Rustico in Laino Borgo
Rustico in Laino Borgo. Needs renovation, garage, cucina, cantina.
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
Asking price €19,000 plus estimated renovation €700/m² (80 m² → €56,000) gives an effective price of ~€75,000 or ~€938/m², well above the regional median of €244/m². The property has a garage and cellar but is 19 km from the sea and the high renovation burden makes this a poor value.
More on the house and the area
Attractive old two‑storey farmhouse with original cornice, small balcony, garage/cellar and a large terrace overlooking a pleasant valley — roof appears intact. It’s a solid shell with real live‑in potential but will need a proper renovation to restore utilities and interior spaces.
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€16,000 – €28,000
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.
- Needs substantial renovation — interiors are unshown and likely require new systems (kitchen/bath/heating).
- House sits immediately on the roadside so expect traffic noise and limited privacy.
- Windows/doors boarded and condition of utilities unknown.
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 82/100The cluster is in the Lao valley under the Pollino massif. The Lao river runs here and the area falls within Pollino National Park. The nearest ski area is on Monte Sirino above Lagonegro, roughly an hour's drive depending on the road. The nearest town of some size is Castrovillari, which has the main services, shops and hospital for this part of northern Calabria. Morano Calabro, within the same mountain area, is one of I Borghi più belli d’Italia. This area is known for the Pollino mountains, the Lao gorge and rafting on the river.