Rustico in Alessandria
Casa indipendente da ristrutturare con giardino - Mandrogne A Mandrogne, in una posizione riservata, immersa nella tranquillità e lontana dal traffico, proponiamo in vendita una casa indipendente libera su quattro lati con ampio giardino privato, una soluzione ideale per chi desidera realizzare un'abitazione su misura…
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 €35,000 for 140 sqm the ask is just €250/sqm, but with a typical 'needs renovation' budget of about €700/sqm the effective cost is ~€950/sqm. That is far above the local sub-€100k baseline of €265/sqm, so despite the independent house and garden, this looks weak rather than cheap.
More on the house and the area
This is a usable farmhouse-sized structure with private outdoor space, but the visuals are plain and there is little real wow factor in the setting. Inside, it is not a shell—there are floors, a basic kitchen and bathrooms—but it clearly needs substantial renovation due to wear, moisture staining and tired finishes. At €35k for 140 sqm it has bargain appeal, yet it feels more like a practical project than a dream home today.
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, €700/m², falls in this band.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€28,000 – €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.
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 full renovation and modernization
- Visible damp/staining and peeling plaster inside
- Exterior and yard are scruffy rather than charming
- Setting looks flat and practical, with no notable views
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 42/100This cluster sits in the built-up area of Alessandria, in the flat alluvial plain where the Tanaro and Bormida rivers meet. The nearest larger landscape is the Monferrato hill country, which begins outside the city and is known for vineyards and wine villages, but it is not inside the immediate urban setting. Alessandria is a provincial capital with rail links, services, and a substantial urban fabric. The wider area is known for mixed agriculture and river plain country.