Casa bifamiliare
TERRATETTO NEL CUORE DEL BORGO DI COLAZZA: Nel suggestivo centro storico di Colazza, tra caratteristici vicoli e scorci panoramici, proponiamo in vendita un terratetto disposto su due livelli, ideale per chi desidera realizzare una casa su misura o investire in una proprietà dal grande potenziale. Situato in Vicolo…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Not before the basics are done
Condition not stated in the listingMust be done first
- Damp
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
See what needs doing and what each job costs
The €14,000 price is exceptionally low, but the listing explicitly requires a complete renovation: estimated total cost is about €93,200, or €1,294/m², versus a local benchmark of €345/m². The historic-center setting, balcony and proximity to Lake Maggiore add appeal, but the listing does not say whether bathrooms, systems or permits are in place.
More on the house and the area
The panoramic balcony views, stone-paved lanes, traditional shutters, and decorative fireplace give this townhouse genuine historic charm. However, it is a complete-renovation project with no bathroom, very poor interior condition, and limited demonstrated livability, so the beautiful setting cannot lift it into the dream-home range.
All the services redone, bathrooms, kitchen, windows. The structure is left alone.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Our read of the photos, €1,100/m², falls in this band.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€28,000 – €42,000
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.
- Complete renovation required, including severely deteriorated interiors and finishes.
- No bathroom is shown or listed; kitchen and utility areas appear unusable.
- No private parking; access is on foot through narrow historic-borgo lanes.
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 86/100Lake Maggiore is at Arona, with the long lake basin running north between the Piedmont and Lombardy shores. The Ticino begins here at Sesto Calende, and the south end of the lake leads into the Parco naturale della Valle del Ticino in Piedmont and the Lombard Ticino park across the river. The Mottarone massif rises east of the lake; the Stresa and Baveno side is within about 15 km across the water, and the Mottarone road and summit area are around a 35 to 45 minute drive. Arona is one of the main towns on the southern part of Lake Maggiore, with ferry connections on the lake and rail links toward Novara, Milan and Domodossola. Across the lake, the Borromean Gulf and the Borromean Islands are in the wider lake area, though not within the immediate 15 km radius. The area is known for the lake landscape and for lakeside resort towns around the lower Borromeo part of Lake Maggiore.