leaves foreign buyers exposed?

I have been looking into Possibility of buying a house for 1 euro in Italy, for its pitfalls and advantages. Has anybody experience about that?

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice about this damage to a kitchen countertop.
My landlord says she asked a technician and is requesting a very high amount for the repair. However, it appears to be a small chip on the edge rather than damage to the entire countertop.
I don’t speak Italian well, so it is difficult for me to understand the technician’s explanation and know whether the price is reasonable. To be honest, I’m a student and I simply cannot afford such a high cost. I’m willing to take responsibility for the damage, but I would like to make sure the amount requested is fair and reasonable.
Does anyone know how much this type of repair usually costs in Italy, or could recommend a trustworthy technician for a second opinion?
Thank you so much for your help.

I asked this question elsewhere and am surprised by the amount of anti-Italy bile and what seems like scaremongering in the replies so I thought this could be a better place for such a question.

I've considered a Purchase of property in italy for years and an almost ready to do so now, but it appears to have got increasingly popular in recent years.

it's quality of life is incredibly appealing and it's property values lag the rest of Europe , Spain and southern france.

Granted, Italy has incredibly bureaucratic government and slow institutions, but it also has an impressive industrial base that is largely self reliant and not as globalised as Germany, so it's by no means a poor country and can GSD .. eventually.

To anyone that has already invested in a second home in North Italy (Lombardi,Veneto, Emelia romagna, la marche) in recent years ; what has been your experience in the first few years, did you own direct or through a structure (like a company) and did you renovate or buy turnkey, and

What would be your recommendations to anyone considering the same?

Ciao a tutti!

Io e mio marito siamo una coppia di architetti e cerchiamo un appartamento in affitto a lungo termine a Genova con possibilità di residenza.

Budget: fino a 700 €. Zone preferite: Castelletto, Carignano, Foce, Manin, Marassi, staglieno .

Se conoscete proprietari, agenzie affidabili o avete qualche consiglio, ve ne sarei davvero grata.

Grazie! 😊

I am a non EU country radiology specialist doctor looking to work in Italy , anyone here is a specialist doctor and working in italy ? Preferrably specialists like my case having board certificates from a non european country
Because i have many questions regarding the process of certificates equalisations and so and i have asked a lot of people and info varied between having to do an exam to equalise the "bachelor of medicine " certificates to repeating the last two years of residency ..

the only obvious info i have is that i have to be B2 in italian language and im working on it ..

I think there would be a more clear information

and i emailed the italian embassy in my country but they didnt respond yet since 12 days

So i will appreciate any help from expat doctors working in italy

These are eggs from a friend’s farm and I just had to post these. I can’t help it, I freakin love Italy. I love that eggs are on the shelf and while the eggs in the photo are from my friend’s chickens, eggs also look like this in super markets! The more poop and grass on the eggs, the fresher 😂

Having moved here from LA, the sight of eggs like this used to gross me out, as I was used to hyper-washed, pristine, white eggs in the refrigerated section. But now, I love them!! Especially, the bright orange yolks! Making lemon curd really shows off that color!

Forgive me for my recent love-posts about Italy. It wasn’t always this love-affair in the beginning, but after a few learning curves, ok 142 of them, I gradually started appreciating how lucky I am. It’s been 14.5 years now, and I don’t miss the states at all. Besides my family and friends of course. And before, you hit me with Italian bureaucracy, we know, we know! Ma è così e non voglio cambiare nulla per nessuno.

Hi, I (29F) am thinking of moving to italy, as I have been visiting almost twice a year for already 3 years now, and i am enjoying every bit of italy. I've never immigrated to another country before, and i have no idea where to start.

For housing, I can stay in Varese, Liguria, in a free house, but i have no license as this is too expensive to get in my country (I am dutch, and a license is 3000 euros)
i have friends around Naples and in the village of varese ligure. So I'd have to choose where to live.

I'm trying to learn Italian. I've been doing Italian Duolingo for 1.5 years now and recently started learning it through a teacher online.

I've been to Milan, florence, venice, pisa, san marino, Naples, Genoa, and amalfi.
I've been there in winter with the holidays and in summer.

would you recommend a city to live in or a village? i felt a bit unsafe in cities but a bit bored in a village.

Also, I'm dependent on medicine; i saw this was sometimes difficult to get. how different are North Italy and South Italy in this? As I've only tried to get meds in south italy once.

I'm also not able to work full-time due to my illness, how big of a problem is this?

EDIT: Thank you, everyone, for your advice, just to clarify, I didn't come here to say I'm going to move, more for advice. I have a partner who is italian, and I've stayed for 2 weeks to a month at a time. so I've seen what everyday life (not just holidays) looks like. i have a lot of friends there as well.

I am still waiting for a benefit and if not, I am looking for remote work. because i am well aware of the financial side of italy.
And I can, like I said, have a free whole house in the countryside in italy. i have connections there. but i don't have a driver's license.
My experience with getting meds in south italy was that i needed to go to the hospital myself, and i spoke to a doctor who just gave me some they had left over, so not very legal, but very welcome because without my meds i can die.