What it’s really like to buy one of Italy’s €1 houses

In the small town of Mussomeli, Sicily, you can buy a whole house for less than the price of a cheeseburger. 

The €1 house scheme has proven popular with buyers from all around the world. 

Rubia Daniels, 51, is one of the homebuyers to eagerly embrace the project.

In 2019 the solar consultant from Brazil, who lives and works in Berkeley, California, bought six houses for just €1 each ($1.76). 

“I’m comfortable with the idea of transforming things and breaking walls,” the New York Post quoted Daniels as saying. 

“My husband panics when he sees me eyeing up projects like this, but for me it’s just a combination of excitement and joy.”

But despite the seemingly dirt cheap asking price, she discovered there is a financial catch. 

Most of the houses are in a state of extreme disrepair, meaning buyers could end up spending thousands on renovations.

Daniels spent around $US25,440 ($39,800) in administrative fees to buy the first property. 

She then paid an additional $US63,600 ($99,500) transforming the dilapidated townhouse into a liveable home.

Many people are incredulous about the ‘Casa 1 Euro’ scheme, but the Municipality of Mussomeli assures sceptics it “is not a joke”. 

“The only obligation you have is that you will have to renovate the house within three years of purchase,” a statement on the council’s website said. 

To make sure they stick to their promise, the council asks participants in the scheme to pay a €5,000 ($8769) surety. They will only get their money back if they renovate the house by the deadline.

Many of the abandoned houses available under the scheme are unwanted inheritance. 

In Italy, there are steep taxes for multi-property owners, and many families prefer to sell the house rather than shoulder the heavy tax burden. 

The council hopes this scheme will help breathe life back into the dying town by drawing in a fresh wave of foreign residents. 

For Daniels, the €1 house scheme offers the chance to start a new chapter. 

“It is much more than an adventure. It is an active opportunity to participate and live an odyssey full of amazing experiences,” she wrote on Instagram.

So far, she has created a new kitchen, bathroom and a “beautiful marble bedroom” in the once-decrepit townhouse. 

She plans to use another of the six properties as a wellness retreat with yoga and meditations classes, while others have been earmarked for family members. 

In the meantime, “life is good” for the consultant. 

“Nobody is rushing around, everything is affordable. A coffee and a croissant costs €1.50. In California, it’s a very stressful environment and everything is so superficial,” she said. 

“We love it here.”