Baita in Fontainemore
Baita in Fontainemore. Needs renovation, garage, mansarda, taverna, balcone, terrazzo, parzialmente arredato, cantina, esposizione doppia.
What it really costs
Can you move in?
Not before the basics are done
In the listingNeeds renovationMust be done first
- Roof
- Damp
- Windows
See what needs doing and what each job costs
The €47,000 asking price is attractive at €423/m², but a substantial renovation allowance brings the estimated all-in cost to about €1,123/m². The local comparison is limited, though the garage, cellar, mansarda, terraces and panoramic setting add value.
More on the house and the area
This is a highly atmospheric stone mountain baita with traditional masonry, a rustic balcony, wooded surroundings, and glimpses of the Alpine landscape. However, the property is severely overgrown and the visible interior is essentially a dark, rough cellar/storage space, so it is a major renovation project rather than a usable home today.
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€22,000 – €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.
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.
- Substantial renovation appears necessary, with heavily overgrown access and grounds.
- The roof, balcony, timber structure, utilities, and interior living spaces require careful inspection.
- No convincing evidence that the house is currently habitable or move-in ready.
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 74/100The cluster is in the Lys Valley under the Monte Rosa side valleys, with steep Alpine slopes, larch and chestnut woods, and high pasture above the village level. The Lys river runs through the valley. Much of the upper valley is in the Mont Mars Nature Reserve and the wider Monte Rosa mountain area begins just up-valley, with the main ski lifts at Gressoney-Saint-Jean and Staffal roughly 20–35 minutes away by road depending on the base station. Pont-Saint-Martin is the nearest larger town down-valley, with everyday services and rail access; Aosta is the regional capital farther away. The area is known for Walser settlements in the upper Lys Valley and for the historic stone footbridge at Pont-Saint-Martin.