Rustico, Ex Stalle e Terreno
Situato a 11 km da Castelnovo ne' Monti in una zona immersa nella campagna nei pressi della frazione di Villaberza, si trova una porzione di casa in sasso edificata negli anni '30 con annesso fabbricato singolo che era destinato al ricovero animali, ed in adiacenza a quest'ultimo si trova un terreno di circa 3000 mq.…
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 €33,000 for 200 sqm the ask is only €165/sqm versus a €290/sqm local baseline, but the house is explicitly 'completely to recover' and the effective cost is about €1,065/sqm after ~€900/sqm renovation, which is not cheap for this stock. It includes an ex-stable and 3,000 sqm land, but the listing has been on market for 1,593 days, so the score is capped and the pricing likely reflects major works and rural location.
More on the house and the area
This has real rustic appeal: a handsome stone farmhouse pair in green countryside with authentic shutters, old masonry and a very cheap price for 200 sqm plus land. But the condition is firmly project territory, with dark stripped interiors, damp, cracking and only basic old spaces rather than a usable home today. Dreamy exterior, yes; ready-to-live house, no.
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, €900/m², falls in this band.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€40,000 – €70,000
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 needed before comfortable living
- Visible damp, cracking and rough unfinished interiors
- Outbuilding is also a full recovery project
- Rural access and services/usability should be checked 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 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.