Rustico/casale in Via Caroso
nel Comune di Borzonasca (Ge) in località Caroso (a soli 1,5 km dal centro di Borzonasca) lotto immobiliare composto da due manufatti a destinazione agricola (ex stalle - ricovero attrezzi - fienili) oltre a rudere di vecchia abitazione (ex casa del contadino) e da circa 8 ettari di terreno (di fatto un unico corpo)…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
A project, not a home yet
Condition not stated in the listing- Registered as agricultural or storage, not as a dwelling
Must be done first
- Structure
- Windows
See what needs doing and what each job costs
The €40,000 asking price looks low at €160/m², but the 110 m² dwelling is partially ruined and the other 120 m² are agricultural/storage buildings, producing an estimated effective cost of about €1,060/m² after renovation versus a €462 local benchmark. The 8 hectares and possible change of use add value, but planning and landscape restrictions make this a complex, high-risk project.
More on the house and the area
This is an unusually wild Ligurian mountain property with a beautiful valley setting, extensive woodland and around 8 hectares of land. However, it is primarily a renovation project: the former home is partially ruined, while the sounder buildings are agricultural stores rather than move-in-ready living spaces.
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, €900/m², falls in this band.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€50,000 – €88,000
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.
- The 110 sqm residential building is partially ruined and completely requires renovation.
- The two agricultural buildings are structurally sound but are not currently presented as homes; utilities, bathrooms and kitchens are unconfirmed.
- The property is in a steep, wooded rural setting with access involving a short unpaved section and significant landscaping work.
- Landscape restrictions and agricultural zoning may complicate conversion and renovation.
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 58/100The cluster sits in the Ligurian Apennines (Appennino Ligure) within the Val Graveglia. The Graveglia stream runs through the valley system around the village. The nearby coast is the Ligurian Sea (Gulf of Tigullio). The Parco naturale regionale dell'Aveto is the main protected area in the surrounding mountains (its territory and foothills lie to the northeast of the valley). The immediate area is wooded with beech and chestnut stands and scattered small agricultural plots and hamlets. The nearest sizable coastal towns with regional rail connections and a full range of shops and services are on the Tigullio (Chiavari/Lavagna); Genoa is the provincial capital and the nearest major rail/air hub. There is no UNESCO site or national tourist designation centred on the village itself. The local economy and landscape are characterised by forestry, small-scale agriculture and mountain-hiking access.