Rustico nel caratteristico borgo di desertes
Desertes, DZERTA in patois occitano locale, è una frazione del comune di Cesana Torinese, di origini antichissime, che sorge a 1550 m sulla sinistra della DORA RIPARIA. Il borgo prende il nome dalle distruzioni e dai massacri subiti dalle popolazioni ad opera dei Saraceni. All’inizio del XIX secolo la zona entrò a far…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Not before the basics are done
In the listingNeeds renovation- Registered as agricultural or storage, not as a dwelling
See what needs doing and what each job costs
The description identifies the building as a rustico with 'locale di sgombero' and cellar, with no stated dwelling spaces, beds, or bathrooms, so it does not read as a legally habitable home. At €28,000 for 86 sqm it looks cheap, but for a non-habitable/storage-type property the low price is not a real bargain.
More on the house and the area
The stone walls, arched opening and alpine hamlet setting give it real rustic character, and the mountain backdrop adds charm. But this is not a ready home: the interior shown is basically a raw hayloft/barn with no habitable rooms, services or finishes visible. It feels more like a romantic shell in a beautiful place than a house you could soon live in.
All the services redone, bathrooms, kitchen, windows. The structure is left alone.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Our read of the photos, €1,100/m², falls in this band.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€34,000 – €50,000
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.
- Full renovation project; no bathroom or kitchen shown
- Barn-like raw interior with very limited current livability
- Roof and timber structure look aged and may need major works
- Likely basic borgo access/parking constraints
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 88/100The Cottian Alps are the immediate setting, with the upper Val di Susa running through the area and high ridges on both sides of the valley. The Dora Riparia flows down the valley. The cluster is within the Via Lattea ski area, with lifts at Cesana and nearby San Sicario and Sestriere reached in a short drive. Oulx is the nearest town of size, with rail services, shops and everyday services; Turin is the main city farther down the valley. The Monti della Luna area above Cesana is known for alpine pasture and ski terrain, and the French border at Montgenèvre is just beyond the pass.