Italy house Renovation project

5 bedrooms semi-detached house, 350 m² Calliano Monferrato, Asti (province) Montferrat

Calliano Monferrato, Piedmont, Italy

€30,000

5 bedrooms semi-detached house, 350 m² Calliano Monferrato, Asti (province) Montferrat

Key facts

Bedrooms
5
Interior
350 m²
Type
house

Features

  • Garden
  • Renovation project

About this property

In the historic center of Calliano stands this authentic noble house dating back to the seventeenth century, a rare example of late-renaissance residential architecture still intact in its originality. The house, built in the first decades of 1600, was probably the residence of a family of local notables or small feudatories. The walls bear the signs of time, but also the grandeur of an era: original plasters, frescoes with floral and geometric motifs, and wooden ceilings decorated in relief that testify to the taste and decoration of the 17th century Piedmontese nobility. On the ground floor there is a large living room with frescoes, a large kitchen with convivial space, two bedrooms (once intended for sharecroppers, farmers who worked the owners' lands) and an original stable, with direct access from the courtyard, still with stone elements and feeders.  On the first floor there is a sleeping area with four bedrooms, two of which have wooden ceilings with frescoes and coffered decorations in relief: a rare and precious detail that tells about the high social level of the first owners. On the top floor there is a large attic, fully recoverable, roof entirely redone in 2018 but maintaining the original style, with exposed beams.  Complete the property a private courtyard, with part of barn and a historic cellar with brick vaults.  The house requires renovation, but its solid foundations, original decorative elements and noble distribution of spaces make it an ideal base for those who dream of an ambitious project with great cultural scope.Show more

Location

Approximate location based on the listing's town. Confirm the exact address with the agent.

How to buy this property

Typical process in Italy — 2–4 months from accepted offer to keys. Tell us where you're buying from:

What's different for you

  • If this will be your main home (and you’ll be resident in that comune within 18 months), the “prima casa” rate cuts registration tax from 9% to 2% of the cadastral value.
  • A main home is also exempt from the annual IMU property tax.

What's different for you

  • No restrictions. You need a codice fiscale (tax code), which is free and quick to get from a consulate or the Agenzia delle Entrate.
  • As a second home you’ll pay 9% registration tax on the cadastral value and annual IMU (around 0.86–1.06% of the revalued cadastral value).
  • If you move here and become resident within 18 months, you can claim the 2% prima casa rate.

What's different for you

  • Italy applies “reciprocity”: you can buy if Italians can buy in your country. UK, US, Canada and Australia all qualify, and the notary confirms this.
  • Owning property doesn’t give you a visa. Living here needs an elective residence visa or similar, otherwise you are limited to 90 days in any 180.
  • Italian mortgages for non-EU non-residents are rare and capped at about 50–60% loan-to-value. Most buyers pay cash or borrow at home.
  • The notary must be sure you understand the deed. If you don’t speak Italian, a sworn translator and an English version are required (budget about €500–€1,000).

Next steps

  1. 1

    Get a codice fiscale

    1 day – 2 weeks

    Every buyer needs an Italian tax code before signing anything. It’s free from an Agenzia delle Entrate office or an Italian consulate.

    For you: You already have one — skip ahead.

  2. 2

    Written offer (proposta d’acquisto)

    1–2 weeks

    A written offer, usually with a deposit cheque. Once the seller accepts it, it becomes binding on both sides, so get the survey checks underway first or make it conditional.

  3. 3

    Survey and compliance checks

    2–6 weeks

    A geometra (surveyor) checks that the building matches the cadastral plans and the planning permits (conformità urbanistica e catastale). Your lawyer checks title and debts.

  4. 4

    Preliminary contract (compromesso)

    2–6 weeks after the offer

    You pay a deposit of 10–30% (caparra confirmatoria). If you pull out you lose it; if the seller pulls out they pay double. The contract must be registered within 20 days.

  5. 5

    Rogito at the notary and keys

    1–3 months after the compromesso

    You sign the final deed before the notary, pay the balance and the taxes, and get the keys. The notary then registers the transfer.

    For you: You can sign through a power of attorney (procura) made at an Italian consulate abroad.

    For you: You can sign through a power of attorney (procura) made at an Italian consulate abroad.

Buying costs on €30,000

Registration tax (imposta di registro)

9% of the cadastral value (2% for a main home)

The cadastral value is usually well below the market price (often 10–60% of it), so the real cost is typically 1–5.5% of the price. Buying from a developer means 10% VAT on the price instead.

 €300–€1,650

Estate agent fee (buyer’s share)

2–4% + 22% VAT

In Italy both the buyer and the seller usually pay the agent.

 €720–€1,470

Notary

≈ €2,000–€5,000

Plus about €100 in fixed mortgage and cadastral taxes.

 €2,000–€5,000

Geometra survey and lawyer (recommended)

≈ €1,500–€4,000

A sworn translator for non-Italian speakers adds about €500–€1,000.

 €1,500–€4,000
Estimated total on top of the price €4,520–€12,120

Pitfalls to watch

  • Unregistered works (abusivismo): extensions, pools or converted outbuildings that don’t match the cadastral plans can stop the sale or need a costly amnesty. Get the geometra report before the compromesso.
  • The proposta becomes binding once accepted. Don’t sign one “to hold the house” unless you’re prepared to go through with it.
  • Rural houses: check road access (servitù di passaggio), the water source (mains or a well) and the septic system. Many cheap farmhouses have none of these sorted.
  • “€1 houses” come with a binding renovation commitment (often 1–3 years) and a guarantee deposit. Budget for the full renovation, not the €1.
  • Seismic risk: much of central and southern Italy is in high-risk earthquake zones. Check the zone, and whether the building has been seismically improved.
  • Declare the full price in the deed and never pay part in cash — it’s illegal and voids your protections.

General guidance, last reviewed October 2026 — not legal or tax advice. Rules change and every purchase is different, so confirm with an independent local lawyer or notary before you sign anything.

Buying property in Italy

Read our complete guide — fees, visas, taxes, and everything overseas buyers should know before making an offer in Italy.

Read the Italy buying guide