Rustico/casale
Altavilla Monf. to località Franchini - Ampia e antica cascina, libera su tre lati, risalente ad inizio '800 con classici locali tipo ex stalla, depositi, magazzini, ex fienili porticati terra tetto, locali per deposito mezzi e seconda struttura su due livelli con camere vario uso. La parte abitativa si sviluppa su due…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Livable, but something basic is worn out
Condition not stated in the listingMust be done first
- Wiring
See what needs doing and what each job costs
The €89,000 asking price is only €148/m², but this 600 m² farmhouse includes former stables, warehouses, haylofts and other ancillary spaces, with just one bathroom and no stated condition. Assuming substantial renovation at about €700/m², the effective cost is roughly €848/m², far above the local €260/m² benchmark; the five hectares of land add value but do not resolve the refurbishment uncertainty.
More on the house and the area
This is a substantial early-1800s Piedmont farmhouse with genuine historic character, including frescoed ceilings, original furnishings, a tunnel and infernot, plus a private courtyard and about 5 hectares of land and woodland. The main residence appears roofed, furnished and usable rather than a bare shell, but it is old-fashioned and would need modernization, with only one bathroom for its size.
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€119,000 – €211,000
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.
- Very dated interiors and finishes; substantial modernization is likely needed.
- Only one bathroom is listed for a very large 600 sqm property.
- Large former farm, barns and storage areas may require major maintenance or renovation.
- Energy class G; verify heating, utilities, roof and structural condition.
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 66/100This is the Monferrato hill country, with rolling cultivated hills, vineyards and mixed farmland. The Po plain lies to the north and the Tanaro valley is part of the wider area around Alessandria. Casale Monferrato is the nearest town of size, with services and a substantial historic centre; Alessandria is also nearby for wider rail, shopping and administrative functions. Parts of Monferrato are UNESCO-listed as the vineyard landscape of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato, though the core recognised wine landscapes are not all centered on Fubine itself. The area is known for wine growing, especially Barbera and Grignolino, and for the broader food-and-wine landscape of the Casalese and Monferrato.