Cadastral income: what it is, how it is calculated

Cadastral income: what it is, how it is calculated and what it is used for Have you ever read a cadastral survey? Among the various items that appear in the different boxes, there is a figure expressed as a euro: “reddito catastale”. That number there is much more relevant than you might think in the real estate world. What is the cadastral income? The cadastral income is a tax value that is used for several purposes: calculate the Imu value of a property; calculate the value of inheritance or gift taxes, mortgage and cadastral taxes; calculate the tax heat, or the amount that affects taxes and duties. How to check the cadastral income? The cadastral income is determined by multiplying the consistency by the specific unit rate for the Municipality, census area and corresponding to the category and class. For real estate units belonging to the groups of categories D and E, the income is determined through direct estimation. As reported by the Revenue Agency website. First of all, the cadastral income is calculated taking into account two factors. The first is the consistency of the property whose income you want to check. This data can be expressed both in rooms and in square meters (example: A, b, c, d). The second factor that you need to know concerns the estimates of the municipality. But let’s see how it is calculated: Consistency of the property x appraisal rates = Cadastral income. The consistency of a property can be expressed in walkable square meters, also considering those of the main and indirect rooms. The estimated rates that are determined by the Revenue Agency Example: Type of property → A2 class surveyed area → 4 immovable → 3 rooms Estimate → 250 x 3 rooms = 750 To recover the cadastral income in a simple and immediate way, you can bypass the calculations by connecting to the internet, for example at the site https://www.rendita-catastale.it/: select whether the property for which you want to know the income belongs to a private individual or to a company; enter your tax code or VAT number; and the province in which the building is located. When is the cadastral income revalued? The cadastral income must be revalued to obtain the cadastral value. To reassess it, it must be multiplied by a coefficient, which varies only according to the category of the property. For example, for buildings belonging to groups A, C D the coefficient is 5%, for those of group B it is 40%. The value obtained must then be multiplied by another coefficient based on the type of property. This table that you can find on the website www.borsinoimmobiliare.it shows all the categories and their respective coefficients. So if we go back to the cadastral income we calculated earlier: 750 x 115 (first house) = € 86,250. But we must be careful: The value of the cadastral income does not coincide with the market value, because they are two different data. For example, The base rate of the IMU 2021 is equal to 8.6 per thousand, this can be revalued up to a maximum of 10.6 per thousand. At any time it is possible to check these values ​​through a free cadastral survey carried out on the BorsinoImmobiliare.it website or that of the Revenue Agency. It is also possible to go to the offices of the local agency or ask a technician for it. How to calculate the assumed cadastral income? The cadastral income can only be known if the properties or land are registered in the land registry. But if this condition does not occur, it is still possible to calculate a presumed cadastral income. Obviously it is calculated provisionally pending the definitive one. The calculation of this type, however, is best entrusted to a technician. The steps are as follows: Properties belonging to categories A, B, C The category is identified on the basis of the technical elements acquired through an external inspection; The class is the middle or higher in the case of even classes present in the census area; The surface is deduced from the aerial-photographic surveys; The consistency in compartments is obtained with the surface / average compartment surface ratio. The costs of the deed of sale also depend on the cadastral income, with the exception of the notary’s fee. In fact, the “price In fact, the” price “of the deed of sale depends precisely on the income. When buying from a private individual: VAT exempt registration tax 2% on the cadastral value fixed mortgage tax of 50 euros fixed cadastral tax of 50 euros

The Italian State’s Superbonus to replace heating and insulation for free

Superbonus 110%, the complete guide to understand how it works and who can benefit from it The Superbonus is a subsidy introduced by the Relaunch Decree which allows the 110% deduction on expenses incurred in the period between 1 July 2020 and 30 June 2022 for interventions that improve the energy performance of a building (both condominiums and single homes ) by at least 2 classes or reduce the seismic risk. What exactly does 110% mean? Here is a concrete example: If you incur an expense of 10,000 euros, 11,000 will be reimbursed, which are recovered through installments, all of the same amount. But let’s see exactly what the guidelines for the Superbonus 110% are: how it works, who can benefit from it, which jobs are eligible for the subsidy and how to apply. Superbonus: when it can be requested The interventions that make it possible to request the Superbonus can be divided into two categories: principal, i.e. thermal insulation, replacement of air conditioning or anti-seismic systems, and complementary, i.e. admitted to the deduction provided they are carried out jointly with at least one of those in the first group. Here are the details of the deductible renovations and their respective spending limits. Thermal insulation interventions affecting the building envelope with an incidence greater than 25% of the surface. The maximum cost varies from € 30,000 for each apartment in a building with more than 8 residential units to € 50,000 for single-family buildings and condominium apartments with independent access. Interventions for the replacement of existing winter air conditioning systems with high energy performance systems. The maximum cost is 30 thousand euros for single homes, 20 thousand euros for condominiums with less than 8 units (to be multiplied for each of them) and 15 thousand for those with more than 8 units. Anti-seismic interventions included in the current Sismabonus with a spending limit of 96,000 euros per property unit as long as the homes are located in the seismic zone 1, 2 or 3. Complementary interventions, i.e. those that can benefit from the 110% deduction only if carried out together with at least one of the principal interventions, are the installation of photovoltaic systems and integrated storage systems, the installation of electric columns for vehicle recharging and the replacement of windows, roofs, floors and solar shading. The Superbonus is due for expenses incurred starting from January 1, 2021, also for complementary interventions aimed at eliminating architectural barriers. Who can benefit from the 110% Superbonus The subsidy can be requested by: Condominiums.  Individuals outside the exercise of a business, art or profession, who own or hold the property object of the intervention (owners, bare owners, usufructuaries, tenants).  Autonomous public housing institutes (Iacp). Housing cooperatives with undivided ownership. Onlus of social utility and voluntary organizations and associations of social promotion. Amateur sports associations and clubs limited to the work for the changing rooms. How to apply for the 110% super bonus? To be entitled to the benefit, you must comply with very specific legislation. It is necessary to ask a specialized technician for a certification, to be sent within 90 days of the end of the works and only electronically to the Enea site, which certifies the improvement of at least 2 energy classes through an energy performance certificate (Ape), ”use of materials that comply with the provisions of the law, compliance with expenditure ceilings and the fairness of the amounts spent. A similar certification is provided for anti-seismic “driving” interventions. In addition, the intervention must be paid by bank or postal transfer where the reason for the payment, the tax code of the beneficiary of the deduction and the VAT number of the recipient of the transfer are shown. How the deduction is divided The subdivision of the 110% deduction changes depending on when the work is carried out and the expenses are incurred. Works carried out between 2020 and 2021: 5 annual installments of the same amount. Works carried out by 30 June 2022: 4 annual installments of the same amount. In the case of condominiums or individual taxpayers, if 60% of the total intervention is completed by 30 June 2022, the 110% deduction will also apply to expenses incurred by 31 December 2022. Superbonus 110%: deduction or discount Taxpayers have the option of choosing, as an alternative to the direct use of the deduction in the tax return, a discount on the invoice by the supplier (which will recover in the form of a tax credit) or to transfer the credit corresponding to the deduction due to third parties, banks and financial institutions included. If you opt for the sale of the the credit must be requested from a Caf (Commission for fiscal assistance) or a qualified professional for the compliance visa for the data relating to the documentation: a certificate, that is, which includes all the documentation necessary to obtain the Superbonus (including the ownership and cadastral certificate, Ape pre and post works and technical communications). Those who only receive income subject to separate taxation or substitute tax can only avail themselves of the discount on the invoice or the assignment of the credit but not the deduction, because they do not have a gross tax to be reduced with it.

Italy: the one-euro house is gaining steam, but is it worth your money?

Firstly,  let me warn you: I don’t know any list of one euro houses, I don’t sell them, I can just give you legal advice, not in the comments, only if you contact our law firm through this website, through its contact form. Please don’t ask me questions in the comments, I won’t answer them. Neither will I give you free legal advice. If you need an Italian lawyer, you must obviously pay for it. A house for just one euro: with this offer, more and more Italian municipalities want to revive villages threatened with extinction. Abandoned properties are also waiting for buyers in Tuscany. Selling houses for the symbolic price of one euro to attract new residents and investment: this is an unusual anti-depopulation project that the Tuscan municipality of Fabbriche di Vergemoli came up with four years ago. The place, about 18 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital Lucca, has 800 inhabitants. Many of the houses have been empty for decades. Either because the owners have emigrated or because the heirs do not have the financial means to restore them and make them habitable. At Fabbriche di Vergemoli the one euro house project is suspended I draw your attention on this small town in Tuscany, because Tuscany is a very well appraised region in Italy, much coveted by foreigners. Indeed, if you visit the website of Fabbriche di Vergemoli, you’ll notice that the one euro house project is suspended. Thousands of interested parties already Mayor Michele Giannini wants to breathe new life into the village and therefore founded the project “Casa ad 1 Euro” (“Houses for one Euro”) in 2016. Since then, more than 11,000 people have shown an interest in a one-euro house. Giannini has guided tourists from all over the world through the quiet town in recent years. “Through the project we are trying to revive beautiful villages that are gradually becoming extinct,” says the mayor. Because young Italians in particular often leave their small hometowns and move to the cities, while the older generation is slowly being lost. Houses are often in great need of renovation Many of the properties are in a shabby condition and need extensive renovation. Anyone who buys a house for one euro undertakes to cover the costs and the necessary papers. The renovation work must begin within three months of the approval of the building permit and be completed within three years. Renovation work will start in 2021 in 40 houses in Fabbriche di Vergemoli. The Brazilian Douglas Roque is also currently in the middle of the preparations for his renovation. During a vacation in Italy two years ago, the 23-year-old spontaneously decided to go to Tuscany and buy a house. From Sao Paulo, a metropolis of twelve million people, he will soon be heading to Fabbriche di Vergemoli. His brother has also bought a house here in the meantime. Complicated ownership However, buying a property is not always that simple and straightforward. A common problem with one-euro houses is the complicated ownership structure: Houses often belong to several owners, some of whom have emigrated or who have died. “Then it can happen that, after the sale, a hitherto unknown owner or heir suddenly reports who is also claiming ownership,” says art historian and journalist Silvia Mazza, who has dealt intensively with the one-euro houses. Another nasty surprise could come when the first real estate tax bill arrives. Normally, the official value of the houses is much higher than the selling price of one euro – and this bill could then be correspondingly high. For these reasons, the municipalities act as mediators in many regions and help with the bureaucratic processing. Nevertheless, you would probably need the assistance of an Italian lawyer. One euro houses all over Italy In the meantime, many localities have adopted the idea of ​​the “Casa ad 1 Euro”. There are currently houses for sale in around 25 municipalities in Italy for a price of one euro and up. This long-term project should not only ensure the survival of the villages, but ultimately also boost tourism. Because the houses can also be converted into “bed-and-breakfast” accommodations or boutique hotels and could thus provide additional jobs in the regions. In Fabbriche di Vergemoli all vacant houses have since been sold. Mayor Giannini now hopes that the number of residents will soon increase and that more life will return to the town.

1st home in Italy: the cost of taxes to buy it

You should know that, if you are resident abroad, you must establish your residence in Italy if you want to buy a home as your first home to benefit from the associated reduced taxation. Buying the first home is a very important step for many people and should be carefully considered. In this sense, an error that could be made in the first stages of the research is to consider only the sale value of the house. In addition to the cost of the property itself, when we decide to buy a house, we actually have to take into account other expenses that the tax authorities impose on us: some fixed and annual, others one-off. However, it must be considered, more specifically, that the taxes for the purchase of the first home are regulated differently and benefit from certain special measures: here is what they are, how much they could be and how they are calculated. What taxes are paid to buy a house in general Before addressing the specific case of buying a first home, it would be useful to clarify more generally what taxes are required when buying a property. Wanting to simplify the possible scenarios, we could say that the taxes vary according to two conditions: The seller is an individual or a company whose sales are exempt from VAT the seller is a company whose sales are subject to VAT. In the first situation, the buyer will have to pay: proportional registration tax of 9% mortgage tax – 50 euros Cadastral tax – 50 euros In the second case, you will have to pay: VAT – 10% (or 22% if the property belongs to cadastral categories A / 1, A / 8 or A / 9) Registration fee – 200 euros Mortgage tax – 200 euros Cadastral tax – 200 euros First time home purchase: taxes and bonuses When it comes to buying your first home, taxes and duties are calculated differently, as statutory concessions apply. In short, taxes are not completely eliminated, but are reduced in both of the above cases. It does not matter whether you buy the main residence from an individual, from a company that can sell VAT free or from a company whose sales are subject to VAT: well-defined “first housing taxes” apply in all these contexts. . Here are which ones. Purchase and sale from individuals or companies with sales excluding VAT As the Revenue Agency’s example prospectus makes clear, if you are buying your first home from an individual or business with a VAT-free sale, the taxes payable are as follows: Registration tax – at 2% (with a minimum of 1000 euros) Mortgage tax – 50 euros Cadastral tax – 50 euros Purchase and sale from a company whose sales are subject to VAT In the event that you are buying your home from a company whose sales are subject to VAT, the taxes you will need to pay are: VAT – at 4% Registration fee – 200 euros Mortgage tax – 200 euros Cadastral tax – 200 euros First-time home tax breaks: when they are not applied There are exceptions to the tax breaks on the taxes for the first home purchase. The “discounts” in fact do not apply. The house belongs to certain cadastral categories, which we could define very generically as “luxury”. More specifically, if the property you are interested in is classified as A / 1 – stately homes A / 8 – houses in villas A / 9 – castles and palaces of exceptional artistic and historical value it is not among those who can get tax breaks. Main residence: what taxes for garages, garages and warehouses? A full assessment of the tax liabilities for the purchase of the first house cannot fail to take into account the so-called outbuildings, that is, warehouses and garages, closed or open sheds. In these cases, what tax applies? Also in this case, the indications from the Revenue Agency are clear: in the situations just mentioned, and which therefore fall under the cadastral categories C / 2 (warehouses and storage rooms) C / 6 (remittances and garages) C / 7 (awnings), the same subsidized taxes apply to the purchase of the first home. The fundamental condition to be respected is that the outbuildings are permanently intended to serve the main residence; and that in turn, the latter was purchased with the “first house” concessions. Imu, Tari and Tasi: other taxes and exemptions for the first house Among the taxes that the owner will have to pay annually to the municipality, there are no Imu and Tasi. The first house, in fact, is exempt from the payment of these two taxes, but under certain conditions: the property must not be classified as luxury, that is to say enter cadastral categories A / 1, A / 8 or A / 9; the property in question must be the taxpayer’s first residence; the house must be the habitual residence of the taxpayer and all his family. So what do you have to pay? The Tari, that is to say the tax on waste, the cost of which varies according to the size of the property and the number of inhabitants of the municipality in which it is located.

Change in real estate prices in Italy in 2020

How the rental and sale prices of the various types of houses have changed in 2020 Faced with the crisis, the laws often change. It’s better to trust a real estate lawyer Between incentives and bonuses for restructuring, changes in taxation on sales and rentals, paying for the services of a real estate lawyer could save you significant amounts of money, and above all, avoid mistakes with serious consequences. Even more so if you want to make a real estate investment in Italy while living abroad. Italy has been hit by the crisis much more severely than France, Germany and many other European countries. As a result, real estate prices have fallen dramatically over the dozen years starting in 2008. As an example, a house by the sea in Italy costs on average a third of the price of a similar house on the French coast, and can cost up to six times less if it is a house in the south. How did the impact of the covid affect the price trend for homes for sale and rent in 2020? To understand this, Idealista analyzed the average variation in Italy according to the various types of real estate. Penthouses, houses with gardens or swimming pools, but also studios and apartments. Here is the point to understand which house types have seen their value increase or lose. Often, in fact, we have heard of a covid effect on the new housing choices of Italians (but also on a global scale) which, essentially, would result in the identification of new domestic priorities that end up favoring the search for properties with an external outlet, perhaps with a larger size and, why not, perhaps even with a garden or a swimming pool available. Let’s see, with the help of the graphs, what the data held by idealista tell us. Rental properties As it is easy to imagine, the covid effect on prices is more pronounced with regard to rental properties. Moving home, moving from one rental to another is undoubtedly easier than the time and bureaucratic tasks that real estate sales require. But, above all, many negotiations already started have continued without excessive jolts after the lockdown phase. Judging from the data provided by Idealista (on ads of houses for sale and for rent uploaded on the idealista portal), the situation of real estate trends in Italy is more complex than one can imagine, so much so that it would probably make more sense to talk about ” covid effects ” (declining precisely in the plural) and analyze multiple aspects, also clearly distinguishing the market for sales from that of rents, which follow quite different logics (especially in this historical moment). However, the real estate cut that saw prices rise more over the course of 2020, as regards rents (28.9%), but also for homes for sale (8.1%), recorded significant growth, it is the studio apartment. A gap of over 20 percentage points, despite the studio flat being the second type that has grown the most after the two-bedroom apartments (+ 8.9%) among the sales announcements. Another very evident “delta” between the percentages of variation on an annual basis, however, is that between the prices requested for rents and sales of houses in the countryside. The former, in fact, increased by 17.7% while rural properties recorded a -0.7% in the average of the prices requested for sale. Another datum to underline is that, in Italy, on average the advertisements of houses for rent (of any type among those analyzed), did not register negative changes. On the contrary, as regards the ads of houses for sale, prices have decreased for houses with garden and swimming pool (-1.1%), houses without external exposure (-3.5%) and for houses in the countryside (- 0.7%).

Italy: taxes on the sale of a house, a notary’s advice

Interview with the national advisor of the Italian Notary Board Valentina Rubertelli Contrary to popular belief, even the seller, and not just the buyer, is required to pay taxes in a real estate purchase deed. Valentina Rubertelli, National Notary Board Advisor, explains to Idealista/news which direct and indirect taxes affect the sale of a house In Italy. Even those who sell a property may be required to pay certain taxes, which are split between direct taxes (where the difference is the time elapsed between the purchase of the property and the resale) and indirect (where the discriminating factor is between the first and second house) Direct taxes on the sale of a home or house If you are not resident in Italy, because you reside in another country, you do not have to pay the personal income tax, known as Irpef, in Italy. You should pay this tax in your country of residence. “In the case of direct taxes, or personal income tax – explains Rubertelli – it is the time variable combined with the price variable that comes into play. The Irpef is always paid by the one who resells, at a higher price than the purchase price, his house before 5 years from the time he bought it: if he bought it at 100 and sells it at 200 before 5 years, he has a plus-value of 100 on which the state wants taxes. These can be paid in two different ways: When declaring income (then the personal income tax rate which from time to time is applied to this taxpayer according to his income bracket, will be applied to this capital gain of 100) In the hands of the notary using a mechanism similar to that of the dry coupon: that is to say by paying the notary (who acts as an intermediary with the Public Treasury) a flat rate of 26% to close the accounts with tax authorities (which is handy for those who know they have a normally higher personal tax rate). There are cases where one is exempt from paying personal income tax on the realized capital gain in the event of resale of an inheritance property in the event of resale of a house in which he has lived more than half the time (if I resell after 3 years of purchase, I must have lived there for at least 1 year and 6 months + 1 day). To prove this, the certificate of residence is sufficient, or in the case of domicile, even utility bills. in the event of resale of a house from a donation, he pays capital gains taxes only if more than 5 years have passed since the date of purchase by the donor. Indirect taxes on the sale of a house or accommodation In the case of indirect taxes, what makes the difference is having bought the house as a first house (thus having received the benefits) or as a second home. “Those who bought as their first home received benefits precisely according to the need to satisfy a primary need, which is to have a roof over their head. If they resell within 5 years, the state assumes they have basically “cheated” that is, they speculated. Then, he wants to recover this differential delta on what the early seller has saved (either 7% on the cadastral value or 6% on the price if VAT) and in addition he wants a penalty of 30% and late interest on the same differential. ” “However, if I show that the resale before 5 years is itself motivated by primary needs (for example, I have to move to another bigger house because I had children) then the state does not impose the forfeiture of benefits, as long as a new first house is bought back within one year of the resale of the previous one. In fact in this case it also gives me an incentive (tax credit): it allows to deduct the tax paid on the first purchase from the new tax (if registered) “. A little complicated but logical, right?

Italy: how to buy real estate at auction and get good deals

What are real estate auctions? In all parts of the country there are many properties available for auction at often very low prices whereby attractive real estate investments can be made. What is the sale of a property at auction The sale of real estate at auction, more correctly called judicial sale, is a civil legal procedure by which a magistrate establishes that, in order to settle the debts of an individual or a company, it is necessary to sell by force one or more of its assets with the intention of satisfying the creditors with the proceeds of the sale of the building. These are measures taken in extreme situations in which the auction of one or more goods is the only possible solution to satisfy the creditors, after exhausting all other possible methods. The owner of the property sold at auction, on the other hand, will have the right to retain the full balance of the amount obtained from the judicial sale, naturally after having satisfied the creditors, and it is therefore in his interest that the auction be concluded as soon as possible and with the best possible result. In many cases, this particular buying and selling mechanism achieves the objective of making the buyer carry out an excellent real estate transaction and of raising the situation of the defaulting debtor, who will be able to settle his disputes with the creditors and who, we hope, will also have a good amount of money to continue his life with more serenity. From the point of view of those who buy properties at auction, as mentioned, excellent deals can be made as the base auction price established by the Court is usually much lower than the market price of the property and therefore, with a good auction management strategy and with caution, you can buy apartments, houses or commercial properties with great savings. Often times, properties for auction turn out to be excellent investments, for their location, for the type of building and, in general, for the prospect of earning income through leasing or other schemes. Is buying properties at auction easy? To be honest, the answer to this question should be no. Or rather, one could say that buying properties at auction can only be easy if one relies on the advice of an expert in the sector, such as a real estate agency. Indeed, the legal, economic and financial aspects of this very particular type of sale are not very easy to manage for the layman and there is often the risk of making, through inexperience, procedural or valuation errors which may then be very heavy from the point of view of consequences, especially economic. First of all, we must distinguish the cases in which the property auctioned belongs to a company, in which case we will talk about bankruptcy proceedings, liquidation or arrangement with creditors, from those in which the debtor is an individual, for which we will talk about real estate execution. Indeed, the two situations provide for procedures and conditions of access to participation in auctions that are quite different from each other and it is therefore necessary first of all to ensure that you have the necessary conditions to participate in an auction. Specific auction of a property If you meet the conditions, you will have to carefully follow a series of specific procedures to obtain, for example, the opportunity to visit the property, to sign and deliver the offer, to participate correctly in the auction itself, etc. Are real estate auctions safe? The question of the safety of buying real estate at auction stems from a fact that not all non-experts may be aware of: the Court can also auction off an asset which has a predatory mortgage, in part or in whole, or not in conformity with the conditions of habitability or the exercise of a commercial or professional activity. In other words, real estate units that could not normally be put on the market, can on the contrary be the subject of a judicial sale, precisely because of the urgency and gravity of the debt situation of the owner who allows an exception to the normal rules of real estate sale. While this criterion is undoubtedly a help for both the debtor and the creditor, it can prove to be a stumbling block for the buyer who may not take into account certain problems linked to the property that he’s getting ready to buy at auction. Unforeseen events to be incurred after the purchase Therefore, a careful review of all the legal documentation that accompanies the auction notice, such as appraisals, floor plans and final accounts of the condominium and any heating costs that may still be due, is necessary, in order to be able to fully assess the profitability of an investment made by auction tool. There is no doubt that great deals can be made by buying properties at auction, but it is necessary, as we have attempted to briefly illustrate above, to pay attention to a series of issues, even of considerable complexity. This is why the advice of an Italian lawyer specializing in real estate law can be the key to progressing safely in the world of judicial real estate sales without fear of having missed a procedural step or of ending up with expenses.

Lockdown in Italy, hunt for vacation homes

Affordable prices drive sales Especially couples between 45 and 54 are looking for a property (preferably independent and with three bedrooms) in tourist resorts. Telework is expected to become a permanent dimension once the pandemic is over. ROME – Sales analysis for the first nine months of 2020 seems to confirm the good trend for the vacation home. Compared to the same period of 2019, there was an increase in the percentage of purchases of this type, which rose from 5.9% to 6.5%. A result in line with what the agencies of the Tecnocasa group saw, which immediately after the lockdown recorded a greater willingness to buy a house in tourist resorts. And the stability of prices, in the first part of 2020, would seem to confirm this trend. Immediately after the first lockdown, many flocked to tourist resorts in the beautiful country which, although being orphaned by international tourists, was able to benefit from increased local tourism. Great prices, and the expectation of many that teleworking will become a stable dimension in the future when the pandemic is over, are contributing to this trend. Telecommuting, two out of three Italians plan to work from their vacation home Political decisions and economic forecasts therefore only give impetus to this trend. The decree of the President of the Council of Ministers of October 12 indicates that, to stem the spread of Covid, 50% of employees work remotely in the public administration. And European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde recently said that of the 50% of workers who switch to smart work thanks to Covid, only 10% have to return to the office. The results of an Airbnb survey The main reasons are the desire to be closer to the family, the need for more space or a change of environment to be more creative. And there are also those who, following the pandemic, plan to settle permanently in the countryside or by the sea. The three-room apartment is confirmed as the best-selling type, collecting 35.6% of purchases over the period considered. Independent solutions are growing, concentrating 28.4% of transactions, up from the same period a year ago when they stopped at 26%. This data can also be read in light of what happened during the lockdown, during which time independent solutions were particularly sought after and appreciated. Who is the target who buys the holiday home? Especially couples, up slightly compared to 2019 (from 50.7% to 51.2%) and families with children (34.2%) who remained stable. If we analyze the age of buyers, again the range between 45 and 54 is confirmed as the one who is most interested in buying a vacation home. It collects 31% of purchases made during the first nine months of the year. After the 35-44 age range with 22.1%, a slight increase from a year ago.

Italy: Covid-19 empties stores in city centers

  Some are already transforming them into homes. A real estate investment opportunity? Empty of tourists and students, the historic centers of many Italian cities, but not only, are preparing to face a difficult autumn. Take the case of Reggio Emilia, also recently examined by Resto del Carlino online: how many shops will survive and how many will have to close because they are unable to pay the rent? Covid-19 has made worse a commercial real estate crisis that has been going on for some time The problem of commercial activities that do not fall within the cost of renting is certainly not new, but the health emergency has undoubtedly magnified it. However, the trade associations do not seem to agree on the strategy to remedy it: already in pre-crisis times, on the one hand the National Confederation of Crafts and Small and Medium Enterprises (Cna) complained about the high prices, on the other Confedilizia spoke of too much taxes. Points of view and solutions compared By examining in detail the opinions of Dino Spallanzani of Cna and Annamaria Terenziani, president of Confedilizia (building companies confederation), different interpretations of the rental problem emerge. The first accuses the owners of not being willing to revise the rents despite the general crisis, with the risk that in the coming months there will be more shops without tenants and that, in the long run, this will end up disqualifying the entire historic center of the city. Terenziani has a different opinion, speaking of too high taxation on the question of prices, with about half of the rent ending in taxes. Among the solutions proposed to help small businesses are for the Cna the balances and free parking in the afternoon, for Confedilizia the restoration of the dry coupon also for the shops as happened last year, when the Irpef taxes at 21% had allowed to renegotiate downward leases.

Country houses increasingly demanded in Italy

The fact that Covid-19 has also had a strong impact on the real estate industry is now evident. Among its consequences, for example, the boom in demand for houses in the countryside, as illustrated in a recent article by Sole24Ore. While waiting to understand whether this trend will continue in the coming months, favored by the spread of smart working, or if it was rather a temporary phenomenon linked to the need for open spaces during and after confinement, let’s examine a closer look at the figures of it. Back to nature Demand for cottages and farms in villages and small municipalities has increased by around 30% compared to the pre-Covid period. Prices often less than a thousand euros per m / q The prices also encourage investment in rural areas. Prices which are generally much lower than in large cities and which have not undergone major changes despite the increase in demand, on the contrary: on average they have remained stable (+ 0.1%) compared to the pre-Covid period. There are obviously positive exceptions such as the provinces of Rome (+ 25.4%), Pisa (+ 20.1%) and Bologna (+ 18.9%) and negative (Pesaro-Urbino lost almost 12%, Rimini about 10.5%). As for the cost per square meter, the situation is very varied: ranging from the record figures of Montalcino (around 6,700 euros per m / q) and Monte Argentario (5,045 euros / m2) to those much more affordable in Asti (838 euro / m2) , Ragusa (799 euro / m2) and Alexandria (508 euro / m2). In total there are over 100 locations where you can find properties spending less than a thousand euros per m / q. The future of Italy is in small towns The future is in small towns: where there is life, clean air, slowness, healthy food. It is in these characteristic villages where time seems to have stood still, we breathe clean air, the rhythms flow more slowly and food and wine promote a diet capable of enhancing the territories, that man should return. Rural life, not lighter and still able to stop on faces. And maybe even know the names of the neighbors. Well-known architects Stefano Boeri and Massimiliano Fuksas have supported the need to encourage residential dispersal, a kind of “city escape”, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. An “escape from the city” to small towns, the countryside, places currently the least populated. Open and uncontaminated spaces. The challenge of reconnecting the country to repopulate the villages Francesco Tarantini, president of Legambiente Puglia, also reminds us of this. The environmental association has just celebrated on June 2 “Loving Italy 2020”, the feast of small municipalities which this year – perhaps not surprisingly – focuses on an important issue for the development and future of Italian villages : let’s reconnect the country. Because without (re) connection, the dreams of repopulating these magnificent districts are much more difficult, because the comfort and services offered by cities and large urban centers are still lacking in many small municipalities. “In small municipalities there is more life than you can imagine, but these territories are constantly struggling against abandonment” – explains Francesco Tarantini, president of Legambiente Puglia-. An inherent law exists but the implementation of the decrees is delayed. We remind you that Law 158/2017 is aimed at centers of less than five thousand inhabitants and provides for accompanying measures including the extension of ultra-broadband, an education plan for rural areas, upgrading of school services, redevelopment of neglected buildings, construction of energy plants from renewable sources, promotion of short-chain agrifood, construction of accommodation facilities. Where is all this? In 2017, we celebrated the approval of the law to safeguard the districts after sixteen years of battles. When will we celebrate its implementation? “. For this reason, from Puglia, as well as in the rest of the country, Legambiente appealed to the Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, signed by many mayors. The aim is for support measures to be put in place for small municipalities. “The pandemic – we read the appeal – has drawn everyone’s attention to the need to rethink the organization and use of territories and, in this regard also, the role of small municipalities in maintaining communities. To do this, a great deal of work to reconnect the country is necessary, by recomposing the original polycentrism and the harmonious model of urbanity. At the center of the infrastructure for restarting the economy, there must necessarily be fast connection as a right of citizenship, which bridges the void of the digital divide at certain times. In fact even today more than 3,900 municipalities do not have fast Internet, 1,200 municipalities do not receive a stable signal for mobile telephony and 5 million Italians do not receive adequate television service. It is a precondition for the territories and the communities to be the protagonists of the rebirth of the country ”. Without disturbing architects Boeri and Fuksas, it is probably a dream shared by many that of living in less polluting, stressful and deceptive environments. In short, places on a human scale and for children, where to live without giving up all the services and comforts to which we are all used today. Because maybe the future really is in the small municipalities, which represent about 54% of the Italian territory. Territories of less than 5,000 inhabitants focused on innovation and sustainability, local tourism, development and protection of the environment, gastronomic and oenological circuits, promotion of cultures and traditions. These are the ingredients that small municipalities aim to fight against depopulation and the reduction of essential services.