Buying an older property in Italy often means buying much more than the building itself. Once the keys are yours, everyday practical questions begin to appear. How is household waste collected? Where do you take old furniture? What happens to renovation waste? And what do you do with the branches from those beautiful mature trees you fell in love with when you viewed the property?
These may seem like small details. They become considerably more important when you are standing in front of a dismantled marble kitchen with nowhere to put it.
Know What You Are Taking Over
Before completing the purchase of an older property, establish exactly what will remain in the house.
Properties may be sold with furniture and other contents still inside. An antique cupboard may be a welcome addition, but an entire house filled with unwanted furniture, mattresses, appliances and decades of accumulated belongings is another matter.
If you want the property delivered empty, discuss this before completion. If you agree to take over the contents, investigate how you will dispose of anything you do not want.
For a non-resident property owner, access to local recycling centres or waste facilities may not always be as straightforward as expected. Local identification, registration or access arrangements may apply.
Finding this out before the house becomes yours can prevent an unexpected first project — and an unexpected expense.
Household Waste Is Local
Waste collection in Italy is organised locally, and procedures can differ between municipalities.
You may need to separate plastic, glass, paper and cardboard and present them on specific days. Certain types of waste may require designated bags or containers.
Do not assume that the system will work exactly as it does in your home country — or even in the next Italian municipality.
Find out how household waste is collected in your area, which rules apply to your property and how you can access any local waste facilities you may need.
Renovation Waste: Agree Before You Start
Renovating creates an entirely different problem.
Old tiles, sanitary fittings, stone, bricks, kitchen units and pieces of marble cannot simply disappear with ordinary household waste.
Before work begins, establish who is responsible for removing renovation and construction waste.
If a contractor says, “We will take it away,” ask what that actually means. Is removal included in the quotation? Are disposal costs additional? And will the material be taken to an authorised facility?
Proper disposal can cost money, but illegal dumping is never an acceptable alternative. Construction waste abandoned along roads, on hillsides or in drainage channels creates environmental problems and can lead to penalties.
The safest approach is to make waste removal part of the conversation before the first wall comes down.
Ask four simple questions:
Who removes the waste? Is removal included in the price? Where will it be taken? Are there additional disposal costs?
Not Everything Is Waste
Some materials may still have value.
Old metal gates, radiators, pipes and other scrap metal may be of interest to legitimate local scrap collectors. Before paying to dispose of everything, consider whether certain materials can be reused, recycled or collected separately.
Again, make sure that whoever takes the material is handling it responsibly.
What May Be Hiding on the Property?
Older rural properties can also contain surprises below ground.
During excavation, landscaping or renovation, you may discover rubble or remnants of earlier structures that were left or buried on the land decades ago.
What a previous generation considered a practical solution may become your problem when you start digging.
If you are planning significant groundworks, demolition or landscaping, consider discussing waste removal and unexpected buried materials with your contractor in advance.
Gardens Create Waste Too
A large garden or piece of land brings another responsibility: green waste.
Pruning mature trees can produce far more material than expected. If you employ a gardener or tree specialist, establish whether removal is included in the price.
Rules concerning the disposal or burning of garden waste can vary locally and may also depend on the season and fire risk. Check what is permitted rather than assuming that practices you see around you are automatically allowed.
Ask Before the Work Begins
Local procedures rarely seem important when you are viewing your dream house.
They become very important when the builders leave and you discover that the rubble is still yours.
Before clearing, renovating or landscaping, find out what the local procedures are and agree clearly who is responsible for disposal. Because owning a property means taking responsibility not only for what you want to keep – but also for everything you need to get rid of.
TBRC – Helping you find your way in Italy.
