Last week there was quite a lot of press about the fact that I purchased a 1 euro house here in Mussomeli and my plans to launch the Community Kitchen. I am so happy that my story is resonating with many people across the world and since the story broke, many people have been reaching out to me asking for help and advice. This is fantastic as I am definitely a champion of the 1 euro house project, however, it is a challenge to get back to everyone individually. In this blog I will share with you all my experiences and also provide as much information as I can on the 1 euro house project here in Italy. I can only provide information on the project here in Mussomeli as each town that offers the houses has different rules and regulations. Here is a snapshot of my advice and recommendations:
If you don't speak Italian then find someone who does who can help you through the process.
Do some research and find all of the towns in Italy that offer the 1 euro houses - narrow it down to 3 towns where you could see yourself living or having a second home.
Find out who runs the program in each of the towns and contact them to make an appointment to come and see as many houses as you can. This is really important as you need to feel comfortable in the town.
There are many websites that offer all sorts of services for you, find the 3 towns and then speak directly to the agent or company who is selling the houses. There are very few details of the houses for sale online so you will need to visit the town.
Each town has different rules and regulations for the program, some require a deposit and others require a minimum investment. Here in Mussomeli the only requirement is that you have to start the renovation within 3 years of buying the property.
My renovation will cost 20,000 Euros and I am working with a local architect and builder. My architect is taking care of all of the paperwork for me for the planning.
You don't have to be a resident here in Mussomeli to own one of the houses. As a non resident you will pay more for services and the tax to pay as a non resident is not a great deal.
On top of the 1 euro you will need to pay for the searches and legal fees. I paid 3,000 euros and this can cost more if there are any challenges with the house like renovation that was done to the house that was not declared.
There are over 200 houses for sale in Mussomeli that are not a part of the 1 euro house project. Some for less than 10,000 euros that are liveable. Make sure you see all of those houses as well as most of them are liveable.
Everyone in Mussomeli has made it very easy for me to buy my house and settle here. The agency has a service where you can pay them to help you get all of the services connected to your house. They can also recommend architects and builders to work with.
The locals here have been very kind and welcoming to me and to others who have bought the 1 euro houses. This is a very safe town to live in as well.
Unemployment is very high here so I would not suggest that you move to the town to buy a house and then look for work.
Here is the agency who I dealt with Immobiliare Siciliano and the email is info@immobiliaresiciliana.com Valeria speaks English and the whole team is very helpful. The only way that this will work for you is if you are willing to put some time and effort into it and be prepared to travel here as soon as you can to see as many properties as you can. This is also not about getting a bargain, doing it up and then selling it. As I said there are already over 200 houses for sale and most of them are in a very good condition. This project is about being a part of this great city and helping to build the community. There is also a page on Facebook that has a map of all of the towns in Italy offering the 1 euro houses. Hope that helps.....