I dreamt of buying a €1 house in Italy - here's why I couldn't go through with it

With the cost of buying a home verging on the absurd in many parts of Britain and beyond, it is no wonder some are looking for a cheaper alternative.

In the last few years, the opportunity to buy a house in parts of Italy for €1, or around 87p, has drawn considerable interest from people all around the world and on social media.

The schemes are usually operated by local authorities in rural towns, who want to see run down and vacant properties rejuvenated and encourage investment.

The Daily Mail spoke to two women: one viewed €1 homes in Italy but ended up buying a more expensive property, while the other snapped up five €1 homes in Italy.

It is not possible to buy a home for €1 in most parts of the country and prospective buyers need to be aware of rules and costs attached to the purchase before signing on the dotted line.

The cost of renovation work is also going to be a major sticking point for many would-be buyers.

Buying a €1 property is an appealing prospect, but the realties and costs involved must not be taken lightly.

Barbara Maekrl, who is in her early forties and an administrator originally from Germany, lived in Australia for 16 years before wanting to move back closer to home.

She told the Daily Mail: 'I've always loved Italy and after doing a bit of research, decided Sicily was the place for me. It's culturally rich and has a slow pace of life.

'After visiting Mussomeli in Sicily, I knew I had found my town. The people are incredible and the town is full of surprises.'

Barbara worked at pace to make her dream a reality. In January 2024, she decided she wanted to move to Italy the same summer.

Barbara did all her research remotely and booked a property viewing in Mussomeli before even booking her flights.

Having done her research online, she arranged to view a number of properties on sale in Mussomeli for €1.

However, for Barbara, the €1 properties on sale did not meet her requirements and, in her view, required too many costly and extensive renovations.

She told the Daily Mail: 'I inspected a few €1 homes, but they were simply not for me.

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'A €1 home may sound very tempting, but the ones I viewed were in a very bad condition and really needed to be rebuilt. This would have cost me a lot of money.

'I think €1 homes are ideal for people who have experience undertaken extensive renovations, have a background in building and construction and can do most of the work themselves. I wanted a cheap home, but with less work involved.'

She added: 'I ended up buying a €13,000 (£11,330) house in Mussomeli rather than a €1 property. I'd moved into the property within three months and the whole process was really easy. I'm very happy with my little house and it's not going to cost a fortune to renovate.'

Barbara said securing a good builder in Italy is vital, while recognising that this can be challenging for non-locals.

She said: 'Dodgy builders are an issue. Some are unqualified, unreliable and seem to overcharge. Some think a foreign buyer has endless amounts of cash, which isn't the case. Always get at least two quotes and be prepared to negotiate.'

The €13,000 house is Barbara's first ever property purchase, and she is confident her renovation costs will be manageable.

'I have absolutely no regrets and am keen to inspire more women over 40 to take the plunge and change their lives for the better', Barbara said.

Rubia Daniels, 52, is originally from Brazil, but has lived in California for decades. She spends about three months in Europe a year, but is hoping to increase this.

She purchased five €1 houses in Mussomeli, Sicily, in 2019. Three are hers, while one was for an aunt and another for her adopted daughter. All the five three-story properties were on the verge of collapse.

She told the Daily Mail: 'While on holiday in Indonesia in 2018, my husband mentioned something about €1 houses in Italy. As soon as I could, I went to Sicily myself to see what this was all about.'

For Rubia, the process was 'easy and clean' with no hidden or unexpected costs involved.

Taking one of her €1 houses in Sicily as an example, she paid the €1, plus €3,000 for the deeds required. The realtors were paid a fee of €500 and Rubia had to stump up €5,000 for a deposit to the authorities to show she was serious about the purchase.

Typically, the property must be renovated within three years of buying the property. If it isn't, the buyer's deposit will not be refunded. Required renovation timeframes and deposit costs do vary.

Rubia's building-whizz brother-in-law worked for Rubia during the renovation works and managed the projects, helping keep costs down. She also hired a Sicilian contractor who helps her with the properties to this day.

'Good contractors and builders can be booked up many months in advance. You have to dial down your expectations when you are in Sicily and learn how to work with local people and respect their time', Rubia said.

She told the Daily Mail she reckons she has spent around €50,000 renovating each of the properties.

Rubia wants to retire to Italy and plans to live in one of the houses, while building a wellness centre and art gallery in the two others which are hers.

'If you have the chance to embrace the incredible journey of buying a €1 house, don't hesitate. It will all be worthwhile. I have no regrets.'

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Many younger Italians are choosing to live in urban locations, leaving some more rural areas sparsely populated.

Having a second home in Italy attracts higher taxes, so people inheriting them often want to offload them.

Authorities in some sparsely populated rural locations are keen to boost the economy of their areas and draw more people to live and work in them.

There are a number of websites where you can view €1 properties on sale in Italy.

Among others, the websites include 1eurohouses.com, case1euro.it and property-in-sicily.estate.

A selection of areas in Italy run the €1 property scheme, including Emilia-Romagna, Abruzzo, Campania, Sicily, piedmont, Le Marche, Liguria, Puglia, Sardinia and Tuscany. This list is not exhaustive list.

€1 homes are €1 for a reason. You will not be buying a brand-spanking new fully functioning house. Many being sold are dilapidated.

Municipality policies vary, but expect certain additional costs when buying a €1 house in Italy. There will also be rules and regulations to adhere to.

Legal fees can cost in the region of €3,000, but this is variable. A deposit is also likely to be required, which in some cases could be up to around €10,000, though it is often less.

Most new owners will be required to submit plans for their renovation project within between two to 12 months of buying the property.

In some cases, the renovation work must start within a year of the house being purchased and completed within three years. The exact timeframes involved will vary depending on the location of the property.

Always factor in renovation costs. These could add thousands of euros to the cost of the property in the long-run.

Securing a decent builder in Italy within a decent timeframe is no mean feat. Be prepared to get quotes from different builders and make sure the scope of prepared works is outlined in writing in full in advance.