Quadrilocale in Torregrotta
Quadrilocale in Torregrotta. Needs renovation, terrazzo, 500 m from the sea.
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Livable, but something basic is worn out
In the listingNeeds renovationMust be done first
- Damp
- Windows
See what needs doing and what each job costs
At €75,000 (€514/m²), the asking price is already slightly above the local €483/m² benchmark; estimated renovation costs of about €102,200 raise the effective cost to roughly €1,213/m². The sea is only 500 metres away and the 146 m² terrace apartment has 22 photos, but the substantial renovation need makes this weak value.
More on the house and the area
This is a substantial 146 sqm home with usable rooms, two bathrooms, an existing kitchen, balconies, and a large rooftop terrace with a pleasant view toward the surrounding hills. It is not a shell, but the interiors and exterior surfaces are visibly tired, with damp staining and extensive cosmetic renovation needed; the appeal is practical space and the low price rather than distinctive beauty.
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€29,000 – €51,000
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.
- Significant renovation is needed, including damp-damaged plaster, worn doors/windows, and general updating.
- The large rooftop terrace appears weathered and may need waterproofing or structural checks.
- Urban main-road setting means traffic, noise, and limited privacy are likely.
- Utilities and the actual condition of the roof, wiring, plumbing, and heating should be verified.
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 sits on the north-east Sicilian coast on the Gulf of Milazzo, with the Tyrrhenian Sea immediately nearby. The Peloritani mountains rise a short distance inland behind this stretch of coast. Milazzo is the nearest substantial town; it has a large historic centre, port, and services, and the headland there is the main local landmark. Messina is also close enough for higher-order services and ferry links to the mainland. This part of the coast is known for small seaside settlements, citrus and olive cultivation in the plain and lower slopes, and views across the strait-side corner of north-eastern Sicily.