Rustico in Cosenza
Rustico in Cosenza
What it really costs
See what needs doing and what each job costs
Price €23,000 for 120 m2 but described only as 'Rustico' with no condition given; I estimate full restoration ≈€1,100/m2 → renovation ≈€132,000 and effective price ≈€155,000 (~€1,292/m2). Regional median is €244/m2, so the effective cost is far above typical values.
More on the house and the area
A traditional village farmhouse with original beams and an old fireplace gives it character, and the €23k price is a clear bargain. Photo evidence shows major damp/finish issues and some degraded beams, so this is a renovation project rather than a move-in home.
All the services redone, bathrooms, kitchen, windows. The structure is left alone.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Our read of the photos, €1,100/m², falls in this band.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€48,000 – €70,000
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.
- Significant renovation needed — damp, cracked plaster and debris visible
- Wooden beams and roof should be structurally inspected and likely repaired
- No clear evidence of working kitchen/bath utilities
- Small windows and limited natural light in rooms
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 58/100The cluster is on the western side of the Crati basin in the hills below the Sila uplands, with wooded slopes and cultivated valleys around it. The Savuto valley is nearby to the south-west and the Crati plain opens to the east toward Cosenza. The nearest town of size is Cosenza-Rende, which has the full range of shops and services, a university area, and the main rail and road connections of northern Calabria. The Tyrrhenian coast is not far in straight-line terms but it is outside the immediate 15 km landscape. This part of inland Cosenza is known for hill villages, chestnut and olive country, and daily life tied to the Cosenza urban area.