Borzonasca-villa-267mq
BORZONASCA-VILLA-267MQ. Needs renovation, garage, mansarda, esposizione esterna, balcone, terrazzo, arredato, cantina.
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Not before the basics are done
In the listingNeeds renovationSee what needs doing and what each job costs
The €65,000 asking price is attractive at €243/m², but substantial renovation at roughly €700/m² brings the effective cost to about €943/m², well above the €500/m² local benchmark. The 267 m² size, garage, cellar, terrace and panoramic outlook add appeal, but the property is 13 km from the sea and the listing does not specify the building year or energy class.
More on the house and the area
This is a substantial Ligurian village townhouse with colorful traditional façades, balconies, terraces and a genuinely appealing wooded mountain backdrop. It appears roofed and structurally substantial rather than a ruin, but the exterior wear and stated renovation requirement mean it is a project, not a ready-to-live-in dream 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€53,000 – €94,000
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.
- The property clearly needs renovation, with visibly weathered façades and terraces.
- Only one bathroom is listed for a large 267 sqm home.
- No interior photos are provided, so the kitchen, utilities, flooring and actual livability cannot be verified.
- The townhouse-style setting includes shared-looking access areas and many exterior stairs.
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 72/100The cluster sits in the upper Sturla valley in the Ligurian Apennines. The Aveto Regional Natural Park begins nearby and covers the higher country inland around Monte Penna, Monte Aiona and the Aveto valley. The Sturla river runs through this area toward Chiavari. The nearest coast in daily use is the Tigullio shore around Chiavari and Lavagna. The nearest town of size is Chiavari, which has a full rail station, hospital and larger services. Santo Stefano d'Aveto, the main mountain centre inland, has the nearest ski lifts, about 35–45 minutes by road depending on the hamlet. The area is known for chestnut woods, beech forest, small mountain pastures and for the mushrooms and dairy produce of the Aveto interior.