Via Alessandro Manzoni, Curiglia con Monteviasco
Via Alessandro Manzoni, Curiglia con Monteviasco. Needs renovation, autonomo heating.
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Move in as it is
In the listingNeeds renovationThe photographs say otherwise, and we go by the photographs.
See what needs doing and what each job costs
Price €22,200 plus estimated renovation (€700/m² → €60,200) gives an effective total ≈€82,400 or ≈€958/m², well above the typical Lombardy median of €418/m², so this is overpriced. Listing is terse (no energy class given) though it notes autonomous heating and includes 5 photos.
More on the house and the area
Photos show a handsome, characterful townhouse with attractive interiors, period balconies and quality finishes — a very photogenic, livable space. The listing nevertheless flags 'needs renovation', so expect some work or checks on systems; at this price it’s a real bargain if the scope of work is light and access/utilities are sound.
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€17,000 – €30,000
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.
- Listing states 'needs renovation' — verify scope (cosmetic vs structural).
- Confirm utilities, heating system and electrical/plumbing condition before purchase.
- Mountain village access can be limited; check transport/parking and year-round accessibility.
- Photo set and listing data conflict (bath count/condition) — verify the actual layout and finishes.
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 73/100The cluster is in the Veddasca valley on the slopes above Lake Maggiore, with the Lepontine Alps immediately around it. Lake Maggiore lies within about 10 km in a straight line, and the local landscape is steep wooded mountainsides cut by narrow valleys. The area is close to the Swiss border, with the higher alpine valleys of the Canton Ticino just beyond the ridge. Luino is the nearest town of size, on Lake Maggiore, with daily services, rail links and a known lakeside market. Monteviasco is known as a small mountain hamlet reached on foot from the valley side, giving this area an unusual pattern of settlement for Lombardy. The nearest significant ski areas are across the border in the Ticino Alps and farther away, so they do not define the immediate setting.