Rustici da ristrutturare
In Comune di Malesco, Località Morbo. Percorrendo la pista ciclabile che da Malesco conduce verso Re, a quota 800 mt slm. e a circa 700 mt. dal centro abitato di Malesco, raggiungiamo la Località Morbo, che ancora oggi presenta caratteristiche rurali ed è punteggiata di rustici, sia ristrutturati che ancora da…
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 €35,000 asking price is only €380/m², but the rustico is explicitly non-habitable and needs full renovation, including utilities connections and a septic system. At an estimated €1,100/m² renovation cost, effective cost is about €1,480/m² versus the Piemonte baseline of €399/m²; the description also states 83 m² while the facts report 92 m².
More on the house and the area
This is a highly atmospheric stone rural complex set in a spectacular mountain landscape, with traditional slate roofing, broad meadow land, and dramatic alpine views. However, it is explicitly a non-habitable rustico requiring substantial renovation, so the beauty is currently a project rather than a ready home.
All the services redone, bathrooms, kitchen, windows. The structure is left alone.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Our read of the photos, €1,100/m², falls in this band.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€36,000 – €54,000
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.
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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.
- Uninhabitable rustico requiring full renovation, with no visible living interiors, bathroom, or kitchen.
- Electricity and municipal water are about 100 metres away; a septic system and soakaway will be needed.
- Access is via a paved cycle path, though the listing says trucks and renovation vehicles can reach the property.
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 Val Vigezzo in the Lepontine Alps, with steep forested slopes and high ridgelines immediately around the valley. The Melezzo Orientale runs through the valley. Part of this area falls within the Val Grande National Park, whose protected mountain and woodland terrain begins nearby on the south side of the valley. The nearest ski area is at Prestinone above Craveggia/Santa Maria Maggiore, a short drive away. Santa Maria Maggiore is the nearest small town of note, with a built historic centre, rail connection on the Vigezzina-Centovalli line, and day-to-day services. Domodossola is the nearest larger town, with broader services and rail links. The valley is known for its chestnut woods, mountain pastures, stone villages and the Vigezzina-Centovalli railway.