Getting ready
Know how much you can spend before you fall in love
Before you fall for a home, you know how much you can really spend, and so does the bank. This stage avoids the most common disappointment: finding the right home and discovering the mortgage isn't enough.
How long: 2–4 weeks (the mortgage pre-approval usually comes in 1–3 weeks)
How it works
1. The budget, together
Net income, living costs, savings and a safety net you won't touch. The bank's rule: the monthly repayment shouldn't go above roughly a third of the income it counts. Remember that on top of the price you'll need around 10–12% for taxes, notary, agency and bank.
2. The documents
ID, payslips and CU forms, bank statements, any other loans, civil status. The Geenuga Casa list is tailored to each person's job.
3. Three offers side by side
Compare the APRC (TAEG), which includes the fees, not just the interest rate (TAN), and ask for the ESIS (PIES): the European sheet that makes offers comparable.
4. The pre-approval
The bank assesses you (not the home yet) and puts in writing how much it will lend you. It usually lasts 3–6 months and makes you credible when you make an offer.
What it costs
- Civil registry certificates (ANPR): free online
- ISEE (if needed for Consap): free from INPS or a CAF tax-help centre
- Mortgage pre-approval (pre-delibera): usually free
- Mortgage broker (optional): 0–1.5% of the mortgage, only once it's paid out
Who does what
- Bank: assesses your income and tells you how much it will lend you
- Mortgage broker (registered with the OAM): compares several banks for you; always ask what it costs
- HR or payroll office: payslips, CU forms and statements from your employer
Watch out for
- Looking at homes at the very top of your budget: leave room for the buying costs and the first bits of work.
- Asking just one bank for a mortgage: between the best and the worst there can easily be tens of thousands of euros over 30 years.
- Taking out new loans (car, phone on instalments) while you're applying for the mortgage: they lower how much you can borrow.
- Counting on income the bank doesn't recognise (bonuses, variable overtime, temporary tax breaks).
Questions to ask · the bank
- How much will you lend us on our incomes, and with what maximum monthly repayment?
- How do you assess my contract (length of service, partner's share, tax regime)?
- How long does the pre-approval last, and what would cancel it?
- Is the rate locked at approval or at signing?
General guidance, updated on 13 October 2026: for important decisions, talk to the bank, a notary or a surveyor.