Finns on the Florentine hills and Canadians in Liguria. But also and above all English in Tuscany and Germans in the Langhe, as per tradition. Yes, foreigners like the Italian 'holiday' brick, much less the tax consequences that accompany its purchase. This was revealed by the research office of Confedilizia, the largest real estate association, which conducted a survey on a large sample of 466 foreign owners. 90% of those who have bought say they are satisfied: however, among the inconveniences complained of by foreign owners (it was possible to give more answers) the Tax Office comes in very first place: 93% of those interviewed believe that it is too burdensome and complicated. Then comes traffic, noise and pollution.
The investigation was conducted in collaboration with European bodies (European Property Federation) and international bodies (Union internationale de la proprieété immobilière), where Italy is represented by Confedilizia. 'Foreigners - they tell Confedilizia - love Italy and, even if the market is growing, purchases are not decreasing. However, there is one thing they really don't understand: our withdrawal system. And it's not just the weight, it's the absurdities of the mechanism that disorientate them.' Especially those related to municipal tax. A new owner says: 'After a few attempts I decided to entrust all the bureaucratic matters to a consultant. It was above all the ICI, with all those calculations, that took away the desire to deal with it directly'.
The survey reveals, first of all, a clear prevalence of German, French and English buyers, traditionally lovers of Italy, but with a conspicuous representation of other nations. Let us consider, however, that among the 'non-EU countries' there are also Switzerland and the United States, which have always had the lion's share. Buyers from the same nation often prefer the same area: thus, in addition to the English and the (rare) Finns in Tuscany, or the Germans in the Langhe, the Americans favor Rome and Venice and the Swiss Lombardy, while the French focus (obviously) on Liguria, in the company of the Canadians.
Holidays are largely prevalent among the reasons for purchasing, totaling 59% of responses, but guesthouses also affect almost one in four purchases. However, there is little enthusiasm regarding the idea of renting the purchased property: 91.3% of the sample declared themselves 'unavailable', above all - once again - due to the tax burden on the rental and the uncertainty about the solvency of the tenant.
Also worth mentioning are Tecnocasa's findings on Milan, a place where only those who work there buy: in the first half of 2002, as many as 10% of sales were carried out by foreigners.
'In general, however - they tell Confedilizia - these are not purchases made for investment. The residential purpose prevails, as for holiday homes. And that 23% of guesthouses are concentrated in large cities, where multinationals find this five-star residence solution more convenient'.
source: Il Sole 24 Ore
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