Catona, semindipendente con vista mare.
CATONA – VIA LA TORRE In zona Catona, precisamente in Via La Torre, l' Agenzia Tecnocasa di Catona propone in vendita una soluzione semindipendente di 164 mq catastali, caratterizzata da ampi spazi e da una piacevole vista panoramica sul mare e sullo Stretto di Messina. La proprietà si sviluppa su due livelli oltre…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Livable, but something basic is worn out
In the listingNeeds renovationMust be done first
- Damp
- Heating
- Kitchen
See what needs doing and what each job costs
Asking price €55,000 for 164 m² is €335/m², but with estimated renovation at €700/m² the effective cost is ≈€169,800 (~€1,035/m²), well above the regional baseline of €433/m². Sea 1 km and 20 photos are positives, but the heavy renovation needed makes the total cost too high for a bargain renovation project.
More on the house and the area
Large semidetached townhouse with a real panoramic sea view and usable roof terrace — the view is the strong selling point. Interiors are intact and liveable structurally but very dated with visible plaster/ceiling repairs, so expect a full renovation to make it a comfortable home.
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€32,000 – €58,000
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.
- Property needs full cosmetic renovation (kitchen, bathrooms, finishes).
- Visible ceiling/wall damage and patched plaster — some damp/repair work likely required.
- Exterior/front is unfinished and the façade will need attention; no evident private garden.
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 55/100The cluster is in the built-up area of Reggio Calabria on the Strait of Messina, with the Aspromonte massif rising immediately inland. The Strait is the defining water feature here, with Sicily and Mount Etna visible across the water in clear conditions. The Aspromonte National Park begins inland above the coastal strip. The nearest substantial mountain access is the Gambarie area in Aspromonte, roughly an hour by road, with local ski facilities in season. Reggio Calabria itself is the main city of the area and has a seafront, ferry links, rail connections, the National Archaeological Museum of Magna Graecia, and the airport serving the strait. The area is known for the strait landscape and for bergamot cultivation in the province.