Villa in Via 4 Novembre
Ci troviamo nel centro del caratteristico paesino di Castello di Carro Casetta semindipendente da ristrutturare Per gli amanti dei borghi liguri, a solo 30km dal mare Possibilità di comprare l'intero stabile, unendo 4 appartamenti, ideale per attività ricettiva.
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Livable, but something basic is worn out
Condition not stated in the listingMust be done first
- Heating
See what needs doing and what each job costs
€29,000 for 65 m² plus an estimated €700/m² renovation gives an effective cost of ≈€74,500 (≈€1,146/m²), far above the local median of €385/m², so this is overpriced. The listing contradicts itself on distance to the sea (text says ~30 km while data shows 9 km) and omits structural details like building year and energy class.
More on the house and the area
Compact semi‑detached village house with a sunny terrace, small garden area and attractive valley/distant sea views — nice Ligurian borgo character. The structure and floors appear intact so it’s a realistic renovation project rather than a ruin. Excellent price for someone who wants a liveable, characterful home after updating.
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€13,000 – €23,000
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.
- Sold as 'da ristrutturare' — needs full renovation of kitchen, bathroom and finishes
- Some signs of damp/peeling plaster and dated services/electrics
- Only one small bathroom and modest internal space (65 m²)
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 62/100The cluster sits in the inland hills of the eastern Ligurian Apennines, in the upper Val di Vara. The Vara river valley is the main landscape feature within this area, with wooded slopes, small ridges and scattered hamlets. The nearest coast is the Levante Riviera around Levanto and Bonassola, but it is beyond the immediate 15 km landscape radius for scoring. The Cinque Terre National Park is farther south-west and not inside the local area. Varese Ligure is the nearest small town of note inland, with a preserved historic centre and services; Sestri Levante and La Spezia are the larger centres used for wider shopping and rail connections. This part of the Val di Vara is known for mixed woodland, pasture and small-scale agriculture in an Apennine setting.