A home renovation is the coordinated set of works that brings an existing house back to being safe, efficient and comfortable by today's standards, through its services, its finishes and, where needed, its structure. In Sicily it almost always concerns properties built before the 1980s, where the electrical system, the plumbing and the thermal envelope have reached the end of their useful life and need replacing rather than repairing.
This guide sets out what the work actually covers, who it suits, how it unfolds stage by stage, and what to expect in time, cost and permits before you ask anyone for a quote. If you are looking for the service rather than the explanation, the page to read is our home renovation in Sicily.
What a home renovation actually covers
The same phrase is used for very different jobs, and that is the first reason two quotes on the same property can differ by a factor of two. In professional practice there are three levels.
The first is cosmetic refurbishment: decoration, new floors, new sanitaryware and light fittings, with the internal layout untouched. The second is an intermediate renovation, which is the most common case: removing non structural partitions, redistributing the space, replacing the electrical and plumbing systems in full, new windows and doors, a new kitchen and new bathrooms. The third is a complete or turnkey renovation, which strips the property back to its shell and rebuilds it, including structural work such as consolidating foundations, rebuilding the roof and altering load bearing walls.
Working out which level your house falls into is the step that makes quotes comparable. A property that needs its services replaced is not a property that needs a refresh, and no price per square metre means anything before that distinction is made.
Who it suits, and when it pays best
A full renovation makes sense in four recurring situations.
The first is buying a dated property cheaply precisely because it needs work: the saving on the purchase pays for much of the build, and the result is a new house in a position that new build cannot offer. The second is an inherited family house, often in a historic centre, structurally sound but with 1960s services and no insulation. The third is a property bought to let, where the specification should be set by the return rather than by personal taste. The fourth is the house you already live in, once the annual heating and cooling bill and the repeated breakdowns have passed the cost of replacing the systems.
It does not pay when the structure shows serious movement and the finished value will not cover the structural work required. In those cases a technical survey before exchange is worth more than any quote, which is exactly why we offer property search and purchase verification.
What to expect: the stages of the work
A well run site always follows the same order, and knowing which stage you are in is the simplest way to tell whether the job is moving.
It begins with the survey and technical assessment: the condition of the structure, the services, the roof and any damp, from which the design and a reliable quote follow. Next comes the design with a qualified professional and the building application to the Comune. Then demolition and disposal, the noisiest stage and the quickest. Then structural work, if any, and immediately after it the chases and the installation of the new services, the point at which every change becomes expensive and therefore the point by which decisions must be closed. Plaster and screeds follow, with drying times that cannot be compressed, then floors, wall finishes, windows and decoration, and finally the kitchen and sanitaryware, the testing of the services and handover with the certificates.
Two realistic expectations help more than any promise. First, the positions of lights, sockets and wastes must be final before the services go in. Second, drying time is site time, even when nobody appears to be working.
Time and cost to allow for
For a home renovation in Sicily our projects usually sit between 400 and 1,500 euro per square metre, with a typical duration of four to eight months. Within that range, a cosmetic job sits between 400 and 700 euro per square metre, an intermediate one between 700 and 1,200, and a complete renovation starts at 1,200 and can pass 2,000 euro per square metre depending on complexity and finishes.
The items that move the total are always the same: the condition and age of the property, the extent of structural work, the quality of materials and finishes, the renewal of the services, heritage constraints and site access. The breakdown trade by trade is in our guide to renovation cost per square metre in Sicily, and the tax relief available is set out in the guide to the Italian renovation bonus and deductions. For a first figure on your own floor area, use the cost estimator.
Permits: what you actually need
Almost no renovation is permit free. Internal work that leaves the structure, the elevations and the volumes alone generally starts with a CILA, while work that alters the structure or substantially changes the layout requires a SCIA with a design by a qualified professional. On listed properties and in historic centres the Soprintendenza also has to be consulted, which lengthens the timetable and shapes the choice of materials and finishes.
The application has to be filed before work starts and signed by a professional, which is why design is not an optional extra. The full picture of the procedures is in our guide to Italian building permits, SCIA and CILA, and our architects and permits service runs the process on the client's behalf.
The mistakes that cost the most
Three mistakes turn up in almost every job that goes wrong.
The first is accepting a lump sum quote with no schedule of works: without itemised lines there is no way to check what is included, and every surprise becomes an extra. The second is leaving technical choices, services and sanitaryware above all, until after they are installed: every later change means undoing work just completed. The third is choosing a contractor on the lowest price without checking registration, insurance and completed projects. The checks to make are in our guide to finding reliable builders in Sicily.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a home renovation in Sicily take?
A complete home renovation usually takes four to eight months, plus the time needed for the building application before work can start. Listed properties and those in historic centres normally take longer because of the Soprintendenza consultation.
How much does it cost per square metre?
In Sicily our projects sit between 400 and 1,500 euro per square metre. A cosmetic job sits between 400 and 700 euro per square metre, an intermediate one between 700 and 1,200, while a complete renovation starts at 1,200 and can pass 2,000 euro per square metre.
Do I need a permit to renovate a house in Italy?
Almost always. Internal work that leaves the structure, the elevations and the volumes alone generally starts with a CILA, while structural work or a substantial change of layout requires a SCIA with a design by a qualified professional. Listed properties also need the Soprintendenza's opinion.
Can I live in the house during the works?
Not during an intermediate or complete renovation, because the services and floors are replaced throughout the property. It remains possible for cosmetic work, or when the job is confined to a part of the house that can be sealed off.
What is the difference between a renovation and a turnkey project?
Renovation describes the building work. Turnkey describes a single contract covering design, applications, construction, supply and finishes, with one party responsible and one handover date, which is how we run our turnkey renovation.
Where do I start?
With a technical survey of the property. Without the real condition of the structure, the services and the roof, no quote is reliable, and any figure found online remains an average that says nothing about your house.
The next step
If you are weighing up renovating a house in Sicily, the useful starting point is an assessment of the property that says which of the three levels the work belongs to and which permits it brings with it. A comparable quote and a realistic programme both follow from that assessment.
See what our home renovation in Sicily service covers, or get in touch to arrange an assessment with no obligation.
Ready to Start Your Project?
Contact Terra Nostra Costruzioni for a free consultation. We provide bilingual project management for renovation projects across Sicily.
