Baita/bungalow/chalet/trullo in Frazione Chianale 74
PONTECHIANALE - Frazione Chianale - Ci sono posti in Valle Varaita dove trovare casa è già un'impresa. Chianale è sicuramente uno di questi. Inserito tra i “Borghi più Belli d'Italia”, questo piccolo centro alpino a circa 1.800 metri di altitudine è una delle località più richieste della valle, apprezzata per la sua architettura in pietra e legno, per il fascino...
What it really costs
See what needs doing and what each job costs
At €98,000 for 40 sqm, the ask is €2,450/sqm; assuming habitable condition from the marketing and photo count, the effective cost is about €2,650/sqm including light works. The local baseline (€345/sqm) is too weak to trust here and this appears to be a rarity/tourism premium in a sought-after alpine borgo, but on absolute terms it is still a very expensive small unit for this catalog with key condition data missing.
More on the house and the area
The real wow here is the alpine setting: dramatic mountain views from the balcony and a home in one of Italy’s prettiest high-altitude villages. Inside, it is plain but fully usable and move-in ready, with kitchen, bathroom, heating and furnished rooms. It feels more like a practical mountain base than a romantic dream interior, but it is a genuine home in a special location.
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€3,000 – €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.
- Interior is simple and compact rather than character-filled.
- Balcony overlooks parked cars and service area as well as the mountains.
- At 40 sqm with a narrow bunk room, livability is best for holidays or a couple/small family.
- High-altitude alpine location may mean seasonal constraints and colder climate.
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 86/100The cluster is in the upper Valle Varaita under the Cottian Alps, with high ridges and peaks enclosing the valley. Lago di Pontechianale is in the valley at the settlement. The area is inside the Monviso Natural Park system, and the upper Varaita valley connects with the protected alpine area around Monviso. The nearest ski area is at Pontechianale itself with small local lifts, and larger skiing is at Sampeyre in the same valley. The nearest larger town with a fuller set of shops and services is Saluzzo down-valley. The area is known for alpine pasture landscapes, stone mountain villages, and access toward the Monviso massif and the Colle dell'Agnello route to France.