Villa unifamiliare in Cervicati
Villa unifamiliare in Cervicati. Needs renovation, autonomo heating, cucina.
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
Price €26,000 plus estimated renovation ~€700/m² (119 m² → ~€83,300) yields an effective cost of ≈€109,300 or ≈€918/m², far above the regional baseline of €270/m²; listing shows 12 photos but gives no sign it’s immediately livable.
More on the house and the area
A real hilltop looker — sweeping valley and mountain views from a small balcony, original checkerboard tiles and exposed beams give genuine character. The building is a solid lived-in shell (floors, doors, balcony intact) but requires renovation and updating; excellent bargain for someone seeking a renovation project that becomes a beautiful, usable home.
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€23,000 – €42,000
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 renovation — visible damp, cracked/plastered walls and cosmetic repairs required
- No clear modern bathroom/kitchen shown in photos
- Access via narrow village alley / steps; limited private outdoor space
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 55/100The area sits on inland hills of the Crati valley, with cultivated slopes, olive groves and scattered woods. The Esaro valley is nearby, and the Pollino massif rises farther to the north within the wider provincial landscape, but not inside the immediate 15 km setting. San Marco Argentano itself is a small historic hill town with a Norman tower and an old centre. The nearest larger town is Cosenza, which has full services, rail connections and the main urban functions for this part of Calabria. This part of northern Calabria is known for hill agriculture, olive oil and small historic centres rather than for a single standout natural feature close by.