Rustico in Buonvicino
Rustico in Buonvicino. Needs renovation, garage, cucina, balcone.
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Not before the basics are done
In the listingNeeds renovationSee what needs doing and what each job costs
Estimated renovation €700/m² => total cost ≈ €85,000 (€850/m²) versus regional median €244/m², so the very low asking price is overwhelmed by renovation needs. Good location (5 km from sea) and 11 photos help, but the heavy renovation load makes this a weak/overpriced buy.
More on the house and the area
Charming old stone frontage in a mountain village with authentic character and a small paved courtyard — the surroundings look scenic and the property is a clear bargain at €15k. However the interior is a heavy renovation project (rotten beams, debris and temporary props) and will need substantial structural and finish work before it’s habitable.
Certified wiring, water and drainage, a heat source, a roof that keeps the water out, one working bathroom. Facade, insulation, a second bathroom and the floors wait.
All the services redone, bathrooms, kitchen, windows. The structure is left alone.
Our read of the photos, €700/m², falls in this band.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€20,000 – €35,000
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.
Bringing a house that has stood empty back into service: new water, sewer and electricity, plus the practices. The same sum on an 80 m² house and on a 300 m² one, which is why a €40,000 house is not a €40,000 project.
Show more
Water 1,800 · sewer 2,500 · electricity 700–1,600 · CILA 1,000 · cadastral filing 500 · structural design 700 · Legge 10 report 900 · safety coordination 1,800
No mains drain: add €2,000–4,500 for a septic tank. Listings never say, so ask.
- Major interior renovation needed: rotten roof timbers and damaged ceilings visible
- Not move-in ready — floors, wiring, plumbing and bathroom/kitchen installations likely required
- Located on a narrow village alley with limited street parking; verify utility connections and permits
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 78/100The cluster is in the coastal mountains of the southern Apennines, with the Tyrrhenian Sea close by at the Riviera dei Cedri and the lower valley of the Abatemarco river cutting down to the coast. Buonvicino lies inside the Parco Nazionale del Pollino. The nearest sizeable town is Scalea on the coast, which has rail access, services and beaches; Diamante is also nearby and is known for cedro cultivation and murals. This stretch of coast and hinterland is known for cedro, hill villages above the Tyrrhenian, and protected mountain terrain rising a short distance inland.