Buying a farmhouse in Todi and Umbria: 10 checks to make before you buy

A farmhouse in Umbria can be a home, a second residence or a lifelong project.

Stone, land, olive trees, silence and views are often what make people fall in love with a property.

But buying a farmhouse is different from buying an ordinary apartment.

Behind a rural building there may be extensions built at different times, land made up of several cadastral parcels, outbuildings, wells, shared access roads, independent utility systems and structures that have undergone decades, if not centuries, of changes.

That is why the viewing is only the beginning.

Let's look at the main aspects to examine before going ahead with the purchase.

1. Check the planning status of the property

This is one of the most important checks.

The building as it actually stands must be compared with the building permits and with the documentation held by the relevant offices.

Over the years a farmhouse may have been extended, divided, renovated, or had porticoes, canopies, swimming pools and other structures added.

Before buying, it is therefore advisable to have the documentation reviewed by a qualified surveyor or architect.

The Italian National Council of Notaries points out that a property sale requires checks on the legal status of the property and on any special regulations it may be subject to.

2. Check that the cadastral records match the property

Planning compliance and cadastral records are not the same thing.

The cadastral floor plan must be compared with the actual state of the property, and the identification data, size and registered owners must be checked.

Having a cadastral floor plan does not automatically prove that the building complies with planning rules: these are separate checks, and both need to be carried out.

For this reason, particularly with complex rural properties, it helps if the surveyor, the agency and the notary can work from the same documentation.

3. Understand exactly what you are buying

When you visit a farmhouse surrounded by acres of greenery, it is easy to assume that everything you can see is part of the property.

That is not always the case.

Land and buildings may be divided into numerous cadastral parcels.

You therefore need to check:

• the area actually included in the sale;
• the boundaries;
• any separate plots of land;
• outbuildings;
• appurtenances;
• the cadastral classification of each asset.

When the land accounts for a significant part of the property's value, reading the maps accurately becomes essential.

4. Check the access road

A white gravel road winding through the olive trees can be beautiful.

But you also need to ask: who owns it?

A property may be accessed directly from a public road or across land belonging to other owners.

In the latter case, you need to verify whether a right of way exists and what its terms are.

It is also useful to find out:

• who is responsible for maintenance;
• whether the road is shared;
• whether it is easily passable all year round;
• whether it can be easily reached by service or emergency vehicles.

These details are easy to overlook during a viewing, but they matter a great deal in everyday life.

5. Water: mains supply, wells and actual availability

A large country property can require far more water than a home in town.

A garden, swimming pool, vegetable plot, olive grove or other land can completely change how much water is needed.

It is therefore essential to understand where the water comes from.

The property may be connected to the mains water supply, have one or more wells, or use separate systems for household use and irrigation.

Where there are wells, it is advisable to check the paperwork, how well they work and the specifications of the system.

The same applies to any tanks and rainwater collection systems.

6. Check drainage and utilities

An isolated house may not be connected to all the public networks available in town.

You should therefore ask how the following are handled:

• drainage;
• heating;
• hot water;
• gas;
• electricity;
• internet connection.

A beautiful property used as a second home may have very different needs from a residence lived in twelve months a year.

Knowing the situation in advance also makes it possible to estimate any upgrading work that may be needed.

7. Assess the roof, structure and damp

In a farmhouse, the costly elements are not always the most visible ones.

An outdated kitchen can be replaced.

A structural problem or a roof that needs redoing carries an entirely different weight.

Before buying a historic building or one in need of renovation, it is therefore wise to have at least the following checked:

• roof covering;
• walls;
• floor structures;
• any cracks;
• presence of damp;
• water drainage;
• condition of the façades;
• windows and doors;
• building systems.

A technical inspection can turn a vague impression of a "house that needs some work" into a much more concrete picture of the work required.

8. Study exposure, land and rainwater

Two seemingly similar farmhouses can behave in completely different ways over the course of the year.

Orientation affects light and comfort.

A property's position on the hillside can affect how prone it is to damp.

The shape of the land determines how water drains away.

That is why, during a viewing, it pays to look not only at the house but at everything around it.

Todi's own history is closely tied to water management: its historic underground system includes tunnels, galleries and cisterns that, over the centuries, have also helped drain water from the hill.

On rural properties, proper management of surface water remains a very practical concern.

9. Check for any restrictions

Umbria's landscape and historic value is one of the reasons so many people choose to buy here.

For that very reason, however, certain properties or areas may be subject to specific regulations and restrictions.

This becomes particularly important when the buyer is planning to:

• extend the property;
• build a swimming pool;
• alter windows and doors;
• put up new structures;
• carry out major work on the exterior;
• convert outbuildings.

So you should not buy on the assumption that a project you pictured during the viewing can automatically be carried out.

It is wise to have its feasibility checked by a professional first.

10. Calculate the cost of the property, not just the purchase price

A common mistake is to compare two properties by looking only at the asking price.

With a farmhouse, it is more useful to think in terms of the overall cost of the project.

For example:

purchase price + taxes and transaction costs + any renovation + landscaping and groundwork + work on utilities and systems + initial maintenance = actual investment

Taxes also vary depending on the seller, the type of transaction and whether the "first home" (prima casa) requirements are met. The Italian Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the current rates and conditions that apply to each case.

Before making an offer, it is therefore worth having a reasonably complete picture of the costs involved.

And when should the notary get involved?

Not only on the day the deed is signed.

The notary carries out a series of essential legal checks on the property and the sale, while the surveyor or technical expert handles the checks that fall within their own area of expertise.

The Italian National Council of Notaries (Consiglio Nazionale del Notariato) also provides a list of the documents normally required for a property sale.

In more complex cases, it can be useful to involve these professionals before the preliminary contract is signed.

Before making an offer: the checklist

Before reaching a decision, you should be able to answer at least these questions clearly:

• Has the planning and building compliance been checked?
• Does the cadastral floor plan match the property as it actually stands?
• Do I know exactly which land and buildings I am buying?
• Is access to the property clearly established?
• Do I know how the water is supplied?
• Do I know how wastewater is handled?
• Have I assessed the condition of the roof and the structure?
• Do I know the condition of the electrical, plumbing and heating systems?
• Is any work I want to carry out actually feasible?
• Have I estimated the total investment beyond the purchase price?

If some of your answers are still “I don't know”, it doesn't necessarily mean the property has a problem.

It simply means there is something that needs to be looked into further.

And that is exactly what should happen before you buy.

Buying a farmhouse also means getting to know the area

A farmhouse cannot be assessed on the building alone.

The views, orientation, accessibility, neighbours, land and transport links matter too.

In Todi and the surrounding Tuderte area, properties that look similar can have very different characteristics, even just a few kilometres apart.

Todi Immobiliare has been working in the area since 1994, and its business focuses particularly on farmhouses, rustic properties, village houses and other local properties.

That's why, when we take a client to view a farmhouse, the goal isn't just to show them a house.

It's to understand whether that property suits the plans the client has in mind.