Terratetto-Terracielo
In una tranquilla corte nel centro di Colazza, proponiamo in vendita una graziosa abitazione disposta su tre livelli, ideale per chi desidera il fascino delle case di un tempo unito a spazi accoglienti e funzionali. L'ingresso si apre su un intimo salottino impreziosito da un suggestivo camino, perfetto per creare…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Livable, but something basic is worn out
In the listingHabitableSee what needs doing and what each job costs
Habitable condition suggests about €200/m² renovation, so effective price is roughly €77,000 total or €1,283/m². That is far above the local stock baseline of €350/m² (n=4,932), and although the historic-center court setting near Lake Maggiore helps a bit, the numbers still look weak for this catalog.
More on the house and the area
This is a genuine, usable little borgo townhouse rather than a project: it has finished rooms, heating, a kitchen, two baths and some period charm from the fireplace and simple old-house layout. The atmosphere is modest rather than spectacular, with a narrow stone courtyard and no notable views, but at this price it feels like an honest, livable Italian base with character.
Decoration, tired fittings, a bathroom or a kitchen. The house is liveable as it stands.
Our read of the photos is €200/m². There is no published price band below €350/m², so the range is that figure widened by the spread of the lightest band.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€4,000 – €7,000
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.
- No real view; balconies look into a tight internal courtyard.
- Interiors are habitable but dated and somewhat cramped.
- Limited natural light at ground-floor level due to the court setting.
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 86/100Lake Maggiore is at Arona, with the long lake basin running north between the Piedmont and Lombardy shores. The Ticino begins here at Sesto Calende, and the south end of the lake leads into the Parco naturale della Valle del Ticino in Piedmont and the Lombard Ticino park across the river. The Mottarone massif rises east of the lake; the Stresa and Baveno side is within about 15 km across the water, and the Mottarone road and summit area are around a 35 to 45 minute drive. Arona is one of the main towns on the southern part of Lake Maggiore, with ferry connections on the lake and rail links toward Novara, Milan and Domodossola. Across the lake, the Borromean Gulf and the Borromean Islands are in the wider lake area, though not within the immediate 15 km radius. The area is known for the lake landscape and for lakeside resort towns around the lower Borromeo part of Lake Maggiore.