Casa Indipendente in vendita a Pettinengo
A Pettinengo in fr. San Francesco, in zona panoramica e immersa nel verde delle colline circostanti, si propone in vendita casa di inizio schiera di 2 piani fuori terra con piccolo giardino. L' immobile è così composto: al piano terra abbiamo una cucina semi abitabile, un soggiorno impreziosito con un camino a legna ed…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Move in as it is
In the listingHabitableSee what needs doing and what each job costs
The €17,000 asking price is exceptionally low at €155/m², but a €22,000 allowance for habitable-condition upgrades brings the effective cost to about €355/m², broadly in line with the €345/m² local reference. The good roof, garden, heating and 30 photos support the listing, while its remote hillside setting limits location upside.
More on the house and the area
This is a highly atmospheric, genuinely usable old townhouse with warm wood ceilings, an impressive fireplace, antique furnishings, a balcony, and a lovely panoramic view over the green hills and distant plain. The kitchen, bathroom, finishes, and exterior are basic and worn rather than turnkey, but the roof is reported in good condition and the house feels like a real liveable home rather than a renovation shell.
Decoration, tired fittings, a bathroom or a kitchen. The house is liveable as it stands.
Our read of the photos is €200/m². There is no published price band below €350/m², so the range is that figure widened by the spread of the lightest band.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€7,000 – €12,000
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.
- The home is habitable but visibly dated and would benefit from cosmetic renovation.
- The bathroom is basic and there is only one bathroom for four bedrooms.
- Heating is wood-fired; confirm utilities, insulation, and the condition of the older roof and stairways.
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 72/100The cluster is in the Biellese at the foot of the Biellese Alps. The Cervo valley and the first Alpine ridges are within this radius, with Oropa above Biella on the mountain side. The Santuario di Oropa and the Sacri Monti complex are within reach of the town and Oropa is part of the UNESCO-listed Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy. The Oasi Zegna lies in the upper Biellese mountains, with forested slopes and panoramic roads, though its main area is beyond the immediate radius. The nearest town of size is Biella, which has full services, a historic centre and the textile-manufacturing identity for which the area is known. The area is known for wool and textile production, prealpine valleys and the Oropa sanctuary landscape.