Casa filarota - ottimo affare
Proponiamo in vendita una rara opportunità nel cuore di Modica Alta: casa singola su tre livelli (piano terra, primo e secondo piano) per complessivi 204 mq circa, arricchita da due spaziosi magazzini rispettivamente di 22 mq e 43 mq. L’immobile si trova all’interno di un tranquillo cortile tipico del centro storico…
What it really costs
See what needs doing and what each job costs
At €60,000 (€294/m²), this historic-center Modica townhouse is priced well below the local €445/m² reference, with terraces, panoramic balconies, storage/garage space and 43 photos. However, the listing does not say whether the 204 m² property is habitable or requires renovation; allowing roughly €500/m² for updating brings the effective cost above the reference level.
More on the house and the area
A genuinely large, solid townhouse in Modica Alta, with multiple balconies, a terrace, garage/storage areas, and compelling views across the historic rooftops. It appears usable as a home today, but the interiors are old-fashioned and tired rather than beautiful, with some visible maintenance concerns. The €60,000 price for 204 sqm gives it strong dreamer appeal, especially for someone willing to refresh a characterful historic-center property.
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.
Our read of the photos, €500/m², falls in this band.
All the services redone, bathrooms, kitchen, windows. The structure is left alone.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€23,000 – €40,000
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 would need substantial cosmetic modernization, especially the kitchen and bathrooms.
- Visible ceiling/wall staining and peeling suggest possible damp or maintenance issues that need investigation.
- The home is arranged over three levels, with extensive stairs and no visible garden.
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.