Bilocale in Palermo
Bilocale in Palermo. Habitable, balcone.
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Livable, but something basic is worn out
In the listingHabitableSee what needs doing and what each job costs
At €65,000 for 53 m², the effective cost is about €1,426/m² after a modest habitable-home allowance, far above the €483/m² local comparison level. The apartment is presented as habitable with a balcony and 20 photos, but the price leaves little margin for a buyer.
More on the house and the area
A genuinely habitable Palermo apartment with a practical kitchen, furnished bedroom, air conditioning, and no obvious major renovation required. Its appeal comes mainly from the older urban building and repeated balconies, but the interiors are ordinary and the setting lacks a standout view, garden, or terrace.
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€4,000 – €6,000
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.
- Interiors are clean and usable but dated, with older furnishings and finishes.
- The building facade shows extensive patching and deferred exterior maintenance.
- The small balconies offer urban outlooks rather than a meaningful view or private outdoor space.
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 Palermo on the Tyrrhenian coast, with Monte Pellegrino immediately above the city and the Conca d’Oro plain around it. The sea is part of the setting, with the Gulf of Palermo and the urban beaches at Mondello and Addaura within the city. Palermo is the nearest large centre and has the region’s main concentration of historic fabric, services, transport and monuments, including the Arab-Norman UNESCO sites. Monreale, just above the city on the inland side, is also part of the same urban landscape and UNESCO listing. The area is known for its coastal city setting between mountain slopes and sea.