Rustico da ristrutturare
RUSTICO DA RISTRUTTURARE. Needs renovation, accesso per disabili, balcone, cantina.
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Not before the basics are done
In the listingNeeds renovationMust be done first
- Structure
- Roof
- Damp
- Wiring
- Heating
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
See what needs doing and what each job costs
At €15,000 (€150/m²), the low asking price is offset by an estimated €70,000 renovation, bringing the effective cost to about €850/m² versus a €345/m² local baseline. The listing confirms substantial renovation is needed but gives no further detail on the building’s age, energy performance, or scope of works.
More on the house and the area
The old stone-and-brick townhouse has genuine historic character, including arched openings, exposed masonry and traditional timber construction in a compact village setting. However, the interiors are essentially unfinished storage rooms with damaged-looking roofs, rough floors and no evidence of current livability, so the €15,000 price reflects a serious restoration project rather than a cheap ready 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€20,000 – €35,000
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.
- This is a substantial renovation project, not a move-in home: interiors are stripped, cluttered and lack visible kitchen or usable bathroom.
- The timber roofs, balconies and floors appear aged and potentially unsafe, requiring a structural survey.
- Expect major work on utilities, moisture, windows, finishes and possibly roof replacement.
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.