Terratetto unifamiliare in Pontremoli
Antico Casale in Pietra – Un tuffo nella storia dell’Alta Lunigiana Nel cuore pulsante dell’Alta Lunigiana, immerso nel borgo medievale di Cervara — frazione del Comune di Pontremoli (MS) dove il tempo sembra essersi fermato e le antiche tradizioni rivivono in ogni pietra — proponiamo in vendita un affascinante rudere…
What it really costs
See what needs doing and what each job costs
Listed at €238/m² vs regional median of €650/m², so headline price looks cheap. But the description explicitly describes a 'rudere' (ruin) 'da ristrutturare integralmente' (needing complete renovation), with no bathrooms (baths=0), no energy class, no condition rating, and built ~1800. This is not habitable and requires full structural renovation, easily €1,200–1,800/m². For 80 m² that adds ~€120k on top of the €19k purchase, making the true all-in cost roughly €1,700/m² — near or above median for a finished property. Also shares an 'aia in comune' (shared courtyard) hinting at possible shared/partial elements. Fresh listing (1 day). Decent value only for a buyer wanting a restoration project with realistic budget; not a turnkey bargain.
More on the house and the area
Stone ruin in the medieval hamlet of Cervara (Pontremoli, Alta Lunigiana). The standout feature is the vaulted stone cellar interior with original arches — atmospheric and genuinely characterful. The tall stone facades, worn stone staircases, and vintage green doors carry real historic patina. However, exterior shots reveal serious deterioration: brick-patched gable, collapsing roof timbers, and daylight through the roof structure. This is a total-gut project, not a turnkey charmer. The €19k price and green rural surroundings add modest bargain appeal, but the wow is tempered by the scale of ruin and generic watermarked imagery. Solid historic bones, but requires vision and substantial investment.
All the services redone, bathrooms, kitchen, windows. The structure is left alone.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Our read of the photos, €1,500/m², falls in this band.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€32,000 – €47,000
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.
- Complete ruin requiring full renovation (roof partially collapsed, exposed timbers)
- No bathrooms, no energy class, structurally compromised
- Watermarked listing photos
- Remote medieval hamlet - access and services limited
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 is in the upper Magra valley, with the northern Tuscan-Emilian Apennines and the Ligurian Apennines around it. The Magra river runs through Pontremoli. The area is part of the historical Lunigiana, with wooded ridges, cultivated valley floor and stone hamlets on the slopes. The nearest ski lifts are the Zum Zeri area in the Zeri mountains, roughly 30–40 minutes by road depending on the access point. Pontremoli itself is the main town nearby and has a substantial preserved historic centre, the Castello del Piagnaro and services for the upper valley. Pontremoli holds Bandiera Arancione status. The wider area is known for Lunigiana castles, the Via Francigena and testaroli.