Casale in Castel San Niccolò
Un pezzo di Toscana autentica, pronto per il suo nuovo capitolo. Nelle colline della Valdarno aretina, immerso nella quiete di Caiano, sorge questo casale di origine storica che aspetta solo di essere completato. L'esterno è già stato interamente ristrutturato il guscio è pronto, solido, curato. Cinque vani per 200 mq…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Livable, but something basic is worn out
Condition not stated in the listingMust be done first
- Damp
- Wiring
See what needs doing and what each job costs
Exterior shell already renovated but interiors need finishing; I estimate €500/m² (€100k) so effective price €190k → €950/m². That is well above the local median €500/m² in Toscana despite many photos, and the listing omits interior condition/bathroom details.
More on the house and the area
A handsome restored stone casale with original beams, terracotta floors and a huge stone fireplace, set against wooded Tuscan hills — the shell, roof and facades are already done. The interior is authentic and usable but dated and will need renovation/modern services to become a comfortable, modern 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.
Our read of the photos, €500/m², falls in this band.
All the services redone, bathrooms, kitchen, windows. The structure is left alone.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€23,000 – €39,000
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.
- Interiors are original and dated — require modernization and cosmetic work
- Listing photos show no clear modern bathroom(s); plumbing/electrics likely need updating
- Small shared courtyard rather than a private garden
- Visible plaster cracks in places — check interior finishes and systems
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 72/100The cluster is in the Casentino valley with the Pratomagno range to the west and the first Apennine reliefs rising to the east. The Arno runs through the valley nearby. Much of the upper Casentino falls within the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona e Campigna, whose boundary is close by and whose forests and mountain roads are part of local daily geography. The nearest ski area is Monte Falco on the Campigna side, roughly an hour's drive depending on the exact hamlet. Bibbiena is the nearest town of size, with rail access, supermarkets and normal valley services; Arezzo is the larger provincial city used for higher-order services. The area is known for chestnut woods, stone villages and Romanesque pievi, and Poppi nearby is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia.