Cascina in Fonteno
OCCASIONE rustico/cascina da ristrutturare completamente, di mia proprietà a FONTENO (BG) VICINO AI COLLI DI SAN FERMO CON TERRENO AGRICOLO, LOCALITA' COLLETTO, dotato di 9000 mq di terreno di proprietà esclusiva In una vallata incontaminata con affaccio sul lago d'Iseo e a pochissima distanza dai Colli di San fermo,…
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
At €45,000 for 234 sqm, the asking price is only €192/sqm versus a €389/sqm baseline, but it is explicitly 'da ristrutturare completamente', so I estimate about €1,100/sqm renovation, bringing the effective cost to roughly €1,292/sqm. Lake view, approved project, utilities, road access and 9,000 sqm of land help, but at 1,200 m elevation this is still a substantial full-restoration project rather than a clear bargain.
More on the house and the area
The setting is the real draw: a secluded mountain farmhouse with lots of land and a lovely green valley/lake outlook. But this is still a full renovation rustico rather than a usable home today, and most interior images are project renderings, not the current condition. At €45k for 234 sqm plus 9,000 sqm of land, it has dream potential and bargain appeal, but the wow is capped by its non-livable state.
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€93,000 – €137,000
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.
- Complete renovation project, not currently livable
- Interior photos appear to be renderings, not the existing house
- Mountain hillside setting may mean isolation/exposure despite car access
- Check permits, utilities and build costs carefully
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 82/100The area is on the hills above Lake Iseo, with the lake immediately below and the western end of the Val Cavallina nearby. The Bergamo Prealps rise around the lake, with Monte Isola in the centre of Lake Iseo within the local landscape. The lake shore and inland slopes fall within the Parco Locale di Interesse Sovracomunale Alto Sebino. The nearest substantial town is Lovere on the lake, with a historic centre, lakefront services and boat connections across Lake Iseo. Pisogne is also nearby at the north-eastern end of the lake, where the valley routes open toward the upper Camonica area. The area is known for olive groves on the milder slopes above the lake and for lake tourism.