Reggio di Calabria
Reggio di Calabria. Needs renovation, autonomo heating, 500 m from the sea.
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Move in as it is
In the listingNeeds renovationThe photographs say otherwise, and we go by the photographs.
See what needs doing and what each job costs
At €4,937 (€53/m²), the purchase price is extremely low, but estimated renovation brings the effective cost to about €75,000 (€752/m²), well above the local €448/m² benchmark. The sea location is a positive, though the listing does not state the bathroom situation and provides only a very sparse description.
More on the house and the area
The apartment has bright, spacious modern-looking areas, a fitted kitchen, attractive bathroom, and practical apartment-block living near the sea. However, the gallery is inconsistent: one room appears seriously dated and the facts explicitly say renovation is needed, so this is not a polished dream home yet. The extremely low price creates major bargain appeal if the condition and paperwork check out.
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 – €33,000
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.
- The listing says it needs renovation, and one interior photo shows a very dark, worn room.
- The advertised price is exceptionally low and should be carefully verified, including legal status, utilities, and whether the renovated-looking rooms belong to this exact unit.
- No sea view or private outdoor space is shown; the building exterior is a standard apartment block.
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 55/100The cluster is in the built-up area of Reggio Calabria on the Strait of Messina, with the Aspromonte massif rising inland within a short distance. The coast here is the urban waterfront rather than a natural beach landscape. Aspromonte National Park begins inland and defines the immediate hinterland of the city. Reggio Calabria is the nearest city and has full urban services, a ferry connection across the strait, and the National Archaeological Museum of Magna Graecia. The area is known for views across the strait to Sicily and for bergamot cultivation in the wider Reggio area.