Casa indipendente
Nel suggestivo centro storico di Modica Bassa, in una delle zone più autentiche e ricercate della città barocca patrimonio UNESCO, proponiamo in vendita una caratteristica casa singola situata in Via Fornai n. 22. L’immobile si sviluppa su un unico livello al piano terra per una superficie complessiva di circa 34 mq ed è composto da un ambiente principale con soffitti...
What it really costs
See what needs doing and what each job costs
In Modica historic center, the asking price is €22,000 for 34 sqm (€647/sqm); assuming habitable/basic-update condition from the description, an estimated €200/sqm renovation brings the effective cost to about €847/sqm. That sits well above this catalog baseline of €492/sqm for Sicilia country houses, though the UNESCO historic-center location and complete small-house layout support a mid-range score.
More on the house and the area
The vaulted ceilings and old Modica character give it some authentic Sicilian charm, and the price is undeniably tempting. But this is currently a stripped, worn interior with damp, damage and minimal usable facilities, so it reads as a renovation project rather than a home you could move into. Attractive bones, not yet dream-home livability.
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€2,000 – €4,000
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.
- Full renovation needed before it is realistically habitable
- Visible damp, cracking and failing plaster throughout
- Bathroom/kitchen areas appear extremely basic and likely unusable
- Very small size at just 34 sqm
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.