Succession, land registry transfers, several heirs, selling or keeping: everything that needs doing, set out calmly, one step at a time. And if you wish, we will do it for you.
A house that comes to you through an inheritance brings with it memories, decisions to make and a good deal of paperwork — often all at once, and at an already difficult time. This guide sets out what needs doing, one step at a time. And nearly all of it, if you wish, we can take care of for you.
First of all: check whether there is a will and establish who the heirs are. Then, calmly:
It must be filed with the Italian tax authority (Agenzia delle Entrate) within 12 months of the death. For the spouse and the children the allowance is very high (one million euro each): below that threshold no inheritance tax is due. What remains are the mortgage and cadastral taxes (imposta ipotecaria e catastale: 2% + 1% of the cadastral value — or 200 € each if the property is a first home for one of the heirs). This is a procedure we prepare and file ourselves, from beginning to end, along with all the calculations.
After the succession the property must be transferred in the land registry (voltura): the cadastral records have to show the heirs as its owners. It is the step most often forgotten — and it comes back as a problem exactly when the decision to sell is made. Land registry transfers (volture catastali) are one of our services: we take care of them, together with the succession.
With several heirs a joint inheritance (comunione ereditaria) arises: the house belongs to everyone, and the important decisions require everyone's agreement. There are three ways forward: keeping it together (perhaps by renting it out), selling it and dividing the proceeds, or having one heir buy out the shares of the others — in which case an impartial valuation is needed, and we can draw it up as qualified valuers. Often our role is also to help the family reach an agreement, with a neutral figure on the table.
To sell, three things must be in order: the succession declaration filed, the land registry transfer completed and the acceptance of the inheritance formally registered (the notary usually sees to it at the closing deed, the rogito, but it is better to arrive prepared). And there is good news on the tax side: on the sale of an inherited property no capital gains tax (plusvalenza) is due, unlike in other cases. From there on, everything we set out in our guide to selling applies: the right price, the documents, the photographs, the negotiation.
A guide by the team at Danesi Immobiliare — FIAIP-certified estate agents, in Caltanissetta since 2008.