Appartamento a Cuvio
Porzione di edificio a cortina a destinazione residenziale, composta da n. 3 piani fuori terra (piano terra, piano primo e piano sottotetto), sita in una zona periferica di Cuvio.
What it really costs
- Only a share of the property is for sale
See what needs doing and what each job costs
Price of 58 EUR/m2 is far below the 153 EUR/m2 baseline, and 293 sqm for 17k EUR looks attractive on paper. However, this is a 'porzione di edificio' (portion of a building) in a peripheral area, suggesting partial ownership or a shared structure. The very low price strongly implies significant restoration needs. Baseline sample is moderate but the low price relative to it hints the property is not comparable to typical stock. Fresh listing (5 days). Net: potentially decent value for a renovation project, but hidden costs and ownership ambiguity keep it at fair rather than good.
More on the house and the area
Large 293sqm three-story palazzo at just €17,101 (€58/m²) offers strong bargain appeal. The exterior shows genuine historic character—a decorative oval window frame, stone fireplace, vaulted ceilings, and old timber beams. However, the interior is in derelict, uninhabitable condition with peeling plaster, collapsed ceiling sections, debris, and abandoned fixtures throughout. A full gut renovation is required. Location is peripheral with no view or notable natural setting. The wow here is mainly the price-to-size ratio plus salvageable period details.
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, €800/m², falls in this band.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€58,000 – €103,000
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.
- Completely gutted interior requiring full renovation
- No bathrooms/kitchens functional, structural work evident (ceiling damage, debris)
- No condition, year, or energy class data
- Peripheral location in Cuvio, no view or notable 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 68/100The area lies in the lakes-and-hills belt of northern Varese between Lake Maggiore and the first Prealpine ridges. Lake Maggiore is within about 10 km to the west, and Lake Varese lies to the south-east. The Campo dei Fiori massif and the Varese Prealps are nearby, with the Parco Regionale Campo dei Fiori within reach to the east. The nearest ski lifts are the small lifts around the Forcora area above Maccagno, roughly an hour’s drive, which is outside the immediate landscape. The nearest town of size is Varese, which has a full range of services, rail links and a substantial historic centre. The area is known for a mix of wooded hills, small lakes, and access to the Maggiore shore towns such as Laveno-Mombello.