Rustico/casale in Via Giardino 4
Nel caratteristico borgo di Colonnata, nel comune di Carrara, a pochi passi dalla piazza principale, proponiamo in vendita una casa indipendente disposta su due livelli, completamente da ristrutturare. La proprietà offre la possibilità di essere trasformata in una confortevole abitazione composta da sala, cucina, fino a due camere da letto e due bagni, con la possibilità di personalizzare gli...
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Not before the basics are done
Condition not stated in the listingMust be done first
- Damp
- Wiring
- Heating
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
- Windows
See what needs doing and what each job costs
At €29,000 (€290/m²), the price looks low, but complete renovation at roughly €700/m² brings the effective cost to about €99,000 (€990/m²), well above the €504/m² local benchmark. Its independent layout, garden and Colonnata village setting add appeal, but the listing does not say the building age, energy performance or exact renovation scope.
More on the house and the area
The house has a beautiful wooded mountain outlook, a characterful arched entrance, old beams, a fireplace and a potentially appealing setting near Colonnata. However, the interiors are heavily damp-damaged and neglected, with no usable kitchen or bathroom evident, so this is a substantial renovation project rather than a home ready for living.
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, €700/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.
- Complete renovation required; the house is currently uninhabitable.
- Severe damp, mold, peeling plaster and damaged interior finishes are visible.
- Old windows, doors and roof timbers may need replacement or structural assessment.
- Utilities, bathroom functionality and access are not demonstrated in 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 55/100The Apuan Alps rise directly behind Carrara, with steep marble mountains visible from the urban area and the quarry landscape beginning immediately above the town. The Carrione river runs through the city toward the Ligurian Sea coast. The Parco naturale regionale delle Alpi Apuane lies within the local mountain area. The nearest beaches are on the coast at Marina di Carrara. Carrara is itself a city of size with services, a port area nearby, and a long historic link to marble extraction and stone working. The area is known nationally for the marble quarries of Carrara.