Rustico in Tortona
Rustico in Tortona. Needs renovation.
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Not before the basics are done
In the listingNeeds renovationMust be done first
- Windows
See what needs doing and what each job costs
At €23,000, the 80 m² farmhouse appears cheap upfront, but estimated renovation brings the effective cost to about €79,000, or €988/m², versus roughly €263/m² for comparable Piemonte stock. The description is extremely sparse and does not say whether the building is legally habitable, or provide details on utilities, roof, structure, or permits.
More on the house and the area
This has some authentic Piedmontese character in the exposed brick and old tiled roof, but the surrounding urban courtyard is ordinary rather than picturesque. The building appears to be an empty rustic shell with open window and door voids, debris, and no visible 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€16,000 – €28,000
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.
- Empty, unfinished interior with no visible bathroom or kitchen
- Substantial renovation is required before it can be lived in
- No garden or meaningful views are evident; the outdoor area appears rough and shared/parking-like
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 53/100The area is the lower Scrivia valley at the edge of the Tortonese hills, with mixed farmland, vineyards and low rolling ridges. The Scrivia river runs nearby. Within this radius the main centre is Tortona itself, which has a substantial historic core, services and rail connections. The area is known for wine and agricultural production of the Colli Tortonesi.