Rustico/casale in Borgata Bonina 4
Porzione di cascina libera su tre lati con giardino privato 5 VLIDI MOTIVI PER ACQUISTARLA: 1) LIBERA SU TRE LATI 2) CONTESTO TRANQUILLO A DUE PASSI DA ASTI 3) AMPIE METRATURE INTERNE 4) PORZIONE DI AREA VERDE PRIVATA 5) SPAZI DA PERSONALIZZZARE Nel comune di Refrancore, in un contesto tranquillo e immerso nel verde delle colline astigiane, proponiamo in vendita...
What it really costs
See what needs doing and what each job costs
At €70,000 for 295 sqm, the ask is only €237/sqm, already about 10% below the Piemonte farmhouse baseline of €263/sqm. But the description says 'spazi da personalizzare', so I treat it as needing renovation (~€700/sqm): effective cost is about €937/sqm, which makes it a decent large-shell project rather than a bargain; quiet setting near Asti and 36 photos are positives.
More on the house and the area
This is a large, real farmhouse home rather than a shell: it has a proper roof, floors, bedrooms, kitchen and bathroom, so it looks basically usable. The exterior and quiet green setting have some rustic Piedmont charm, and the price-per-square-meter is strikingly cheap. But the interiors are tired, cluttered and old-fashioned, with clear signs of wear, so it feels more like a substantial renovation project than an 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€58,000 – €104,000
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.
- Interiors are very dated and need significant modernization.
- Visible wear, stains and some cracking suggest more than just cosmetic refresh.
- Only one bathroom shown, narrow and obsolete.
- Beauty is modest rural setting rather than dramatic views or standout historic character.
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 61/100This is the Monferrato hill country, with cultivated ridges, small valleys and scattered hamlets. The Tanaro runs west of the area and the Po plain begins not far to the north. Asti is the nearest town of size, with a full set of services and a substantial historic centre; Alessandria is also within practical reach for rail and larger-scale shopping. Parts of the wider Monferrato wine landscape in this part of Piemonte have UNESCO status, and the area is known for vineyards, mixed farming and wine production.