M194 Casa rurale con magazzini
Novellara: Immobiliare Sant'Orsola propone casa di campagna da ristrutturare con ampio cortile privato e due magazzini da 250 mq circa l'uno. Nella vendita è compreso anche il complesso del vecchio mulino con possibilità di demolizione. Interessante oggetto per artigiani o piccoli imprenditori edili. Per tutte le…
What it really costs
See what needs doing and what each job costs
The ad explicitly says the farmhouse is 'da ristrutturare': at 255 sqm, the effective cost is about €1,084/m2 (€98,000 + ~€178,500 works), far above the low-stock baseline of €290/m2 for Emilia-Romagna farmhouses. Extra outbuildings and the old mill may add utility, but the text is geared more to artisans/builders than to a straightforward livable home, which weakens the deal for typical buyers.
More on the house and the area
This is more a practical rural/industrial compound than a dreamy Italian home. The main house appears roofed and structurally standing, but interiors are raw and worn, with no habitable kitchen or bathroom shown, so it is not a move-in lifestyle property. The very low €/m2 gives some value appeal, but the wow factor for actually living here 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€50,000 – €90,000
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.
- Full renovation needed before residential use
- No bathrooms or fitted living spaces shown
- Large warehouse/mill structures may add demolition or conversion complexity
- Setting is flat and functional rather than scenic
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 38/100This is the central Po plain around Novellara, with flat agricultural land crossed by drainage canals and minor watercourses; the River Po is north of the area. Guastalla is the nearest larger centre, and Reggio Emilia is the main city in the wider area with full services and rail connections. The area is known for intensive farming and dairying linked to Parmigiano Reggiano, and for the lowland landscape of the Bassa Reggiana.