Terratetto unifamiliare in Messina
Castanea Via San Cosimo/Via Portella casa indipendente con accesso comodo da strada principale composta da ingresso soggiorno 2 camere cameretta cucina servizio 2 ripostigli portico e ampio giardino. La proprietà ha subito una parziale ristrutturazione degli ambienti interni e il tetto é stato completamente rifatto, ci…
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 €75,000 for 122 sqm, the ask is €615/sqm; with a moderate renovation allowance of about €550/sqm for a partially renovated house with new roof, the effective cost is about €1,165/sqm. That is well above the local sub-€100k baseline of €446/sqm, though the independent house format, garden, 53 photos and location 4 km from the sea support a mid-range score rather than a trap.
More on the house and the area
This has some real old-house charm: tall ceilings, simple period proportions, shutters, a covered portico and a surprisingly large garden/courtyard for a town property. The roof appears redone and the structure looks like a proper house rather than a ruin, but the interiors are still rough, damp-marked and incomplete, so it is not move-in ready. At the price and size it has appeal, yet the wow is more potential than immediate dream-home magic.
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, €550/m², falls in this band.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€24,000 – €43,000
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.
- Needs substantial renovation before comfortable living
- Exterior and courtyard areas feel neglected/overgrown
- No real views or standout setting shown
- Only partial interior refurbishment is evident
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 55/100This is inside the built-up area of Messina on the Strait of Messina, with Calabria visible across the water and ferry traffic to Villa San Giovanni and Reggio Calabria. The Peloritani rise immediately behind the city, forming short steep valleys and ridge roads within a few kilometres of the urban fabric. The nearest substantial natural landscape within the radius is the Peloritani range rather than a protected national park. Messina is the nearest city of size and has the port, the university, major services, rail connections and the cathedral area. The wider zone is known for its strait setting and for transport links between Sicily and the mainland.