Villa unifamiliare in Altomonte
Villa unifamiliare in Altomonte. Habitable.
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Livable, but something basic is worn out
In the listingHabitableSee what needs doing and what each job costs
Price €30,000 for 70 m2 plus an estimated €200/m2 of works gives an effective cost of €44,000 or about €629/m2, well above the Calabria median of €270/m2. The ad states the villa is habitable and includes 19 photos, but the high effective €/m2 makes this a weak/overpriced offer.
Decoration, tired fittings, a bathroom or a kitchen. The house is liveable as it stands.
Our read of the photos is €200/m². There is no published price band below €350/m², so the range is that figure widened by the spread of the lightest band.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€5,000 – €8,000
Wiring, water and sanitary work of any kind, heating, air conditioning and gas go to a registered firm by law, and so do flues and the air openings for gas appliances. That labour stays in the bill. Yours is the stripping out, plaster, paint, floors, tiling and carpentry.
Labour is 61% of a renovation price on average and 67% at the median, across 191 items of the Emilia-Romagna 2025 public price list. Materials are the rest. An averaged price list, not a quote.
Materials you buy yourself carry 22% VAT; supplied by the firm doing the work they go at the 10% renovation rate. On a €30,000 materials bill that is €3,600 of extra tax.
Household wiring installed before 13 March 1990 counts as compliant if it has a main breaker with overcurrent protection, protection against direct contact and a 30 mA RCD. Having a firm bring the existing wiring up to that and certify it is the cheapest lawful route.
Estimate from the listing and its photos, not a survey. Treat it as the starting point for your own quotes. An Italian builder's quote is normally written without VAT and without design fees, so add about a quarter to any figure a firm gives you.
The area around
Location score 74/100The cluster sits in the foothills of the Pollino massif, with the mountains rising to the north and east. The area is part of Pollino National Park, one of the largest protected mountain areas in Italy, with forested slopes, gorges and high limestone ridges within the local radius. The Mercure-Lao river system cuts through this part of northern Calabria, and the Lao gorge area lies nearby on the park side. The nearest ski area is Camigliatello Silano on the Sila, well beyond the local 15 km radius and roughly a 1 hour 45 minute drive, so it does not define the immediate setting. The nearest town of size is Castrovillari, which has the main services, schools, hospital and a substantial historic center. Lungro is known for the Arbëreshë presence and Byzantine rite tradition found in this part of northern Calabria.