Palazzo Zona Saracinello
A Reggio Calabria, in zona Saracinello al Torrente, proponiamo in vendita intero Palazzo di circa 180 mq a piano, con cortile interno di circa 50 mq. Il palazzo è su due livelli collegati tra loro tramite scala interna, da cui è possibile anche accedere al lastrico solare. E' stato costruito alla fine degli anni '50 ed…
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 €100,000 for 360 sqm, the asking price is just €278/sqm versus a low-stock baseline median of €376/sqm, but it needs full internal and external renovation after long disuse, so I estimate about €700/sqm in works. That puts the effective cost near €978/sqm, well above baseline; the 1 km-from-sea location helps a bit, but this looks more like a large project than a bargain.
More on the house and the area
This is a large, real building rather than a ruin, with stairs, floors, balconies and multiple units already laid out. But the photos show a tired 1950s block with little charm, clear neglect and moisture damage, so it feels more like a major renovation project than an immediately dream-worthy Italian home. The very low €/m² gives some bargain appeal, but the wow is limited.
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, €700/m², falls in this band.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€71,000 – €126,000
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.
Show more
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.
- Long-disused and needs full interior and exterior renovation
- Visible water damage and deterioration, especially under balconies and on ceilings
- Courtyard is cramped and cluttered rather than a pleasant outdoor space
- No sea view despite being near the coast
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 55/100The cluster is in the built-up area of Reggio Calabria on the Strait of Messina coast, with the Aspromonte massif rising inland within this radius. The Ionian Tyrrhenian divide of the Parco Nazionale dell'Aspromonte begins behind the city in the mountain belt. Reggio Calabria is the nearest town of size and has full city services, ferry links across the strait, and the National Archaeological Museum with the Bronzes of Riace. The area is known for views across the Strait of Messina toward Sicily and for bergamot cultivation in the surrounding province.