Palazzina indipendente a Monreale
PALAZZINA INDIPENDENTE A MONREALE. Needs renovation, autonomo heating, balcone, impianto tv centralizzato, esposizione doppia.
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Livable, but something basic is worn out
In the listingNeeds renovationSee what needs doing and what each job costs
The €38,000 asking price looks low at €330/m², but a substantial renovation allowance of about €700/m² brings the effective cost to roughly €1,030/m², well above the local €413/m² benchmark. Monreale and the balcony are positives, but the listing gives little detail on the renovation scope.
More on the house and the area
This is a substantial, genuinely usable townhouse with multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, traditional terrazzo-style floors and a wonderful rooftop view over Monreale’s tiled roofs, church landmarks and Sicilian mountains. It is not move-in polished: the kitchen and bathrooms are very dated, and visible cracks and water-related deterioration suggest real renovation work. At €38,000, the combination of 115 sqm, historic town character and exceptional views gives it strong dream-home appeal.
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€23,000 – €41,000
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.
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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.
- Clearly dated interiors and bathrooms/kitchen need modernization.
- Visible ceiling cracks, peeling paint and damp-looking areas warrant a technical inspection.
- Town-center access involves many stairs and there is no evident private garden or parking.
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 Conca d’Oro plain between the Tyrrhenian coast and the mountains that close the city from inland, including Monte Pellegrino and the first heights of the Palermo Mountains. The coast of the Gulf of Palermo is part of daily geography, with the city’s port and urban waterfront. Monte Pellegrino and the Capo Gallo area are the main natural landmarks close to the city. Palermo is the nearest major centre and has the full range of services, a large historic core, major monuments and transport links. Arab-Norman Palermo and the cathedral churches of Cefalù and Monreale is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with several of the listed monuments in the city and Monreale just outside it. The area is known for Palermo’s historic fabric and for the setting between sea and limestone relief.