Villa a schiera in Scalea
Villa a schiera in Scalea. Habitable, garage, cucina, arredato, 500 m from the sea.
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
Asking €79,000 for 170 m² but habitable-only implies ~€200/m² work (~€34k), so effective cost ≈ €113,000 or €665/m² versus regional median €417/m²; close to the sea and furnished, but the high effective €/m² makes this overpriced.
More on the house and the area
A solid, habitable terraced house about 500 m from the sea with a private walled garden and garage — a genuine seaside bargain. Rooms and bathrooms are usable now but the finishes are dated and the outdoor spaces need tidy-up; great as a move-in-with-light-refresh option rather than a showpiece.
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€11,000 – €19,000
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.
- Dated, basic interiors and fixtures — cosmetic updating likely needed
- Garden and planted beds are overgrown and will need clearance/maintenance
- No obvious sea view despite being close to the shore; terraced setting limits privacy/outsight
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 81/100The cluster is on the Tyrrhenian coast of northern Calabria, with beaches on the Gulf of Policastro and the first ridges of the southern Apennines rising a short distance inland. The Lao River valley and the western edge of Pollino National Park are within about 15 km, giving a mix of coastal plain, rocky headlands and mountain backdrop in daily view. Scalea has a substantial historic centre on a hill, a seafront, marina services and summer-season tourism infrastructure. San Nicola Arcella and the Riviera dei Cedri coast are nearby, an area known for cedars, holiday beaches and small coves.