Villa unifamiliare in Marina di Gioiosa Ionica
Ampia Casa Indipendente su 2 livelli immersa nel verde a meno di 2 km dal mare; Piamo superiore con 3 Camere da letto grandi + grande Soggiorno + ampia Cucina + Bagno + incantevole Terrazzo; Possibilità di aggiungere secondo bagno al piano superiore; Piano terreno con Cantina + secondo locale abitabile con…
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 €1,000 plus an estimated €30,000 renovation allowance, the effective cost is about €207/m² versus the Calabria villa baseline of €263/m², with strong sea proximity and substantial garden space. However, the €1,000 asking price is implausibly low for a supposedly habitable 150 m² villa, and the missing energy class leaves material uncertainty.
More on the house and the area
This is a genuine, usable family house rather than a renovation shell, with spacious rooms, marble-effect floors, a large terrace and a substantial outdoor setting. Its appeal is practical and relaxed rather than spectacular: the interiors and exterior are plain and dated, with no standout views or historic architectural features shown.
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€10,000 – €17,000
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 dated and heavily furnished, with likely cosmetic updating needed.
- Only one bathroom is listed, although the description mentions potential for a second.
- The full condition of the roof, utilities, cellar and larger garden is not established by the photos.
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 68/100The area is on the Ionian coast of Calabria, with long beaches on the Gulf of Squillace side of the Ionian Sea. Inland, within a short distance, the first slopes of the Aspromonte and Serre-related Calabrian uplands rise behind the coastal strip, so daily life is between coast and low mountains. The nearest larger centre is Locri, which has everyday services and the archaeological area of Locri Epizefiri nearby. Gerace sits just inland on its hill with a substantial historic centre and cathedral, and it is one of the better-known historic towns of this part of Calabria. This stretch of coast is known for citrus cultivation, olive groves, and the wider Locride area’s Greek-Calabrian historical background.