Casa bifamiliare in Via Fortino Vecchio 20
CENTRO STORICO Nel cuore del centro storico di Catania, a pochi metri dal Duomo e dalle principali attrazioni turistiche della città, proponiamo in vendita una soluzione immobiliare unica nel suo genere. L'immobile si trova all'interno di un contesto condominiale, dove gode di totale indipendenza grazie al suo…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Move in as it is
Condition not stated in the listingSee what needs doing and what each job costs
At €321/m², the €90,000 asking price is 28% below the local €445/m² benchmark, with a strong historic-center location near the Duomo and 38 photos. However, the listing does not say whether the 280 m² townhouse is habitable or needs substantial work; allowing about €500/m² for improvements brings the effective cost to roughly €821/m².
More on the house and the area
A large, genuinely usable historic townhouse in central Catania, with an attractive arched entrance, vaulted passageway, and plenty of furnished living space. It is not a polished dream home: the interiors are dated and somewhat improvised, but the 280 sqm scale and €90,000 price create strong renovation potential.
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.
Our read of the photos, €500/m², falls in this band.
All the services redone, bathrooms, kitchen, windows. The structure is left alone.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€32,000 – €55,000
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.
- The home is very dated and would benefit from cosmetic updating.
- Interior circulation is awkward, with multiple staircases and split levels.
- The kitchen appears basic, and the advertised terrace is not clearly shown in the gallery.
- The entrance facade and surrounding streets show significant wear.
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 55/100Mount Etna rises immediately north-west of the city, with the Etna Park on its upper slopes. The Ionian coast is at the edge of the built-up area. Catania is a major city with a large historic centre of Baroque churches and palaces, a port, university, airport and full services. The city is part of a broad urban and industrial strip along the coast and at the foot of Etna.