Terratetto unifamiliare in Garzeno
Porzione di casa su 4 livelli da circa 35 metri l'uno con terrazzo e cantina da ristrutturare in centro paese con servizi vicini
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Not before the basics are done
In the listingNeeds renovationMust be done first
- Damp
- Wiring
See what needs doing and what each job costs
At €35,000 (€389/m²), the purchase price looks low, but a full renovation at roughly €700/m² brings the effective cost to about €98,000, or €1,089/m²—well above the local €418/m² benchmark. The listing says four levels of about 35 m² each, which conflicts with the stated 90 m² and should be verified; the central village location and nearby services are positives.
More on the house and the area
This is an atmospheric old village townhouse with traditional shutters, aged plaster, stone surroundings, and a small terrace, giving it genuine historic character. However, the interiors are heavily dated and cluttered, with visible damp and deterioration; it is a renovation project rather than a ready-to-live-in dream 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.
- Substantial renovation is needed, including damp/decayed finishes and likely roof and services checks.
- The home is spread over four levels in a very narrow historic-center setting, which may limit convenience and access.
- No clear bathroom, kitchen, heating, or utility condition is shown in the photos.
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 78/100The cluster is in the Alto Lario mountains above Lake Como, with the Lepontine Alps and the western branch of the Orobie close by. Lake Como is within the local area below the village, and the ground rises quickly from the lake shore into steep wooded slopes, side valleys and high pasture. The nearest ski lifts are the small lifts at Pian di Bobbio and Madesimo, both well over an hour away, so skiing is not part of the immediate setting. The nearest larger town is Menaggio on the lake, with ferry links and the usual services of the central Lario area; Como is much farther south. This part of the upper lake is known for mountain hamlets, chestnut woods, alpine pasture and old mule tracks linking the valleys.