Rustico in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana
Sono il Rustico MONTEFOCE, un rustico immerso nella natura incontaminata delle montagne di Castelnuovo di Garfagnana. Da quassù, la vista è spettacolare: boschi rigogliosi, silenzi interrotti solo dal canto degli uccelli e l'aria pura che avvolge ogni cosa. Sono una casa di pietra di circa 70 mq., un luogo che aspetta…
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
Price is €29,000 for 70 sqm (€414/sqm), but with a needs-renovation estimate of about €650/sqm the effective cost is roughly €1,064/sqm, well above the low stock baseline of €512/sqm in Tuscany farmhouses. The recently redone roof and 39 photos reduce risk, but the remote mountain location and renovation burden keep this only a fair deal.
More on the house and the area
This has real dream value from the mountain setting: wide Garfagnana views, a stone exterior, fireplace and rustic beams give it authentic character. Crucially it is not a ruin—the roof has been redone and the house appears enclosed and usable—but the interiors are very tired and need proper renovation before it feels like a comfortable home. At €29k, the view and setting create strong bargain appeal.
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, €650/m², falls in this band.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€14,000 – €25,000
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 real interior renovation and updating
- Very small/basic current kitchen and likely limited comfort
- Mountain access looks steep and somewhat isolated
- Outdoor areas are simple rather than landscaped
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 77/100The cluster is in the Apuan Alps, with steep forested slopes and limestone peaks around the upper Garfagnana. The artificial Lake Vagli lies nearby, and the Serchio valley is the main river landscape of the area. Much of the surrounding mountain area falls within the Parco regionale delle Alpi Apuane. The nearest ski area is Careggine, with local lifts in the area when operating; the larger Abetone ski lifts are much farther away and do not shape the immediate setting. The nearest town of some size is Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, which has the main services and rail connection for the valley. The area is known for mountain villages, chestnut woodland, marble landscapes on the Apuan side, and the drowned village of Fabbriche di Careggine when the reservoir is emptied.