Casa bifamiliare in Via Orfanotrofio Santa Casa 51
Nel Comune di Catania a circa 200 metri da Piazza Risorgimento, ed esattamente in Via Orfanotrofio N°51 presentiamo la vendita di un semindipendente posto al primo piano di un edificio di sole due unità abitative. L'immobile gode di un ingresso indipendente dalla traversa di Via Orfanotrofio, tramite un corpo scala si accede ad un pianerottolo che divide un'ampia camera...
What it really costs
See what needs doing and what each job costs
At €25,000 for 50 sqm, the asking price is €500/sqm; assuming broadly habitable condition from the description, estimated effective cost is about €700/sqm including light renovation. That is above the local low-stock baseline of €445/sqm, so this looks more ordinary than cheap, though the central Catania position and terrace support some value.
More on the house and the area
This is a real, roofed small home rather than a ruin, with independent access and usable rooms already in place. But the photos show very little beauty or character: the exterior is worn, the interiors are plain and dated, and there are signs of moisture and neglect. At €25k it feels cheap and potentially workable, but more practical than dream-home material.
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€3,000 – €5,000
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.
- Tired condition with visible damp/staining and peeling plaster.
- Kitchen and bathroom are basic and likely need refurbishment.
- No real view or outdoor wow beyond a small balcony/possible terrace tag.
- Dense urban lane setting is functional rather than romantic.
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 55/100Mount Etna rises immediately north-west of the city, with the Etna Park on its upper slopes. The Ionian coast is at the edge of the built-up area. Catania is a major city with a large historic centre of Baroque churches and palaces, a port, university, airport and full services. The city is part of a broad urban and industrial strip along the coast and at the foot of Etna.