Terratetto unifamiliare in Villa Minozzo
VILLA MINOZZO (CASA BALOCCHI): in zona verde e tranquilla, casa singola, composta da: 1) Piano terra: portico, ingresso, cantina, ripostiglio, locale legnaia (può diventare taverna); piano primo: soggiorno, cucina, tre camere, bagno e balcone per un totale di 109 mq.; Piano secondo: piano utilizzabile di 109 mq. al…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Livable, but something basic is worn out
In the listingHabitable- On the market for a long time
See what needs doing and what each job costs
At €45,000 for 225 sqm, the ask is about €200/sqm; with an estimated ~€350/sqm renovation/update cost for a habitable house last redone in the late 1960s and a large unfinished upper floor, the effective cost is ~€550/sqm, only modestly above the €469/sqm low-stock baseline. The huge amount of space, garage/outbuildings and 1000+ sqm of land support the price, but 1140 days on market is a clear negative and caps the score.
More on the house and the area
This has genuine rural charm: a substantial stone-and-plaster house set in green land with trees, meadow and a peaceful mountain setting. The key point is usability: one floor appears basically habitable with kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms, but it is plain and tired, while a huge second floor and the annexes are still rough project space. At €45k for 225 sqm plus outbuildings and over 1,000 sqm of land, it has real dream potential more than finished wow.
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, €350/m², falls in this band.
All the services redone, bathrooms, kitchen, windows. The structure is left alone.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€26,000 – €44,000
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.
- Main living area is habitable but very dated, with 1960s-era interiors.
- Large upper floor is unfinished raw space, so a lot of the volume is not ready to live in.
- Outbuildings include rough/collabente storage structures needing major work.
- No proven big panoramic view from the photos.
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 74/100The cluster is in the Reggiano Apennines, with the high ridge of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines close by. The Secchia valley is the main landscape axis here, and the upper mountain area around Civago and Febbio lies within this part of the comune. The Parco Nazionale dell'Appennino Tosco-Emiliano is nearby and covers much of the higher ground around the ridge. The nearest ski lifts are at Febbio, on Monte Cusna, a short drive from Villa Minozzo. Castelnovo ne' Monti is the nearest larger hill town and has the main services for this mountain area. The area is known for Monte Cusna, for the high pastures and forests of the Reggiano Apennines, and for the Bismantova massif near Castelnovo ne' Monti.