Casale tra le colline del Monferrato
Ci sono immobili che si acquistano per quello che sono. E poi ci sono quelli che si scelgono per ciò che possono diventare. Nel cuore delle splendide colline di San Marzano Oliveto, circondato da vigneti e da un paesaggio che cambia colore in ogni stagione, proponiamo un fabbricato libero su tre lati completamente da…
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 €19,000 for 110 sqm, the ask is only €173/sqm, but this is a full rehab with roof replacement, so effective cost is about €1,173/sqm including ~€1,000/sqm renovation. That is far above the local cheap-stock baseline of €263/sqm, but the panoramic Monferrato setting, 500 sqm land, and no legal-use red flags keep it in the good project category rather than a trap.
More on the house and the area
The setting is the main draw: vineyards, open Monferrato hills and an old farmhouse footprint with rustic potential. But this is not a ready home at all — the listing explicitly says full rehabilitation is needed, including the roof, so it scores as a photogenic project rather than a livable dream house. At €19k the price is tempting, yet the real wow depends on what you build after a major renovation.
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, €1,000/m², falls in this band.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€22,000 – €39,000
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.
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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.
- Total renovation required, including roof replacement
- Renderings only; actual interiors are not shown as habitable
- Only a small plot of land, not an estate
- Likely significant budget needed beyond purchase price
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 71/100This is vine-covered hill country of the Alto Monferrato, with a continuous pattern of ridges, small valleys and wine villages. The Bormida valley lies nearby, and the Belbo valley is a short distance to the south-east. Nizza Monferrato is the nearest town of size, with everyday services and a substantial historic centre; Canelli is also nearby and is known for wine cellars and sparkling-wine production. The wider area is known for Barbera d'Asti, Nizza DOCG and other Monferrato wines. Parts of the wine landscape around Canelli and Asti are included in the UNESCO wine landscapes of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato.