Buying Property in Sicily: The Ultimate Due Diligence Checklist for Expats

By Arch. Fabio Costanzo, Studio 4e · Updated: March 2026

Italian due diligence has no RICS survey equivalent. In Sicily over 60% of properties have some discrepancy between filed permits and built state. Here is the 10-point checklist that protects your purchase — before you sign anything.

Why Italian due diligence is different

In the UK a RICS HomeBuyer Report is standard. In the US a home inspector is always present. In Italy neither exists as standard practice. The notaio (notary) verifies legal title but does not inspect the physical building or check whether what was built matches the permits on file. If you skip technical due diligence, you buy whatever problems the property has — structural, bureaucratic or regulatory — as your own.

In Sicily this risk is amplified by a high historical rate of unauthorised building works and municipal archives that are often incomplete or un-digitised. Studio 4e estimates that more than 60% of properties sold in Palermo and Catania have some form of discrepancy between filed permits and actual state. Most are minor and regularisable; some are not.

The 10-point technical due diligence checklist

1. Retrieve all building permits from the municipal archive (SUE): the original building licence, any subsequent modifications (varianti), and the final habitation certificate (agibilità). In Palermo and Catania this research is possible online; in smaller municipalities it requires a visit to the archive.
2. Compare permits to as-built state: commission a measured survey (rilievo) of the current floor plan and compare it to the last authorised plan. Any divergence is a potential irregularity.
3. Verify the Catasto (cadastral register): request the visura catastale and planimetria from the Agenzia delle Entrate. Check that the cadastral plan matches the current layout. Discrepancies must be resolved before the deed is filed.
4. Check the stato legittimo: since D.L. 76/2020, the seller must declare the complete legal state of the property. Ask for this declaration in writing before signing anything, and verify it technically.
5. Search for mortgages and encumbrances: request a visura ipotecaria from the Agenzia delle Entrate. Verifies no mortgage, lien, seizure or easement is registered. Part of the notary's work, but commission it earlier in your process.
6. Visual structural assessment: inspect structural elements (slabs, columns, load-bearing walls) for cracking, deformation or moisture signs. In seismic zone 2 (most of Sicily), any structural anomaly warrants an engineer's opinion before purchase.
7. Check for asbestos (pre-1992 buildings): if the property was built or renovated before 1992, commission an asbestos survey (censimento amianto). Roof sheets, pipe insulation and floor tiles may contain amianto. Removal is costly and regulated.
8. Energy performance certificate (APE): legally required for any sale. Ask for the most recent one and verify it was issued within the last 10 years. Understand what energy class means for future running costs and required renovations.
9. Check for unpaid condominium fees: if the property is in a condominium, request a declaration from the administrator confirming no outstanding debts. Italian law makes the buyer liable for unpaid fees from the previous two years.
10. Verify compliance of any recent works: ask the seller for the permits and end-of-works declarations for any renovation done. Works done without a permit are the buyer's problem once the deed is signed.

Red flags that should make you pause

• Seller cannot or will not provide the original building permit
• The floor plan in sale documents differs from what you see when you visit
• Very low asking price relative to comparables — often conceals structural or regulatory problems
• Property was subject to a court order or inheritance dispute
• Visible structural cracks in diagonal pattern (structural, not cosmetic)
• Evidence of extensive recent surface works that may be concealing defects

Protecting yourself in the preliminary contract (compromesso)

Never sign a compromesso without having completed items 1–3 and 5 of the checklist. The compromesso is legally binding once signed. If problems emerge after signing, your options are limited. Insert a due diligence condition clause: the deposit is fully refundable if the technical review reveals irregularities the seller cannot remedy. An Italian avvocato drafts this clause; Studio 4e defines the technical trigger conditions.

How long does due diligence take in Sicily?

Allow 3–6 weeks for a complete technical due diligence. Municipal archive research in smaller towns can take 2–4 weeks alone. Prioritise permit research and the cadastral check first — these are the most likely deal-breakers — and run the structural assessment in parallel.