Casa indipendente su più livelli
CASA INDIPENDENTE SU PIÙ LIVELLI. Habitable, garage.
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Livable, but something basic is worn out
In the listingHabitableMust be done first
- Damp
- Kitchen
See what needs doing and what each job costs
The €55,000 asking price is €333/m², but estimated habitable-home works of about €33,000 bring the effective cost to roughly €533/m², above the €417/m² local benchmark. The independent 165 m² townhouse has five bedrooms, two bathrooms and a garage, but its inland location offers no clear additional premium.
More on the house and the area
A substantial traditional townhouse with terrazzo floors, original shutters, vintage chandeliers, a courtyard and garage, offered at a very low price for 165 sqm. The main living areas appear usable, with a functioning bathroom and kitchen, but the house is dated and shows moisture damage, so it is more of a practical refresh project than a beautiful dream home.
Decoration, tired fittings, a bathroom or a kitchen. The house is liveable as it stands.
Our read of the photos is €200/m². There is no published price band below €350/m², so the range is that figure widened by the spread of the lightest band.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€11,000 – €18,000
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.
- Clearly dated interiors with visible damp or peeling plaster in places.
- Heating and electrical/plumbing systems appear old and should be checked.
- The upper attic/storage levels look more basic and may need renovation; there is no notable view or garden setting.
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 41/100This is flat Po Valley countryside between Cremona and Mantua, with a landscape of fields, canals and scattered farmsteads. The Oglio river runs a few kilometres east of Vescovato, with levees, riparian strips and the Oglio Sud Regional Park farther downstream on the lower river plain. The nearest town of size is Cremona, which has a substantial historic centre, the cathedral and Torrazzo, and is known for violin making.