Casa Indipendente con 2 appartamenti
Nella frazione di Villaberza a meno di 10 minuti da Castelnovo ne' Monti in zona soleggiata e panoramica verso al Pietra di Bismantova e l'alto Appennino, si propone una bella casa in pietra con giardino e basso servizio. L'abitazione necessita di alcuni lavori di consolidamento perchè nel tempo si sono creati alcuni…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Not before the basics are done
In the listingNeeds renovation- On the market for a long time
See what needs doing and what each job costs
At €80,000 for 250 sqm, the ask is only €320/sqm versus a low-stock baseline of €408/sqm, but the house needs structural consolidation and part of it is dated, so I estimate about €500/sqm renovation, bringing the effective cost to roughly €820/sqm. One apartment is habitable, but the 323 days on market are a clear warning and likely reflect the structural issues and mixed-quality spaces.
More on the house and the area
This is a handsome stone country house with real Appennine views, a sunny rural setting, and enough outdoor space to feel like a proper Italian home rather than just a project. The upper apartment looks genuinely habitable now, while the lower unit is older and the listing explicitly mentions structural settlement work, so the wow is real but not carefree. At €80k for 250 sqm, it has strong dream-home appeal with renovation risk attached.
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, €500/m², falls in this band.
All the services redone, bathrooms, kitchen, windows. The structure is left alone.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€29,000 – €49,000
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.
- Structural settlement/consolidation works are mentioned in the listing
- Ground-floor unit is dated and needs modernization before comfortable full use
- Some upper mansard spaces appear only partially finished
- Rural setting with LPG heating rather than mains gas
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 73/100The northern Apennines are the immediate landscape here, with Monte Cusna and the Pietra di Bismantova within the local area. The Secchia valley is nearby, and much of this part of the province falls into the Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park or its buffer area. The Cerreto Laghi ski lifts are the nearest substantial skiing, roughly an hour away by road. Castelnovo ne' Monti itself is the main service town of this part of the Reggio Apennines, with shops, schools and hospital services. The area is known for Apennine pasture, Parmigiano Reggiano production and mountain walking.