Palazzo - Edificio in San Marco Argentano
Palazzo - Edificio in San Marco Argentano. Habitable, esposizione esterna.
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 €18,000 plus estimated €200/m² renovation (87 m² → €17,400) gives an effective price of €35,400 or ≈€407/m², about 35% above the regional median of €302/m². Description states 'Habitable' and there are 9 photos, but no energy class or building year is provided.
More on the house and the area
Lovely stone palazzo frontage with authentic historic character, and the interior is a usable, habitable home rather than a shell. Rooms and fittings are dated so expect a light-to-moderate renovation to make it a comfortable, modern home — a true bargain for buyers wanting an affordable town property in Calabria.
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€6,000 – €10,000
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.
- Interior is dated and needs cosmetic updating (kitchen, floors, finishes).
- Small size and only one bathroom; modest rooms.
- Facing the main street — limited privacy and possible traffic noise.
- No private garden or notable view; basic utilities/systems likely older.
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.