Villa unifamiliare in San Marco Argentano
Villa unifamiliare in San Marco Argentano. Habitable, garage, cucina, arredato, cantina.
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
100 m² villa at €80,000 (€800/m²); adding a modest habitable refurb (€200/m²) yields an effective €1,000/m² versus the regional median €270/m², so the price is well above local norms. The house is habitable with garage and cellar and 6 photos, but it’s inland (22 km from the sea) and the listing omits energy class and build year.
More on the house and the area
A solid, habitable rural villa with a lovely covered wooden loggia, fireplace and olive trees — real outdoor space and pleasant valley/mountain views. The interior is modest but usable, so you could move in and gradually modernise. Strong value for the price, but expect cosmetic work and updates (one bathroom only).
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€7,000 – €11,000
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.
- Basic, dated interior finishes and kitchen (needs cosmetic updating)
- Only one bathroom
- Property close to a road/power lines visible from the plot
- No energy class / certificate provided
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 61/100The area lies in the inland valleys north of Cosenza, between the foothills of the Pollino massif and the cultivated Esaro valley. The Esaro river runs through this part of the province. Pollino National Park begins to the north and northeast, with the main mountain landscapes around Morano Calabro, Castrovillari and the Lao valley beyond the 15 km radius. The nearest town of size is Castrovillari, which has major services and the A2 motorway access. This part of Calabria is known for olive groves, vineyards and mixed hill farming.