Casa colonica in Alta Valle Intelvi
Pellio Intelvi - Vendesi casa di corte terra cielo disposta su tre piani oltre il solaio: P:T. soggiorno oltre grande terrazzo e 600 mq di giardino. P.1: camera con vasca e wc P.2: camera con vasca. Ottima vista lago. Senza riscaldamento e infissi con vetri singoli.
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 €580/m², the estimated effective cost is about €780/m² after allowing for heating and single-glazed window upgrades, versus a local benchmark of €380/m². The lake view and 600 m² garden add appeal, but the lack of heating and basic windows make the “habitable” condition optimistic.
More on the house and the area
The exceptional lake-and-mountain panorama, large terrace, and approximately 600 sqm of garden give this modest village house genuine dream-home appeal. It is a real, occupied-looking home rather than a ruin, with finished floors, functioning living spaces, kitchen, and bathrooms, but it needs significant modernization and heating installation.
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€7,000 – €11,000
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.
- No heating and single-glazed windows will make winter living uncomfortable and require upgrades.
- Interiors are fully usable but dated, cluttered, and the kitchen and bathrooms are extremely basic.
- The property appears to have a very large terrace and garden, but access, maintenance, and exact legal status should be verified.
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 76/100The cluster is in the Intelvi Valley between Lake Como and Lake Lugano, with pre-Alpine ridges and woods immediately around it. Lake Como is within about 15 km, with the western branch around Argegno and the lake road below the valley. Lake Lugano is also within about 15 km around Porlezza and the Italian shore at Osteno. The area lies close to the slopes of Monte Generoso and Monte Sighignola on the Italy-Switzerland border. Lanzo Intelvi is the nearest small centre with everyday services, while Como is the nearest city of size with rail links, hospitals and a full range of services. The area is known for upland villages, chestnut woods and views over the two lake basins.