Are you about to buy a house? Just wait a couple of minutes

Can you now extend your home without applying for planning permission? Can you enclose your porch or convert your garage into a flat? The answer is… it depends! And this is precisely where the risk of making very costly mistakes lies.

In recent days, the law converting the so-called **Piano Casa** has finally come into force.

This legislative measure aims to simplify certain building and town-planning procedures, encouraging the renovation of properties and reducing – at least in theory – some of the red tape.

But be careful: this does not mean at all that you can now build freely or alter any property without restrictions. Local regulations, landscape restrictions, town planning rules and all the authorisations required in individual cases, remain fully in force.

The real change is that certain procedures have been streamlined, and certain renovation and refurbishment works can now be carried out more easily than in the past.

For those buying a property, however, this makes it even more important to check its planning compliance before signing the deed of sale. For sellers, it is essential to ensure that all documentation is in order.

And for engineers and solicitors, a new period of study is beginning, because every law that has just come into force inevitably leaves room for interpretative doubts that will only be clarified by the courts.

In short, the ‘Piano Casa’ promises simplification, but it will be day-to-day practice that tells us whether that promise will be kept.

The advice is simple: before buying, selling or starting major works, have all the documentation checked by a professional. A consultation beforehand almost always costs far less than a legal case.

Whenever I hear talk of ‘simplifying building regulations’, as a solicitor I always feel a mixture of enthusiasm and caution… because in Italy, very often, a law is introduced to simplify matters… and ends up creating even more work for solicitors!

If your surveyor tells you, ‘It’s very simple!’, do give your solicitor a ring as well… just to be on the safe side.

Last update July 2026