1 Euro houses?

Hello, we are considering retiring to Italy next year and saw an article about specific locations offering houses for renovation for 1 euro, yet I cannot find any more information about that program. Does anyone know about this program and if it is still available? Thank you,  Keith Swain

Welcome to the Forum :)

Yes, the scheme is still available These 2 links will explain more.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ … index.htmlhttps://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2018/ … use-italy/

Ollolai in Sardinia was offering 200 abandoned stone dwellings for 1 Eur provided the buyer will renovate, etc.

Deadline for applications for this project was on the 7th of February 2018 as I read in news sources.

SimCityAT wrote:

Welcome to the Forum :)

Yes, the scheme is still available These 2 links will explain more.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ … index.htmlhttps://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2018/ … use-italy/


Ah, still available ? Cool!

DRK, Did you go visit these €1 properties?

Same problem here:

I am a professional graphic designer and visual artist based in Michigan, United States.

It came to my attention that some Italian municipalities are selling houses for an euro and similar arrangements. I am very interested in this. Of course I can cover renovations too.

However, I have not been able to communicate with ANYONE involved in this arrangements. This includes the actual municipalities selling the houses. They have never answered my emails. Can you help me out?

What I need to do is to establish a contact with the persons selling the houses, the municipalities or the real state agents. I will appreciate any help you can give me on that point

Is there a list of real agents actively seeking expats to occupy these houses? For both aesthetic (given my field) and economic reasons this is a very good prospect; yet I feel I am wasting valuable time. If you can help me out with some precise info, I´ll be very grateful.

Regards,

Agenor

You need to know where the properties are, then visit the comune site for that particular comune.  They will have the details of what is available and how the process works - which is different for every comune.  The latest one is a town in Abruzzo - Pratola Peligna - which asks for no deposit, but wants an executive restoration project submitted within 6 months - otherwise there's a huge fine.    Bear in mind that houses for 1 euro is a way to repopulate places where nobody wants to live.   It will cost you the same or more as buying a restored place nearby, as the market is depressed, and resale values will be low - so the chances of you ever getting your money back are slim.   If it seems too good to be true, it very probably is.

As for this project, a house for 1 euro, I understand that for most regions this is burying money in the ground. But it seems to me that when a city gets into a television project, demand grows and the price of real estate grows. The only thing that confuses me is the Italian bureaucracy. When I think about how many permits I need to start construction work in the historic center, I remember the phrase of the local guide: Why are there so many old ruined buildings in this city? They're just waiting 100 years for permission from the municipality to start renovating. And yes, I am also very worried that the municipalities do not respond to letters. Is it difficult to take full photos, make a good website and give people the truth about these houses? Officials prefer to post photos of the facade of the house and then keep silent and breed bureaucracy.
There are lots of reasons why there are abandoned buildings in a town.  The main reason is that its not worth restoring them, because it will cost you more than their final value.  It is not local bureacuracy on the whole, but national law.  italy is a highly seismic country;  restorations have to be, and be proved to be, in line with anti seismic regulation.   

Have you had to deal with such earthquake work? Is it really expensive?

It can be expensive.  Some of the places have hydrogeological risk, so your lovely house at the top of a hill could end up at the bottom of the hill when you least expect it.  What you need to be aware of, is that all these works must be done by qualified people and the paperwork is completed. The one euro houses are usually untouched since the 40s/50s, which makes them completely unacceptable for modern seismic requirements which have been updated regularly over the last 50 years. 
Yes, I saw information about one municipality in Sicily - Salemi (with the program of houses for 1 euro), which is located in a seismic zone. The article on fortifying the house makes me seriously think about the complexity of the solution and the costs..: travelsalemi.com/we-strengthen-the-walls-of-the-house-what-is-sysmabonus/