Sestola, loc. Vesale, antica casa padronale.
Sestola, loc. Vesale, all'interno del caratteristico borgo, antica casa padronale di ampie metrature in buono stato di manutenzione con caratteristici elementi architettonici, oltre a fabbricato di servizio ad uso garage e deposito e vari appezzamenti di terreno e bosco. Classe energetica: in corso di valutazione.
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
383sqm villa at 256 EUR/m2 vs baseline median 422 is ~39% below market, a strong signal. Fresh listing (1 day), 26 photos, extras (garage, cellar, terrace, land+woods). Description says 'buono stato di manutenzione' (good maintenance) yet the condition field says 'needs renovation' — mild contradiction, so budget moderate reno. Only 1 bathroom for 6 beds and missing building year/energy class dock some confidence, but price and location in a characteristic mountain borgo make this a solid deal.
More on the house and the area
Old manor house (casa padronale) in the characterful hamlet of Vesale, Sestola, Apennine village setting. Exterior has genuine period charm: ochre render, faded blue shutters, wrought-iron balcony, arched carved-stone doorway. Interior shows authentic historic features - stone flagstone floors, exposed beams, a carved stone fireplace dated 1908 - but everything is dated and needs renovation. Terrace under a vine pergola opens to a green valley/mountain view. Large footprint (383 sqm) plus garage/deposit outbuilding and land/woodland. At EUR256/sqm it is cheap, but the ruined stone annex and single dated bathroom temper the appeal. Solid charmer for a restoration project rather than an instant scroll-stopper.
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.
Our read of the photos, €400/m², falls in this band.
All the services redone, bathrooms, kitchen, windows. The structure is left alone.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€44,000 – €75,000
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.
- Needs full renovation - electrics, plumbing, kitchens and baths are all dated/decayed
- Only 1 bathroom despite 383 sqm and 6 beds
- Adjoining stone service building is a near-ruin (collapsing dry-stone walls)
- Energy class not assessed
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 74/100The cluster is in the Modenese Apennines, with Monte Cimone and the northern Apennine ridge within the local landscape. The Scoltenna valley runs through this part of the mountains, with forested slopes, pasture and ski terrain around Monte Cimone. The Alto Appennino Modenese Regional Park is nearby. The nearest ski lifts are those of the Cimone area around Sestola and Fanano, reached in a short drive depending on the exact hamlet. Sestola has a substantial mountain-town centre with everyday services and a fortress above the town. This area is known for mountain tourism, hiking and winter sports around Monte Cimone.