Casa indipendente in Contrada del Gallo, 3, Porto Valtravaglia,
**Appartamento in Vendita: Un Angolo di Paradiso nel Cuore del Paese** Scopri questo affascinante appartamento in una tipica casa di paese, ideale per chi cerca un rifugio tranquillo senza rinunciare alla comodità. Con una superficie commerciale di 145 m², l'immobile è composto da un ingresso accogliente, un luminoso…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Move in as it is
In the listingNeeds renovationThe photographs say otherwise, and we go by the photographs.
See what needs doing and what each job costs
At €69,000 for 145 m² with an estimated €700/m² renovation (€101,500) the effective price is ~€1,176/m² — about 183% above the local baseline of €416/m², so it looks overpriced. The description also claims it is “ready to be inhabited” while the listed condition is “Needs renovation,” a clear contradiction; the partial lake view is a plus but does not offset the high effective cost.
More on the house and the area
Charming village apartment with an authentic stone façade and genuine lake/mountain views — a real slice of Lombardy. The flat is lived-in and usable now (kitchen, bathroom, heating) but is dated and would benefit from renovation to reach its full potential; excellent value for the size and location.
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€29,000 – €51,000
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.
- Needs renovation and cosmetic updating despite being currently habitable
- Dated interiors and some visible wall wear/patching — likely rewiring/plaster work
- Only one bathroom for a large 145 m² apartment; lake view is partial from the balconies
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 82/100Lake Maggiore is on the doorstep, with the shore settlements of the Verbano around Castelveccana and the lake opening north toward the Alpine valleys. The Campo dei Fiori Regional Park lies to the south-east of this part of the province, and the Val Grande National Park is across the lake in the mountain interior. The nearest sizeable town is Luino on the lake, with rail links, a ferry connection on Lake Maggiore and everyday services; Varese is the main provincial city farther south. This stretch of the upper Lake Maggiore area is known for lake-and-mountain scenery and for road and boat access into both the Lombard and Piedmont shores, as well as nearby Switzerland.