Casale in Borgia
Borgia, contrada Cerasia, in zona collinare con vista panoramica fino al mare, a circa 5 km dal centro abitato, proponiamo in vendita interessante proprietà composta da fabbricato rurale di circa 110 mq, corte esclusiva e terreno agricolo di circa 1,2 ettari. Il terreno è prevalentemente destinato ad uliveto e…
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Not before the basics are done
In the listingNeeds renovation- Registered as agricultural or storage, not as a dwelling
Must be done first
- Damp
- Heating
- Kitchen
See what needs doing and what each job costs
Listing is a rural deposit “completamente da ristrutturare”: estimated renovation ~€1,100/m² (≈€135,300) so effective price ≈€164,300 or ≈€1,335/m² versus local median €228/m²; the 1.2 ha uliveto with ~90 trees and sea view add value but conversion to a dwelling may require permits, so the effective cost is far above market.
More on the house and the area
Lovely intact rural cottage with original character, a productive 1.2 ha olive grove and direct sea glimpses — highly photogenic and a great bargain. The building is roofed and floored (not a ruin) but requires full interior renovation and planning checks to become a comfortable full-time home.
All the services redone, bathrooms, kitchen, windows. The structure is left alone.
Turnkey, facade and insulation included.
Our read of the photos, €1,100/m², falls in this band.
Materials only, work you may do yourself€49,000 – €72,000
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.
- Completely needs renovation inside (kitchen, finishes, likely heating)
- Utilities present but will need updating (electrical/plumbing)
- Agricultural zoning may limit change of use or expansion — check permits
- Rural location ~5 km from town/services
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 58/100The cluster is on the Ionian side of the Catanzaro area, between low cultivated hills and the coastal plain of the Gulf of Squillace. The Sila range rises inland to the north, but the main mountain scenery is outside the immediate 15 km radius. The Ionian coast and the beaches of the Gulf of Squillace are about 8 km away. The nearest town of size is Catanzaro, which has the main provincial services, hospital, rail links and the regional administrative role. Squillace is nearby and the area is known for the archaeological park of ancient Skylletion at Roccelletta di Borgia and for olive groves and citrus on the coastal side.