Semindipendente con balcone e box
Gli spazi interni sono distribuiti su più livelli; Al piano terra troviamo un pratico e piccolo box auto dotato di punto acqua e del bagno. Per salire al primo piano è possibile scegliere tra una caratteristica scala a chiocciola interna oppure un comodo accesso esterno indipendente. La zona giorno al primo piano si…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Livable, but something basic is worn out
In the listingHabitableMust be done first
- Kitchen
See what needs doing and what each job costs
At €20,000 (€364/m²), this habitable 55 m² townhouse is exceptionally cheap upfront and includes a garage, balcony, historic-center location, and a separate 3,800 m² plot. Allowing roughly €11,000 for normal updating brings the effective cost to about €564/m², above the local €356/m² benchmark; the listing does not state the energy class.
More on the house and the area
A very inexpensive historic-center townhouse with a genuinely attractive panoramic balcony view over the green Piedmont hills and surrounding rooftops. Traditional details—wood ceilings, patterned tiles, a stone fireplace and shutters—give it character, while the house appears solid and usable rather than a bare shell. It is more of a renovation-and-refresh opportunity than a polished dream home, but the setting and €20,000 price create strong appeal.
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€4,000 – €6,000
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 habitable but distinctly dated, with an old kitchen and bathroom needing modernization.
- Visible peeling exterior render, cracks and weathering warrant a careful structural and moisture inspection.
- The 3,800 m² detached plot is mentioned in the listing but is not shown in the photo gallery; confirm access, utilities and legal details.
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 68/100This is the Ovadese hill country at the edge of the Alto Monferrato, with vine-covered ridges and mixed woodland. The Orba valley is nearby, and the Bormida valley is also close on the Ligurian side of the surrounding hills. Capanne di Marcarolo Regional Natural Park lies within the surrounding uplands to the south, where the Ligurian Apennines begin. The nearest larger town is Ovada, which has the usual services, rail connections and a working town centre. The area is known for Dolcetto di Ovada wine, and Rocca Grimalda itself is known locally for its historic hilltop centre and castle setting.