Rustico in Valbrevenna
Rustico in Valbrevenna. Needs renovation, garage.
What it really costs
Can you move in?
A project, not a home yet
In the listingNeeds renovationMust be done first
- Wiring
- Plumbing
- Heating
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
See what needs doing and what each job costs
At €800/m² before works, the estimated all-in cost is about €1,500/m² versus a €454 local benchmark. This 20 m² one-room rustico has no bathroom or bedroom, and the listing does not say whether it is currently habitable or legally usable as a dwelling.
More on the house and the area
The mountain-valley setting and compact historic hamlet are genuinely appealing, with strong views and traditional tiled-roof character. However, the property is essentially an unfinished garage/rustico with a raw floor, exposed brick, no bathroom, and no living facilities, so it is a renovation project rather than a usable 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€4,000 – €7,000
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.
- This is a 20 sqm raw rustic structure, not a livable home.
- No bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, or finished interior is shown; substantial renovation will be required.
- Steep hillside access and overgrown outdoor areas may complicate construction and daily use.
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 68/100The cluster is in the Ligurian Apennines, in the upper Brevenna valley between wooded ridges and steep-sided side valleys. The Brevenna stream runs through the valley and the Aveto Regional Natural Park begins nearby to the east, covering a larger block of Apennine forest and high ground in this part of inland Genoa. The nearest ski lifts are the small Santo Stefano d'Aveto area, roughly 1 hour away by mountain roads. The nearest town of size is Genoa, which provides full city services and rail connections but lies beyond the immediate valley landscape. This inland part of the province is known for chestnut woods, scattered stone hamlets and traditional mountain agriculture tied to the Ligurian Apennines.