Rustico in Fosdinovo
FOSDINOVO: a 5 minuti da Sarzana vendiamo rustico indipendente con annesso e terreno pianeggiante di 1750mq. Il rustico su due livelli di 140mq è ristrutturabile in abitazione e dotato di annesso di 14mq in sasso, accessibile con strada carrozzabile. Il rustico è sito vicino ad altre ville indipendenti.…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Not before the basics are done
In the listingNeeds renovation- On the market for a long time
Must be done first
- Wiring
- Plumbing
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
- Windows
See what needs doing and what each job costs
Estimated renovation €700/m² × 140 m² = ~€98k, so effective price ≈ €197k (≈€1,407/m²) versus regional median €500/m² — far above typical. Also listed 700 days (stale listing).
More on the house and the area
A very characterful stone farmhouse with ivy-covered walls and a flat 1,750 m² plot in a quiet Tuscan valley near Sarzana and the sea. The building is a bona fide renovation project: roof mostly intact but overgrown and openings bricked up, so expect comprehensive works to create a comfortable, lived-in home — a strong bargain for someone ready to restore it.
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€28,000 – €49,000
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.
Show more
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.
- Major renovation required — likely full interior rebuild (floors, insulation, plumbing, electrics).
- Roof shows mossing and patched areas; professional structural/roof inspection recommended.
- Many openings are bricked or missing — windows/doors and services likely absent or need replacement.
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 71/100The area sits in the lower Magra valley, between the Ligurian Apennine foothills and the Apuan Alps to the east. The Magra River and the plain around its mouth are part of daily landscape here. The Montemarcello-Magra-Vara Regional Park begins nearby and includes the Magra estuary and the promontory above the Gulf of La Spezia. The nearest beaches are around Marinella di Sarzana and the gulf side toward Lerici. The nearest town of size is La Spezia, with a railway hub, port and city services; Carrara and Massa are also close on the Tuscan side. Sarzana itself has a substantial historic centre and the town is known for its two fortresses, the Fortezza Firmafede and Fortezza di Sarzanello.