Casale/cascina in Via Don Giovanni Minzoni, 3, Guardiagrele,
Casale/cascina in Via Don Giovanni Minzoni, 3, Guardiagrele,. Needs renovation, garage, balcone, terrazzo.
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Move in as it is
In the listingNeeds renovationThe photographs say otherwise, and we go by the photographs.
See what needs doing and what each job costs
At €413/m², the asking price is already about 33% above the local €311/m² benchmark; allowing roughly €700/m² for renovation raises the effective cost to about €1,113/m². The 230 m² size, garage, terrace and 29 photos add appeal, but the renovation burden makes this a weak deal.
More on the house and the area
A substantial farmhouse with livable interiors, balconies, a large paved courtyard, an olive grove, and dramatic mountain views. The stone arch and traditional village setting add character, while the 230 sqm size at €95,000 is compelling. It is not move-in polished, but this looks like a real home needing modernization rather than an empty shell.
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€46,000 – €81,000
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.
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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.
- The main house appears usable but dated and needs renovation.
- Several outbuildings and roofs look rough or improvised.
- Verify heating, utilities, structural condition, and access to the olive grove.
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 77/100The Maiella massif rises immediately above Guardiagrele, and the slopes around the town are part of the Maiella area. The Maiella National Park lies within this radius on the mountain side. The Foro river valley runs below the town toward the Adriatic. The nearest ski lifts are at Passolanciano on the Maiella, about a 25-minute drive, with Majelletta a little beyond on the same road. Guardiagrele itself is the main town locally, with a substantial historic centre and services; Chieti is the nearest larger provincial town within daily reach. The area is known in Abruzzo for mountain access from a hill town position and for traditional metalworking and pastry production in Guardiagrele.