In 2026, renovating a home in Italy costs roughly €700–1,000 per square metre for light works, €1,000–1,500 for a mid-level job and €1,500–2,000+ for a full renovation. Location matters: a full renovation runs about €1,100–1,600/m² in Milan and €750–1,150/m² in the South (Il Giornale Edile). Budget extra for a geometra and permits.
If you're buying a home in Italy that needs work, from a city flat to a farmhouse in the countryside, the renovation budget matters as much as the asking price. In 2026, renovating in Italy costs roughly €700 to over €2,000 per square metre, depending on how much you change and where the property is. This guide, updated in October 2026 by the staged.ai editorial team, explains regional price differences, typical line items, the permits you'll hear about and how to estimate a renovation from listing photos before you commit. Figures come from the Italian trade publication >Il Giornale Edile and are in euros; one square metre is about 10.8 sq ft.
How much does it cost to renovate in Italy per square metre?
Between about €700 and €2,000+ per m², depending on the scope of work.
| Scope | What it usually includes | Cost per m², 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Painting, minor finishes, cosmetic updates | €700–1,000 |
| Mid-level | New floors, a bathroom or kitchen, some services work | €1,000–1,500 |
| Full | Wiring and plumbing, floors, bathrooms, finishes, possibly a new layout | €1,500–2,000+ |
Source: Il Giornale Edile, 2026.
Italian listings and builders always quote floor area in square metres. If you think in square feet, divide the per-m² figure by roughly 10.8: €1,000/m² is about €93 per sq ft.
How do renovation costs vary across Italy?
A lot. A full renovation is most expensive in Milan and the big northern cities, and cheapest in the South and in smaller towns.
| Area | Examples | Full renovation, €/m² |
|---|---|---|
| Milan | Milan | €1,100–1,600 |
| North | Turin, Bologna | €950–1,400 |
| Rome and Central Italy | Rome | €900–1,400 |
| South | Naples, Bari | €750–1,150 |
| Smaller towns | Smaller municipalities | €650–1,000 |
Source: Il Giornale Edile, 2026.
The gap comes from labour costs, local demand for builders, logistics (narrow streets, restricted traffic zones, no lift in historic centres, waste disposal) and the typical building stock in each area. So a cheaper purchase price in a small southern town doesn't automatically mean a cheap project: a remote or hard-to-access property can push costs up.
Worked example: a 100 m² home
| Scenario | Calculation | Indicative total |
|---|---|---|
| National average, mid-level | 100 × €1,000–1,500 | €100,000–150,000 |
| Milan, full renovation | 100 × €1,100–1,600 | €110,000–160,000 |
| South, full renovation | 100 × €750–1,150 | €75,000–115,000 |
| Smaller town, full renovation | 100 × €650–1,000 | €65,000–100,000 |
These are orders of magnitude to test whether a purchase makes sense, not quotes.
What are the typical line items?
Most renovations are built from a handful of recurring items with fairly stable unit costs:
| Item | Indicative cost, 2026 | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Painting | €12–25/m² | Wall preparation, type of paint |
| Flooring and finishes | €60–150/m² | Material and laying |
| Full bathroom | €6,000–12,000 | Fittings, tiling, plumbing |
| Electrical system | €70–120/m² | Full rewiring to current standards |
| Plumbing | €80–140/m² | Especially kitchens and bathrooms |
Source: >Il Giornale Edile, 2026.
Services are the line that most often surprises buyers, because you can't see them in photos or on a quick viewing. In an older property, assume wiring and plumbing may need replacing, and do it before new floors and tiles go down.
Other costs to keep in your budget:
- Demolition and clearance: removing old floors, tiles, fitted kitchens and furniture left by the seller.
- Technical fees: the geometra or architect for surveys, drawings, permits and site supervision.
- Contingency: a margin for what only shows up once walls are opened.
What permits do you need to renovate in Italy?
It depends on the work. Italy's building code (DPR 380/2001) sets out a few regimes, summarised here from >Infobuild:
| Regime | Typical works | Who files it |
|---|---|---|
| Free works (edilizia libera) | Painting, replacing floors | No filing |
| CILA | Modest internal works, e.g. moving non-load-bearing walls | Licensed professional |
| SCIA | Extraordinary maintenance affecting structural elements | Licensed professional |
| Building permit (permesso di costruire) | Major changes to volume, shape or use | Licensed professional, approved by the town hall |
This is a high-level overview, not legal advice. Rules are applied by each municipality, and listed buildings or protected areas can add extra steps. If you're also looking at Italian tax incentives for renovation, check the current rules with a professional before you start, as they can affect paperwork and timing.
What budgeting mistakes do buyers make most often?
The common mistakes aren't about the price per square metre but about what's left out of the sum:
- Budgeting only for finishes: you can see floors and bathrooms, not wiring and pipes. In an older home, assume services need work.
- Forgetting professional fees: design, permits and site supervision are a separate line.
- No contingency: opening up walls and floors often reveals problems no quick viewing would catch.
- Comparing quotes that aren't like for like: a cheaper quote may simply include less work. Ask every builder to price the same specification.
- Choosing materials after work starts: changing your mind mid-project costs time and money. Decide first, ideally with a visual simulation.
- Using a national average for an expensive city: in Milan a full renovation starts at around €1,100/m², in smaller towns at around €650/m².
- Assuming you can manage it from abroad alone: distance, language and local paperwork make a trusted professional on the ground well worth it.
How do you compare Italian builders' quotes?
Line them up in a table with the same rows: demolition, wiring, plumbing, flooring, bathroom, painting, waste disposal and professional fees. Check that each item states quantity, material and unit. If something is missing from a quote, ask whether it's excluded or included elsewhere. Only then are you comparing like with like.
How should foreign buyers plan a renovation in Italy?
Get local expertise early and compare like with like. A practical sequence:
- Hire a geometra before you buy. A geometra is a licensed building surveyor who can check the property's planning and land registry position, flag compliance issues and tell you which permits your plans would need.
- Define the scope room by room. Not every room needs a full renovation; decide where you'll spend and where a coat of paint will do.
- Apply the regional range from the tables above for a first total, then refine it with line items.
- Visualise the result from photos, so you know what you're paying for before quotes arrive.
- Ask for at least three quotes based on the same detailed specification (capitolato), so you can compare item by item rather than headline totals.
- Add technical fees and a contingency, and agree on timings and payment stages in writing.
- Factor in distance. If you won't be on site, a professional supervising the works on your behalf is worth budgeting for.
How can you see a renovation from listing photos before you buy?
Use a photo-based visualiser that also estimates costs. staged.ai (home-staged.ai) is an AI platform built for the Italian market. You can upload the listing photos, choose the Renovation mode and see each room with new floors, walls and finishes, alongside a list of works with costs estimated for that Italian city (based on market sources such as OMI, Idealista, FIAIP and EAHSP). Its geometric lock keeps walls, doors, windows and fixed fittings in place, so you're looking at the real room, not a fantasy version. The interface is available in English.
It's a quick way to compare two properties, or two levels of work on the same one, before you book a flight for a second viewing. See how the renovation cost estimate from photos works, try a virtual renovation, or remove the seller's furniture from the photos to judge the space. If you plan to let the property, read our page on virtual staging for Airbnb.
Like any online estimate, staged.ai's figures are based on market averages: always confirm them with a survey and real contractor quotes.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to renovate a house in Italy?
As a 2026 rule of thumb from Il Giornale Edile, allow €700–1,000 per square metre for light works, €1,000–1,500 for a mid-level renovation and €1,500–2,000 or more for a full one. A 100 m² home (about 1,076 sq ft) would therefore cost roughly €100,000–150,000 for a mid-level job. Southern Italy and smaller towns tend to be cheaper than Milan.
Do I need a permit to renovate a property in Italy?
It depends on the work. Painting and replacing floors are usually free works with no filing. Modest internal changes, such as moving a non-load-bearing wall, generally need a CILA, and work on structural elements a SCIA, under Italy's building code DPR 380/2001. A qualified professional, usually a geometra, architect or engineer, prepares and files these with the town hall.
What is a geometra and do I need one?
A geometra is a licensed Italian building surveyor who can check a property's planning and land registry status, prepare and file permits such as the CILA or SCIA, and often oversee small works. For most foreign buyers planning a renovation, hiring one early is sensible: they can spot compliance issues before you buy and turn your wish list into something builders can quote on.
Is it cheaper to renovate in the south of Italy?
Generally, yes. According to Il Giornale Edile's 2026 figures, a full renovation costs about €750–1,150 per square metre in the South, for example around Naples or Bari, and €650–1,000 in smaller towns, compared with €1,100–1,600 in Milan. Access, the property's condition and your choice of materials can still change the total considerably.
Can I estimate renovation costs from listing photos before buying?
Yes, as a first pass. With staged.ai you can upload the listing photos, choose the Renovation mode and see each room after the works, with itemised costs estimated for the Italian city. It's a ballpark to help you decide whether to make an offer, not a substitute for a survey and real contractor quotes.