Rustico in Dongo
Rustico in Dongo. Needs renovation, caminetto, mansarda, taverna, esposizione esterna, 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
- Kitchen
- Windows
See what needs doing and what each job costs
The €49,000 purchase price is attractive at €262/m², but the 187 m² farmhouse needs substantial renovation, estimated at about €700/m², bringing the effective cost to roughly €962/m² versus a local benchmark of €352/m². The lake setting, balcony, cellar and fireplace add appeal, but they do not offset the renovation burden.
More on the house and the area
The lake-and-mountain panorama from this historic Dongo village house is genuinely spectacular, with attractive old roofs, stonework, and traditional interiors. However, the 187 sqm property is a serious renovation project: several rooms have damaged floors and ceilings, exposed deterioration, and no usable modern living setup visible.
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€37,000 – €66,000
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.
- Major renovation is required throughout, with damaged ceilings, floors, plaster, windows, and visible moisture.
- The home appears uninhabitable in its current state and may require structural and roof inspections.
- Access is through narrow stepped village lanes, with no evident private outdoor space 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 91/100Lake Como is at the town, on the upper western shore where the lake opens into the Alto Lario basin. The lower slopes of the Lepontine Alps rise immediately behind the lakeside settlements, with the Valchiavenna and Valtellina mountain systems feeding into the north end of the lake nearby. Pian di Spagna lies at the head of the lake within about 15 km; it is a protected reserve of wetlands, reed beds and the Mera and Adda river mouths. The nearest ski lifts are small local stations in Valsassina and Valchiavenna at roughly an hour or more by road; the major Alpine ski domains are farther and do not define the immediate setting. Menaggio and Colico are the nearest larger centres for daily services, and Como is the main provincial city farther down the lake. The area is known for historic lakeside villages, Romanesque churches and olive terraces on the lower slopes, with boat links along the lake.