Biancavilla casa indipendente
Biancavilla casa indipendente
What it really costs
See what needs doing and what each job costs
€36k price plus estimated €105k renovation (700€/m² × 150 m²) gives an effective cost of €141k or ~€940/m², well above the regional baseline of €438/m². The listing gives no condition details beyond “casa indipendente,” so heavy works are likely and the ad is too cheap to imply turnkey condition.
More on the house and the area
A solid corner townhouse in Biancavilla with intact roof/floors and original mid‑century details (terrazzo floors, ceiling medallion, vintage bathroom) that give it everyday charm. The building is worn and will need a full cosmetic and systems update plus attention to the balcony/façade, but at €36k it’s a genuine bargain for someone willing to renovate.
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€30,000 – €53,000
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.
- Exterior plaster and balcony show deterioration — structural check and façade work likely needed
- Interior is dated and requires full refurbishment of finishes and systems (kitchen, electrical, heating)
- Small urban plot with no garden; single bathroom only
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 84/100Mount Etna is directly above Biancavilla on the south-west side of the volcano. The Parco dell'Etna begins just uphill, with lava fields, pine and chestnut woods, and the higher volcanic slopes inside the daily landscape. The Simeto river valley lies nearby below the town. The nearest developed Etna ski area is around Rifugio Sapienza on the south side, roughly an hour by road, and Piano Provenzana on the north-east side is farther. Adrano and Paternò are the nearest larger towns, with the usual services and rail connections toward Catania. This area is known for Etna viticulture, pistachios and other agriculture on volcanic soils.