Frazione Galfione, 19, Portula
Tribunale: Biella RGE: 84/2025 PVP: 4606482 Fabbricato di civile abitazione bifamigliare, elevato a tre piani fuori terra oltre al piano sottotetto, entrostante all’area distinta in mappa al foglio 13 del Catasto Terreni con la particella n. 793 (già n. 351, fabbricato rurale di mq. 31 e n. 352, ente urbano di mq.…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Not before the basics are done
In the listingHabitableThe photographs say otherwise, and we go by the photographs.
- Sold at judicial auction
See what needs doing and what each job costs
This is a judicial auction (Tribunale di Biella) so it carries the legal/transactional risks of a sale at auction; the ad even says the images are only indicative. At €34,509 for 308 m² (estimated renovation €200/m² → effective ≈€96,100 total, ≈€312/m² vs regional median €350/m²) only proceed with auction counsel.
More on the house and the area
Bright, modernized interiors with skylights, a large finished attic space and a very attractive fitted kitchen make this feel like a move-in-capable townhouse. Great value for the size and setting in a pretty historic street, but confirm the real photos and the auction/legal status before proceeding.
Decoration, tired fittings, a bathroom or a kitchen. The house is liveable as it stands.
Our read of the photos is €200/m². There is no published price band below €350/m², so the range is that figure widened by the spread of the lightest band.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€20,000 – €34,000
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.
- Listing notes the photos are indicative and may not show the actual unit — verify real photos/planimetries.
- Property sold at auction — check legal/title and the auction procedure before bidding.
- Details like number of bathrooms/energy class are missing or inconsistent; confirm services and layout.
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 Biellese prealps, on the forested slopes above the Cervo and Sessera valleys. The Sessera stream and the Panoramica Zegna road are part of the immediate area, and the upper valley rises toward the Bielmonte side of the mountains. The Oasi Zegna protected area lies within this part of Valdilana and is the main named landscape feature nearby. The nearest ski lifts are at Bielmonte, roughly 20–30 minutes by road depending on the exact hamlet. Biella is the nearest town of size, with full services and a historic upper town. This area is known for the historic wool-textile industry of the Biella district and for the Zegna mountain estate.