Casale/cascina in Via Cave, Vagli Sotto,
Antica casa in pietra con giardino nel verde della Garfagnana con bella vista sui montagne. Fa parte di un minuscolo borgo di altre 2/3 fabbricati in zona appartata con una passeggiata consente di raggiungere le rive del Lago di Vagli sotto e ed i servizi, bar, ristorante alimentari e piscina pubblica. Si disloca su…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Not before the basics are done
In the listingNeeds renovationMust be done first
- Windows
See what needs doing and what each job costs
Estimated renovation €70,000 (700€/m2) yields an effective price ≈€89,000 or ≈€890/m2, well above the area's typical ~€500/m2. Solid stone structure, roof and floors were done previously and there are 33 photos, but there is no public water supply and sourcing is uncertain, making this an expensive renovation project.
More on the house and the area
A handsome, intact stone farmhouse set in a grassy meadow below dramatic Garfagnana cliffs — very photogenic and private. Structurally sound with roof/floors redone some decades ago, but it needs complete interior finishing and a reliable water solution; an affordable restoration for someone wanting a true mountain retreat.
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.
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.
- No public water supply — current solution by neighbours uses distant springs; water connection not guaranteed.
- Requires full interior refurbishment (plumbing, electrics, windows, floors, and a bathroom must be installed).
- Secluded site — confirm road access and exact distance/time to shops and services.
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 82/100The Apuan Alps are the immediate landscape here. Lake Vagli sits by the village, and the area is tied to the marble mountains and reservoir valleys of the upper Garfagnana. The Apuan Alps Regional Park covers this area. The nearest ski lifts are the small local slopes at Careggine, roughly 20 minutes by road, with larger Abetone-area lifts much farther and not part of the immediate landscape. Castelnuovo di Garfagnana is the nearest town of size, with rail access, shops and services. Within this part of the Apuan area, the setting is known for steep limestone relief, marble quarry country and the drowned village of Fabbriche di Careggine when the reservoir is emptied.