Rustico in Masera
Rustico in Masera. Needs renovation.
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Not before the basics are done
In the listingNeeds renovationMust be done first
- Wiring
- Plumbing
- Septic tank
- Heating
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
See what needs doing and what each job costs
Price €30,000 plus estimated renovation €700/m² (~€63,000) gives an effective cost ≈€93,000 or ≈€1,033/m², about 4× the Piemonte baseline of €262/m² — expensive for a full renovation. Listing is sparse (no build year or energy class) and only 6 photos, so condition and scope of work are unclear.
More on the house and the area
A very photogenic dry‑stone alpine farmhouse with intact slate roofs, a large meadow and sweeping valley views — classic Piemonte mountain character. The shells look solid from outside, but the interior will need real renovation and modern services may be absent, so this is a strong, affordable project for someone prepared to restore a character 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€18,000 – €32,000
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 significant interior renovation — no kitchen or bathroom shown.
- Likely no utilities connected (water/electric/heating) — verify.
- Remote/high‑altitude location with steep or unpaved access; seasonality may affect reachability.
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 74/100The cluster is in the Val d'Ossola under the Lepontine Alps, with steep wooded slopes and high alpine ridges close around the valley. The Toce river runs down the Ossola valley nearby. The Veglia-Devero Natural Park lies within this part of upper Ossola, with alpine pastures, larch woods and high mountain basins in the surrounding valleys. The nearest ski lifts are the small Domobianca area above Domodossola, roughly 25-35 minutes by road, while larger Ossola ski areas such as San Domenico are farther and do not change the immediate setting. Domodossola is the nearest town of size, with rail links, shops, services and a substantial historic centre. This part of Ossola is known for stone villages, terraced slopes, chestnut woods and access to the Swiss border valleys.