Villa unifamiliare in Varzi
A Sagliano, caratteristica frazione del Comune di Varzi situata a circa 600 metri di altitudine, in posizione tranquilla e panoramica, proponiamo in vendita particolare abitazione in pietra disposta su più livelli, attualmente da ultimare. L'immobile conserva tutto il fascino delle tipiche costruzioni dell'Oltrepò…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Not before the basics are done
In the listingNeeds renovationSee what needs doing and what each job costs
The house is sold at €720/m², but it is only partially finished ('da ultimare'), so I estimate about €900/m² to complete it; effective cost is therefore about €1,620/m². Against a low-stock baseline of €421/m² for Lombardia villas, this is not a discount buy despite the panoramic setting and character stone structure.
More on the house and the area
This has real charm: handsome stone façades, timber roof structure, a mountain-village setting and lovely open valley views. But it is not move-in ready — the house is substantially restored outside yet the interiors are still unfinished shells, so the wow comes from character and potential rather than immediate livability. The private cave cut into the rock adds a genuinely unusual touch.
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.
All the services redone, bathrooms, kitchen, windows. The structure is left alone.
Our read of the photos, €900/m², falls in this band.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€20,000 – €35,000
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.
Bringing a house that has stood empty back into service: new water, sewer and electricity, plus the practices. The same sum on an 80 m² house and on a 300 m² one, which is why a €40,000 house is not a €40,000 project.
Show more
Water 1,800 · sewer 2,500 · electricity 700–1,600 · CILA 1,000 · cadastral filing 500 · structural design 700 · Legge 10 report 900 · safety coordination 1,800
No mains drain: add €2,000–4,500 for a septic tank. Listings never say, so ask.
- Interiors are unfinished/al grezzo, with no fitted kitchen or bathrooms visible.
- Terraces/external areas look basic and need completion and safety finishing.
- Some ancillary volumes are raw utility/storage spaces rather than ready living area.
- Village setting has overhead wires and close neighbors, softening the romance.
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 upper Staffora valley in the Oltrepò Pavese, with the Ligurian Apennines close by and wooded ridges surrounding the settled floor of the valley. The Staffora torrent runs through this part of the valley. The nearest ski area is Pian del Poggio in the Staffora valley, about half an hour to three quarters of an hour by road depending on the hamlet. Varzi is the nearest small town of note, with a built historic centre and everyday services, and Voghera is the larger town used for broader shopping and rail connections. This area is known for mixed hill farming, woodland, and Oltrepò products including salumi and wine farther down the hills.