Mortgages, for people who do not live here

The mortgage is signed at the same table, on the same day

There is no separate appointment with the bank. The purchase deed and the mortgage deed are signed one after the other, in front of the same notary, on the same day, and the charge over the property is created in that moment.

Whether anyone from the bank is present varies, and often nobody is. It is common for the bank to send its offer in advance, by email, and for the borrower to accept it before the notary — a unilateral acceptance, signed by you alone. That is an ordinary way of doing it, not an improvised one: do not read the absence of a bank officer at the table as a sign that something is missing.

This is why the two cannot be scheduled independently, and why a delay on the bank's side moves the purchase date too.

What the bank does before that

The bank runs its own investigation, and it is not the same as ours. It values the property, assesses you, and sets its conditions. Ours is a legal check on the property and the title; theirs is a commercial decision about the risk.

Practically, the bank's timetable is almost always the longest one in the whole purchase — four to eight weeks is common and it can be more when documents have to come from another country. If you are financing, apply before you sign a preliminary contract with a fixed date, not after.

The charge is bigger than the loan

The ipoteca, the charge registered against the property, is not registered for the amount you borrow. It is registered for a higher figure — typically between 150% and 200% of the capital — because it has to cover interest, default interest and costs as well.

Nothing is wrong when you see that number. You do not owe it, and it does not mean the bank has lent you more than you asked. It is the ceiling of the security, not the debt.

What it costs, and the rate that is usually explained wrongly

Beyond the bank's own charges, a mortgage adds two things to the day: a second notarial deed, and a tax on the loan — the imposta sostitutiva, which takes the place of several other taxes and is a percentage of the capital lent.

It is 0.25% in almost every case. A loan to buy a first home, and equally a loan taken for any other reason — releasing cash against a property you already own, renovation works, refinancing an existing loan.

It rises to 2% in one situation only: a loan taken to buy a property that is not your first home. Not the second property you own — the second home you buy without the prima casa conditions being met. The distinction is the purpose of the loan, not the number of properties in your name, and it is the point most often stated the wrong way round.

On a €200,000 loan the difference is €500 against €4,000, which is worth getting right before you plan the budget. The bank withholds it from the sum it releases, so you never pay it directly — and you should still expect to see it in the figures.

Our quote sets it out with the rest, separated from the fee.

If you do not speak Italian

The mortgage deed is in Italian like the purchase deed, and the same rule applies: an interpreter must be present if you do not understand it. Two deeds, one interpreter, one appointment — but tell us in advance, because it is the kind of thing that gets arranged for the purchase and forgotten for the mortgage.

Have the building checked before the bank looks at it

The thing most likely to stop a mortgage, on the property side, is a building whose planning position is irregular — one that does not correspond to the permits granted for it. A bank will not lend against it, and the problem is the seller's to resolve before you are committed.

That check is not ours to make: a notary is not a planning technician. It is made by a surveyor or an architect you appoint, through an access-to-records request at the municipality — described on the page about buying a home. It costs little and it is far cheaper now than after the bank has said no.

Write to segreteria@notaiochianese.it with the address of the property, its rendita catastale, and the price.

The general rules — citizenship, codice fiscale, the language of the deed — are on the international guide.

Last updated 4 September 2026