Rustico/casale in Via M. Ginocchio 193
MEZZANEGO, RUSTICO Ci troviamo a Mezzanego, nelle alture liguri, immersi nel verde della valle del fiume Sturla. A soli 12 km da Chiavari, in questo luogo suggestivo, silenzioso e rilassante, sorge il nostro rustico che si presenta con una struttura esterna particolare e signorile, su più piani di ampie metrature. Il...
What it really costs
See what needs doing and what each job costs
This 360 sqm Ligurian farmhouse is offered at €50,000 (€139/sqm), but the description calls it a rustico, so I estimate a full restoration at about €1,100/sqm, bringing the effective cost to roughly €1,239/sqm. That is still reasonable for Liguria and the listing has strong size plus 44 photos, but versus the low baseline of €461/sqm it is not a clear discount once renovation is included.
More on the house and the area
This has genuine romantic appeal: a big pink riverside house with arches, mountain views, and an unusual perch over the Sturla valley. But the photos show a rustico project rather than a usable home, with rough stone interiors, unfinished spaces, and no evidence of functional living areas. The setting is memorable and the price is striking for 360 sqm, yet livability is currently low.
All the services redone, bathrooms, kitchen, windows. The structure is left alone.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Our read of the photos, €1,100/m², falls in this band.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€143,000 – €211,000
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.
- Major renovation project; interiors are raw and not currently habitable
- No bathroom or fitted kitchen shown
- Visible damp/weathering and likely structural assessment needed
- Roadside position beside a river may mean noise/access and moisture issues
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 61/100The cluster is in the Val Fontanabuona area on the Ligurian Apennine side, with wooded ridges and narrow valleys around it. The Sturla valley is nearby, and the coast at Chiavari and Lavagna is a short drive away but outside the immediate inland setting. The nearest larger town is Chiavari, which has full services, rail connections and a substantial historic centre. The Portofino Regional Park and the Tigullio coast are in the wider area but not inside the immediate 15 km landscape. This part of eastern Liguria is known for slate quarries and small hillside hamlets.