Fornai 26
Nel cuore caratteristico di Modica Bassa, proponiamo in vendita una casetta singola situata in Via Fornai n.26, ideale come investimento o pied-à-terre nella splendida città barocca patrimonio UNESCO. L’immobile si sviluppa su una superficie totale di circa 32 mq e necessita di lavori di ristrutturazione che offrono la…
What it really costs
See what needs doing and what each job costs
At €22,000 for 32 sqm, the ask is €688/sqm, but the home explicitly needs renovation; using about €900/sqm works gives an effective cost near €1,588/sqm, far above the local sub-€100k baseline of €445/sqm. Positive points are the central UNESCO-baroque Modica location and legal residential layout, but the tiny size and low mezzanine height (max 1.52 m) limit usability.
More on the house and the area
There is a hint of Sicilian character in the vaulted ceiling and the central Modica location, and at €22k the price is attention-grabbing. But the photos show a cramped, cluttered interior with significant moisture damage and tired finishes, so this reads as a renovation project rather than a home you could realistically live in soon.
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, €900/m², falls in this band.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€6,000 – €11,000
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.
- Clear need for full renovation
- Visible damp and peeling plaster on vaulted ceiling
- Very small footprint with low mezzanine height
- Only interior photos shown, so setting and exterior appeal are unproven
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 limestone hill country of the Iblei, with a system of deep valleys and dry stone-walled farmland around Modica. The rivers in this part of the province run as seasonal streams in cave and quarry valleys rather than as large permanent waterways. The coast near Marina di Modica and Sampieri is the nearest sea, with low sandy shores and some rocky stretches. Modica is the nearest town of size and has a large Baroque historic centre rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake. Modica forms part of the Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto UNESCO listing. This area is known for Hyblaean limestone landscapes, Baroque town centres, olive and carob countryside, and Modica chocolate.