Fabbricato Ricettivo in Alta Langa nel cuore di Castino
Castino è un borgo dell’Alta Langa con una storia antica, un centro storico medievale integro ed un paesaggio che cambia profondamente tra estate ed autunno, mantenendo sempre la sua identità agricola e monastica. Castino ha origini molto antiche, con reperti romani rinvenuti lungo la “via magistra Langarum”, l’antica…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Livable, but something basic is worn out
In the listingNeeds renovationMust be done first
- Damp
- Wiring
- Bathroom
See what needs doing and what each job costs
Large 410 m² farmhouse listed at €79,000 but described as “Needs renovation”; estimated renovation €700/m² → ~€287,000 work cost. Effective price ≈ €893/m² (total ≈ €366,000) versus regional median €263/m², so the renovation burden makes this an overpriced project.
More on the house and the area
A very characterful, roofed village farmhouse with beautiful exposed stone walls, high beamed halls and balconies in an intact medieval borgo. The building is structurally complete and offers huge, photogenic interior volumes, but many rooms are unfinished or dated and will need a full renovation to be comfortably lived in — excellent value for a restoration project.
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€81,000 – €144,000
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.
- Needs substantial renovation (kitchen, bathrooms, finishes) beyond cosmetic work
- Several spaces are raw stone shells or have basic concrete ceilings — not immediately habitable
- Likely requires electrical/heating/insulation upgrades; located on the main street so privacy/parking may be limited
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 cluster is in the Langhe hills, with wooded ridges, vineyards and hazelnut country around the Bormida valley. The Bormida di Spigno runs nearby. Alta Langa is the local landscape name for this part of southern Piemonte, and small hill villages such as Cortemilia are the nearest service centres with shops and basic amenities. The area is known for Moscato and other Langhe wines in the wider zone, and especially for hazelnuts in the Alta Langa around Cortemilia.