Home-buying consultancy: technical check and potential before you buy

A home-buying consultancy answers two questions before you sign: is this home compliant? And what could it become, and at what cost? I check the documents with you, visit the property and give you an indicative estimate of the renovation cost, so you can make an offer, negotiate or walk away knowing what you are buying. It's designed for first-time buyers and, above all, for anyone buying an apartment to renovate.

Why get a technical check before you sign

Many people think "the notary checks everything anyway". In Italy, the notary checks ownership, mortgages and the seller's declarations, but doesn't go into the home to check that its actual state matches the approved plans and the land registry floor plan. If irregularities come to light after completion, fixing them becomes the buyer's problem, and the buyer's cost.

The most common cases are small but expensive: a partition wall moved without a permit, an enclosed balcony, a bathroom built where it wasn't approved, a land registry plan that no longer matches the home. They can almost always be fixed, but it's far better to know beforehand: to decide, to negotiate the price or to ask the seller to sort it out before completion.

What I check

The documents

• land registry floor plan and records;
• building permits and applications filed over the years;
• certificate of habitability (agibilità).

The site visit

• whether the actual state matches the filed drawings;
• signs of damp, cracks and the condition of finishes;
• the visible condition of services and windows;
• layout, light and orientation.

What it could become: buying a home to renovate

This is the part that agencies and compliance-only checks don't cover. During the visit I look at the home through a designer's eyes: which walls can move, where the light reaches, whether an extra room can be gained, how much space a corridor is wasting. Then I give you an indicative estimate of what the renovation might cost.

An example: the LOVINGCOLORS Apartment in Bergamo was an 80 m² 1960s apartment with a long corridor and a closed-off kitchen. The renovation turned it into a home with a single bright living area and an extra room. Being able to read that potential before buying changes how you value a property.

When to do it

• Before making an offer: the best time. You find out straight away whether the home has problems and what it will cost to transform, and your offer reflects it.
• With the purchase proposal: if you've already found the right home, you can add a condition to the proposal making it subject to the outcome of the technical check, agreed with the agency or the seller.
• Before completion: at the very least, so you arrive at the notary knowing the documents and the actual state match.

How it works and what you get

1. Get in touch with the listing or the address and tell me what you'd like to do with the property.
2. We gather the documents you already have or the agency can provide: floor plan, land registry records, previous deed, any permits.
3. I visit the home and check its actual state.
4. You receive the outcome of the check and the indicative renovation cost estimate. We agree on the format and timing before we start.

How much a home-buying consultancy costs

The cost depends on the property (size, documents already available, distance) and on what you need: just the compliance check, or the renovation estimate as well. Send me the listing or the address and I'll send you a quote before we start. The fees the municipality charges for its records and any regularisation work are separate costs.

Where

I carry out site visits in Bergamo and its province, Milan, Monza e Brianza and the rest of Lombardy. I see clients at my studio in Bergamo, by appointment. The document check can also start remotely.

About me

I'm Martina Pozzi, an architect registered with the Ordine degli Architetti di Monza e Brianza. Building permits, municipal records and land registry updates are part of my everyday work: I know where to look in a property because I see what happens when a building site opens. A Politecnico di Milano graduate, I have run MP_archistudio in Bergamo since 2021. My background.

Frequently asked questions

Is it useful if I'm buying through an agency?

Yes. The agency gathers the documents and handles the negotiation, but it works to close the sale. An independent technical check looks at the property from your side.

What if you find a problem?

I explain what it is, whether it can be regularised and at roughly what cost. With that information you can ask the seller to fix it before completion, renegotiate the price or walk away.

How long does it take?

It depends mostly on the documents. If they're already available, the check is quick; if the municipal records have to be requested, the timing is set by the office (Italian law allows up to 30 days). I'll give you an estimate once we've looked at the property together.

Can I ask for it on more than one home?

Yes, and it's often a good idea when you're torn between two properties. If you haven't found a home yet and just want to know what to look for, you can start with an ArchiAdvice online consultation.

If I buy, can you handle the renovation?

Of course: design and site supervision are my main work, and starting from the check done before the purchase saves time. You'll find all the details on the apartment renovation in Bergamo page.

About to buy a home? Tell me which one: fill in the contact form or call me on +39 327 126 7024.