Casa colonica in Orzinuovi
ORZIVECCHI: Proponiamo in vendita una porzione di cascinale da ristrutturare, sviluppata su più livelli, con una superficie totale di 370 mq e dotata di un'area esterna ad uso esclusivo di 270 mq. L'immobile si presenta nello stato originario e richiede interventi di ristrutturazione integrale, offrendo ampie…
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 €89,000 for 397 sqm the ask is €224/sqm, but this is described as integral renovation in original condition, so I estimate about €900/sqm renovation, bringing effective cost to roughly €1,124/sqm. That is far above the local cheap-stock baseline of €389/sqm, so despite the large size and private outdoor area this looks weak unless bought for a much lower price or split successfully into multiple units.
More on the house and the area
There is some farmhouse character in the long cascina facade, deep roof overhangs and generous scale, but the property is not visually romantic or scenic. Inside it is still a real built house rather than a ruin, yet it looks tired, damp and outdated throughout, requiring substantial renovation before it would feel pleasant to live in. The big private courtyard adds utility, but not much 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.
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€79,000 – €139,000
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.
- Full renovation is needed, with visible damp, worn finishes and obsolete interiors.
- The exterior court is large but mostly paved and not landscaped.
- Photos do not show a ready modern kitchen or comfortable finished bathrooms.
- This feels more like a redevelopment project than an immediately usable dream home.
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 39/100This is the Bassa Bresciana plain, a flat agricultural area between Brescia and the lower Oglio valley. The Oglio river runs a few kilometres to the west, with strips of riparian woodland and the Parco Regionale Oglio Nord along parts of its course. The nearest town of size is Brescia, which has a full city centre, services and major monuments including the UNESCO serial site of Brescia romana e longobarda. The area is known for intensive farming and small plain settlements rather than a distinct scenic landscape.