Hi everyone,I'm new here and

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03/27/2018 - 10:22

Hi everyone,I'm new here and finding the website and forum very useful! My partner and I have just come back from a viewing trip in Tuscany and may we'll have found the house we want to buy. It's an old stone property and will need a new roof and we're trying to ascertain how much we should budget for this before putting in a formal offer. Any help with costing ideas or good companies to contact in the Lucca area would be greatly appreciated. I should add that the roof is huge (around 12x12m2) and we are imagining that this will not be a cheap job, especially as access to the house is difficult. We just don't know where to start to get a proper idea of the cost as we've already had two very different approximations. 

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HI Maurice,thank you for your reply. it would be a whole new roof as some of the beams are rotten. So new beams, new tiles, insulation, new gutters.  I think the dimensions are off the flat plan, I'll have to check. 4 stories high including cantinas and attic, although just 3 stories from the terrace at ground level. It's a tall building though as room heights are around 3meters! I know it won't be a cheap job, just hoping it's not completely unachievable with our budget. Access is down narrow lanes so scaffolding and beams would need to be walked through village around 100meters too.

I'm sorry but your works seem to be very particular and it would be dangerous for me to even suggest an indicative price. If you have a computo metrico (a priced Bill of Quantities) I'd be happy to have a look and let you know if any of the prices look excessive. But remember roofs in Italy tend to be expensive; apart from the beams and joists you may have pianelle (the brick shaped tiles visible from underneath), then a reinforced concrete screed, insulation, membrane and roof tiles. At the eaves there are often stone or concrete slabs (visisible from outside). Gutters and downpipes can be copper or painted metal. Prices will vary significantly depending on choices. You must make sure you know what is being offered.Then of course there is the scaffolding ......

Hi Maurice,sorry for the delayed response, I thought I'd already replied!Thank you for your help, I completely understand that you can't suggest a price. As it stands we don't have a bill of quantities, just an architect's idea of what it would cost and a contractors idea... both very different prices of 26.000 euros and 60.000-80.000 euros. I'm not entirely sure how to get a better idea of cost before we put an offer in on the house. It seems as though we have to take a gamble and assume it will be the higher price. What do people usually do in these circumstances?  Many thanks again.

Hi Maurice, we now have a bill of quantities for the roof. We you mind very much if I could take you up on your offer of taking a look at it and seeing if it's reasonable? We're just really trying to double check we're not being too optimistic about all the renovation costs. Many thanks in advance.

A builder should be willing to provide an estimate, by means of a computo metrico using approximate quantities and based on a site visit. Actual quantities used when work carried out. This way you'll know what the scope of works are (whether any new structure required, type of guttering etc etc) and have the unit prices for the work. Ask them what the risks are (is there something they haven't included but may arise)

Hi there,You will need to ask a surveyor or architect to draw up the computo metrico [the cost of this service depends on the total cost of work required)/ bill of quantities with the works required without including the prices for the builders. This is then given to a minimum of  3 building companies [tender for contract) who then present their  best offer from the same bill of quantities to carry out the work. You then choose the best offer/or the most reliable building firm.Regards Lizp.s my husband is an Italian architect.

Hi I just read your enquiry about costings for house renovations, my blog may be of some help to you. It is on facebook, Casa del Roseto my Italian dream. It is a compete diary of postings of our renovation in Piemonte, and we have certainly had a mammoth restoration. It is alsmost complete and it has taken us over 5 years. I wanted to give other souls who were considering something similar an insight into what it entails. If you manage to read it and there are any questions that i can help with please do ask. Julia

Hello, I have just read your post now, I dislike having to bring you bad news, but I am afraid that  renovating in Italy (especially old stone buildings) is not cheap - in fact it is very expensive.I am a UK trained architect working in North Italy. At a super preliminary stage of any project it is useful to apply a price per sqm meter for the refurbishment in order to have an idea of the Ball Park Figure, before advancing into a detailed project. A very straight forward refurbishment involving new roof, windows, new layout, new kitchen, new bathroom, new electric, heating and plumbing plants, upgrade of and new  finishes will cost  around €1000/sqm without doing anything particularly ambitious.However as soon as, you start doing things of higher quality – or as in your case where the access for vehicles is difficult, the price goes up. We work on Lake Como a lot, and some of the houses being renovated do not have access to the roads so it works out cheaper to bring materials by helicopter. All said and done I would apply a figure of €1400 per sqm – calculating the gross floor area of the areas that you will renovate (excluding the cellar) – This will give you a Ball Park for the type of budget you need for the renovations works carried out by decent builder (excluding VAT) - again I am sorry if this is bad news, but it is better to be informed and prepared than to go into any project deluded. All the best , Conor