Porzione di casa con terrazzo panoramico.
Ci troviamo nel comune di Ormea e più precisamente in Borgata Campo Comune, frazione ottimamente esposta e comodamente raggiungibile tutto l'anno tramite la strada comunale asfaltata. In circa 10 minuti di auto si raggiunge il centro del paese dove sono presenti tutti i servizi necessari. Trattasi di una casa libera…
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
Price is €40,000 for 75 sqm (€533/sqm), but the text says it needs a general renovation after being unused for years, so I estimate about €700/sqm renovation; effective cost is roughly €1,233/sqm versus a low-stock baseline of €353/sqm. Strong positives are the independent townhouse layout, 40 photos, outdoor spaces and panoramic mountain setting, but the need for full works keeps it in the good-not-exceptional band.
More on the house and the area
This has real rustic charm: stone facade, vine-covered balcony, little garden, and a roof terrace with mountain views that genuinely sell the dream. The house is a real home rather than a shell, with kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms and fireplaces, but it looks long-unused and needs broad updating to become comfortable. At €40k, the beauty-to-price ratio is appealing, though it is more 'character project you can work with' than instant dream home.
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€15,000 – €27,000
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.
- Needs general renovation despite being basically habitable
- Interiors are dated and fairly plain
- Top-floor spiral stair is awkward to use
- Only a small garden and basic bathroom
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 72/100The cluster is in the Ligurian Alps, with wooded valleys and limestone peaks around Ormea. The Tanaro river rises in this area and runs through the town. The Marguareis Natural Park lies nearby, covering a large karst and alpine area on the Piedmont-Liguria border. Small ski facilities are at Garessio 2000, roughly a 25–35 minute drive, with larger lifts much farther away. Ormea itself is a small mountain town with arcaded streets, basic services, and a historic centre. This part of upper Val Tanaro is known for mountain pasture, chestnut woods, and hiking on the Ligurian-Alpine divide.