Baita in Pontechianale
PONTECHIANALE - Frazione Chianale - Ci sono posti in Valle Varaita dove trovare casa è già un'impresa. Chianale è sicuramente uno di questi. Inserito tra i “Borghi più Belli d'Italia”, questo piccolo centro alpino a circa 1.800 metri di altitudine è una delle località più richieste della valle, apprezzata per la sua…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Move in as it is
In the listingHabitableSee what needs doing and what each job costs
Price €98,000 for 40 m² = €2,450/m² (effective €2,650/m² after a modest €200/m² refresh), versus a regional comparables median of €402/m²; attractive central position in very sought-after Chianale but the list price is many times the local median, so this reads as significantly overpriced.
More on the house and the area
A compact, move-in habitable apartment with a genuine selling point: a balcony that looks straight onto dramatic alpine peaks and traditional stone chalets. Interiors are simple and dated but functional, so this is ideal for someone wanting an authentic mountain base rather than a turnkey designer home.
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€3,000 – €4,000
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.
- Small footprint (40 m²) — best as a compact full-time home or holiday base
- Plain, dated interior finishes (cosmetic updating likely)
- High-altitude village location — seasonal access/parking and running costs possible
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 86/100The cluster is in the upper Valle Varaita under the Cottian Alps, with high ridges and peaks enclosing the valley. Lago di Pontechianale is in the valley at the settlement. The area is inside the Monviso Natural Park system, and the upper Varaita valley connects with the protected alpine area around Monviso. The nearest ski area is at Pontechianale itself with small local lifts, and larger skiing is at Sampeyre in the same valley. The nearest larger town with a fuller set of shops and services is Saluzzo down-valley. The area is known for alpine pasture landscapes, stone mountain villages, and access toward the Monviso massif and the Colle dell'Agnello route to France.