Casa Singola [Rif: L-63]
Casa Singola [Rif: L-63]. Needs renovation, garage, balcone, terrazzo.
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Livable, but something basic is worn out
In the listingNeeds renovationSee what needs doing and what each job costs
The €25,000 asking price is attractive, but estimated renovation brings the total to about €93,600, or €955/m² versus a local benchmark of €416/m². The garage, balcony and terrace add value, though the property still requires substantial work and is 10 km from the sea.
More on the house and the area
This is a real, roofed and usable townhouse rather than a ruin, with several bedrooms, bathrooms, a small kitchen, balconies and a terrace. Its strongest charm is the preserved patterned period tilework and traditional urban character, while the façade and interiors need substantial cosmetic renovation. At €25,000 for 98 sqm with garage/terrace, the price is the main attraction, not a spectacular setting.
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€19,000 – €34,000
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 exterior has significant peeling plaster, staining, exposed wiring and general deferred maintenance.
- Interiors are usable but dated, with very narrow spaces and basic bathrooms; renovation and modernization are likely needed.
- No attractive outlook or private garden is shown, and the condition of the roof, utilities and garage should be checked.
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 51/100The cluster lies on the Plain of Catania, with broad low agricultural land around the town and the foothills rising inland toward the Iblei. The San Leonardo river runs near Lentini, and the Lentini plain has long been used for citrus cultivation. Lake Lentini is close to the town; it is one of the larger artificial lakes in Sicily and part of the immediate landscape. Catania is the nearest large city, with full city services, a major rail station and the airport. This area is known above all for oranges and other citrus from the plain.