Casa colonica in Strona
Questa piacevole casa semindipendente si sviluppa su due livelli abitativi esposti al sole per la maggior parte della giornata. La zona giorno al piano terreno mette a disposizione la cucina abitabile affacciata sull'ampio giardino ed una gradevole sala con caminetto e legna. A seguire un ampio disimpegno ,un bagno con…
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
At €42,000 for 130 sqm, the asking price is €323/sqm; with a habitable-condition estimate of about €200/sqm renovation, the effective cost is roughly €523/sqm. That is above this catalog's Piemonte farmhouse baseline of €263/sqm, but the house is large, appears genuinely usable now, has 35 photos, outdoor space and panoramic features close to town services, which supports a solid but not standout score.
More on the house and the area
This is a genuine, usable country house rather than a shell: roofed, furnished and clearly habitable, with some appealing period touches like vaulted ceilings and old wooden furniture. The balcony and hillside setting give it a pleasant green outlook, and the garden adds real lifestyle value. It is not a polished dream home yet, though—the exterior and interiors feel plain and dated, so the wow comes more from charm, space and price than from striking beauty.
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€9,000 – €14,000
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 habitable but dated and need modernization.
- Only one bathroom is shown for a 130 sqm house.
- Garden is sloped and somewhat overgrown, so outdoor use will need work.
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 58/100The area sits in the Biellese foothills, with the lower Alps rising north toward the Biella prealps and the Monte Rosa chain visible from parts of the province. The Cervo and Sessera valleys are within this radius, and the landscape around Cossato is a mix of settled plain and lower hills with woods and fields rather than high mountain terrain. The nearest substantial town is Biella, which has full services, a historic centre and the Sacro Monte di Oropa above it; Oropa is a UNESCO-listed Sacri Monti site but it lies beyond the immediate 15 km landscape. This part of the Biellese is known for wool and textile manufacturing.