The free guides

The guides we wish someone had handed us.

Every checklist and field guide we built after learning it the hard way: choosing an area, vetting a property, surviving the paperwork. All free, delivered straight to your inbox.

Start here

How to Find the Right Area in Italy

Where you live matters more than what you live in. The field guide to choosing your corner of Italy before you commit to any house.

The Tuesday-in-February test for any town you love in June
The practical questions that decide whether daily life works
How to shortlist areas from abroad before you fly

Get the area guide

Before you buy

The Property Red-Flag Checklist

Every warning sign to catch before you buy property in Italy, written after the deal that taught us the hard way.

Ten red flags, each with the exact phrase you'll hear when it's happening
Twelve questions for your independent geometra
The documents to demand before you make an offer

Get the checklist

The paperwork part

The Permesso di Soggiorno Checklist

The documents, the fees, and the realistic timeline for the appointment that can take months, laid out in order.

The full document list, from CISL to the ricevuta
Fees and timelines as they actually run
The renewal traps we hit so you can skip them

Get the checklist

All free. Each guide arrives by email a minute after you ask for it.

Good to know

Frequently asked

Which guide should I start with?

If you are still deciding where in Italy to land, start with the area guide. If you have already found a property, read the red-flag checklist before you make an offer. If you are here and facing the questura, the permesso checklist keeps the paperwork on schedule.

Are the guides really free?

Yes. Drop your email on the guide's page and it lands in your inbox a minute later. You will also get my field notes from time to time, and you can unsubscribe from those whenever you like and keep the guide.

Who wrote these?

I did. We sold our businesses in Denver, moved our two girls to Tuscany, and made most of the mistakes these guides now catch, including losing a house three weeks after moving in. They are field notes rather than legal advice, so for contracts and immigration questions, bring in the professionals.

Do you build guides and funnels like this for clients?

Yes. Lead magnets, landing pages, and the email systems behind them are part of what Fontaine Consulting builds for service businesses and personal brands. Start on the Work With Me page or email hello@nattielfontaine.com.