Selling a House in Lucca: Documents You Need

"Do I need a geometra to sell my house?" In most cases, yes, even if nobody tells you until the buyer, their bank or the notary asks for a document you don't have.

This matters even more if you own a house in Lucca but live abroad: problems are harder to fix from a distance, and they tend to surface at the worst moment. I'm Salvatore La Rocca, a geometra in Lucca. Here are the documents you need, the problems that come up most often, and how to fix them before the house goes on the market.

The documents you need

Title deed (purchase deed, gift or inheritance): proves the house is yours.
Cadastral search (visura catastale): cadastral data, owners and taxable value. From the land registry.
Cadastral floor plan (planimetria catastale): it must match the real house. From the land registry.
Building permits (licences, permits, amnesties, CILA, SCIA): prove the house is legal. They are in the town hall archive.
Certificate of habitability (agibilità), if one was issued.
Energy performance certificate (APE): compulsory to sell, and attached to the deed. Prepared by a licensed technician.
System certificates (electrical, plumbing, gas): useful, not always compulsory.
Condominium documents: expenses, rules and approved works, from the building manager.
Zoning certificate (certificato di destinazione urbanistica): needed if you sell land. Issued by the town hall.

If you inherited the house, there are extra steps: see Inherited a House in Lucca? Succession, Compliance and Sale.

What I need to get started

For a first check, I need:

the address and cadastral data (or a cadastral search);
the cadastral floor plan;
the deed by which you bought or inherited the house;
any building files you have at home;
a list of the works done over the years, even ones that seem small.

I get the rest myself from the town hall and the land registry. You don't need to be in Italy.

The most common problems, and how to fix them

The cadastral plan doesn't match

The most frequent case: a partition wall moved, an extra bathroom, a new window, a storeroom turned into a bedroom. Without a matching floor plan the deed cannot go ahead: the law makes it void.

The fix: a cadastral update (a DOCFA filing) with a new floor plan. But first, the changes must be checked as legal under planning rules too. Updating the catasto to show unauthorised works does not make them legal.

The house doesn't match the approved project

An enclosed veranda, an extension, a lived-in attic, a change of use. There are three routes:

the difference is within the legal tolerances, and only needs to be declared;
it can be legalised, with a filing at the town hall and a fee;
it cannot be legalised, and must be removed or reduced.

The routes are explained in Sanatoria, Condono or Salva Casa?

An old amnesty application was never completed

Common in houses built or extended in the 1970s and 80s: the amnesty application was filed, but never completed. It can, and must, be concluded by adding the missing documents and paying what is still due.

No building permit can be found

If the house is old, it may have been built when no permit was needed. Its legal status is proven with historic records: see Old House, No Building Permit on File? It May Still Be Perfectly Legal.

Why fix everything before selling

You negotiate from strength. If the buyer's technician finds the problem, it becomes a discount.
You avoid postponing the deed. A sanatoria takes time, and the town hall's timing isn't up to you.
The buyer gets the mortgage. Banks are increasingly strict about compliance.
You protect yourself. In the deed, you declare that the house is compliant, and you remain liable after the sale.

The document that brings all the checks together is the technical report that many notaries ask for: see The Technical Report for the Notary Deed in Lucca.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sell a house with a small irregularity?

It depends. Cadastral differences must be fixed before the deed. Planning differences don't always block it, but the buyer and their bank can refuse to proceed, and you remain liable as the seller.

How long does it take to put the documents in order?

A cadastral update is usually quick once the survey is done. A sanatoria takes longer, because it depends on the town hall. Start before the house goes on the market.

Do I need an energy certificate for an old house?

Yes. The APE is compulsory for a sale, with few exceptions, and is attached to the deed.