The first time I heard about Italy’s €1 home scheme, I thought it was a joke. I mean, you can’t even buy a cup of coffee for one euro in some cities, and here they were claiming you could buy an entire house.
I was scrolling through my phone one night, half-asleep, when a headline caught my eye: “Italy Is Selling Homes for Just €1 to Attract New Residents.” I laughed. I thought it was one of those clickbait headlines that would take me to a sketchy ad page. But curiosity won. I clicked. Five minutes later, I was wide awake, reading every detail. Towns across Italy, some names I’d never heard of, were offering old, abandoned homes for just one euro. The catch? You had to renovate them.
I thought, “How bad could it be?” Then I saw the photos. Some looked charming, straight out of a movie. Others looked like they had hosted ghosts for several decades. But the idea fascinated me. And that’s how it began, my decision to find out the truth about Italy’s €1 homes.
Planning the Adventure:
Before I even booked my flight, I spent days reading about the program. The more I read, the more confusing it became. Each town had its own rules, paperwork, and terms. Some required deposits, others wanted renovation plans, and a few had tight deadlines.
It wasn’t one big national scheme. It was dozens of small, local ones. That explained why some people were calling it a dream opportunity, while others were calling it a nightmare.
I made a list of towns that were still offering €1 homes in 2025. Places like Sambuca di Sicilia in Sicily, Mussomeli, and Ollolai in Sardinia. There were others too, picturesque towns tucked between mountains and vineyards, but slowly emptying out as young people moved away.
I thought, “Okay, I’ll visit a few, talk to the locals, maybe even peek inside one of these homes.”
And just like that, I was packing my bags for Italy.
First Impressions of Italy:
When I landed in Italy, the first thing that hit me wasn’t the architecture or the food, it was the air. It smelled like espresso and history. Every street looked like a postcard. Even the walls seemed to whisper, “You’re not in a hurry, right?”
I rented a small car and began my journey south. My first stop was Sambuca di Sicilia, a place that became famous a few years ago for its €1 homes. The town was beautiful, quiet streets, pastel, colored houses, and old men chatting outside cafés as if time had forgotten them.
But as soon as I arrived, I could already tell why the scheme existed. There were empty houses everywhere. Some looked fine, others looked like they hadn’t seen human life since the 1960s.
Meeting the Locals:
I met a local real estate agent named Carlo. He had a wide smile and that classic Italian energy that makes you feel like you’ve known him for years. I told him I’d come to learn about the €1 homes. He laughed.
“Ah, the famous uno euro houses,” he said. “Everyone wants one, but not everyone reads the small letters.”
Carlo explained that while the homes really did cost €1, buyers had to sign a contract agreeing to renovate the property within three years. They also had to pay a security deposit, usually between €2,000 and €5,000, which they’d get back once the renovation was complete.
He took me to see a few. One was charming, with stone walls, a tiny balcony, beautiful view. The second one had a hole in the roof big enough to see the sky. The third had a tree growing in the living room. I’m not joking. A literal tree.
Carlo shrugged and said, “Nature loves old homes, too.”
The Real Costs:
That’s when I realized why these homes were being sold for one euro. The cost wasn’t the purchase, it was everything that came after.
You’d need to renovate from the ground up. Most homes needed new plumbing, wiring, roofing, and walls. Carlo said, “Expect to spend between €20,000 and €80,000 for a full renovation, depending on the condition and your taste.”
I did some quick math in my head. Even at €50,000 total, that was cheaper than buying a small apartment in any big city. But there were also legal fees, taxes, and sometimes a mandatory insurance policy.
And of course, if you lived outside Italy, there were travel costs, permits, translators, and endless paperwork.
I started to understand why some buyers gave up halfway.
Why Towns Are Doing This:
Every local I spoke to said the same thing, the €1 home scheme wasn’t about selling property. It was about saving their towns.
Decades ago, many Italians from small villages left to find work in bigger cities or other countries. What they left behind were beautiful towns that slowly emptied out. Some homes had been abandoned for years. Roofs collapsed, gardens overgrew, and streets got quieter each year.
So mayors started getting creative. Instead of letting these towns turn into ghost villages, they thought, “Let’s attract people back.” Selling homes for one euro was a way to bring life, tourism, and investment.
And surprisingly, it worked. In Sambuca, some of the renovated homes were now Airbnb rentals, art studios, or cozy family homes. The population started to rise again.
My Visit to Mussomeli:
Next, I drove to Mussomeli, another town in Sicily known for its €1 home program. The drive itself was breathtaking, rolling hills, old stone bridges, and fields of olive trees.
When I arrived, the town looked like something out of a movie. Narrow streets, colorful shutters, the smell of pizza, and freshly baked bread everywhere.
The local council office was handling the €1 home applications. They had an entire department for it. Inside, a lady named Francesca patiently explained how it worked.
She told me there were still dozens of available homes, each with its own story. Some had been empty for fifty years, passed down through families who no longer lived there. Buyers could choose one, sign the paperwork, and then start the renovation process.
But she also warned me about the challenges. “You have to work with local builders,” she said. “Permits can take time, and restoration must follow heritage rules. You can’t just paint the walls neon green.”
I asked her if many foreigners had succeeded. She smiled. “Some yes, some no. The smart ones plan everything before buying. The dreamers just arrive with a camera and leave with confusion.” That line stayed with me.
The Foreign Buyers I Met:
In a small café later that evening, I met a couple from the United States who had actually bought one of these €1 homes a year ago. Their names were Jack and Lisa. They had been featured in a few online articles, but now they looked… tired.
Lisa laughed when I asked if they’d do it again. “Yes, but we’d plan better,” she said. “We didn’t expect the renovation to take this long.”
They showed me pictures of their house, before and after. It was beautiful now, but it had taken them 14 months, several builders, and a lot of stress.
Jack said, “The €1 part is easy. The €80,000 that follows is the real adventure.”
They didn’t regret it, though. They said living in Italy had changed their lives. They learned the language, made local friends, and even started a small café of their own.
That conversation made me realize something important: the €1 home scheme isn’t just about buying property. It’s about committing to a new life.
Hidden Rules and Surprises:
The next morning, I visited another small town, Ollolai, in Sardinia. The view there was unbelievable, mountains, green valleys, and peace everywhere. But the mayor, who was kind enough to meet me, told me something very few people know.
“The €1 scheme works only if buyers really stay,” he said. “We don’t want investors who just flip the houses or never visit again.”
In many towns, buyers have to live there for at least part of the year. Some even require proof that you’re integrating into the community, things like enrolling your kids in local schools or running a small business.
That was the “truth” behind the headlines. The goal wasn’t to sell houses. It was to bring people back, to rebuild communities.
I admired that. It made sense. But it also made me realize how serious this commitment really was. You weren’t just buying a cheap property. You were saying yes to a whole new way of life.
Paperwork, Promises, and Bureaucracy:
If there’s one thing Italy is known for besides pasta and passion, it’s paperwork. And when it comes to the €1 home scheme, bureaucracy has its own rhythm, slow, deliberate, and deeply traditional.
When I sat down in the municipal office of Mussomeli to learn how the buying process really works, I was surrounded by stacks of folders and old maps. The clerk, a cheerful woman named Paola, explained that every step had to go through official approval.
First, you submit an application expressing your interest in a specific house. You include your passport, financial details, and a plan for renovation, even sketches or cost estimates. Then, you sign a commitment that you’ll start the renovation within a year and finish it within three.
After that, you pay a security deposit, usually around €5,000. It’s refundable, but only when the work is done and verified by the local authority.
I asked Paola how long this process usually takes. She laughed and said, “In Italy, we don’t count time like that. We say it takes as long as it takes.”
That’s when I realized something important, buying a €1 home isn’t a quick transaction; it’s a cultural immersion.
Walking Through My First €1 House:
The next day, I finally had the chance to enter one of the €1 homes that was still for sale. The keys jingled in my hand as Carlo, the real estate agent, opened the rusty old door.
Inside, it smelled like dust and memories. The walls were cracked, plaster falling off, but the structure was solid. A tiny kitchen, a narrow staircase, two small bedrooms upstairs, and a balcony with a breathtaking view of the valley.
I stood there for a while, imagining how it might look after renovation, sunlight pouring through clean windows, wooden beams restored, maybe a small espresso table on that balcony.
But then I looked down and saw the floor was uneven. One corner had a pile of debris. A pipe was sticking out of the wall like it had been abandoned mid-construction decades ago.
Carlo said, “It looks bad, but with €30,000 you can make it beautiful again.”
I nodded, pretending to agree, but in my mind I was already doubling that number.
The Builders and the Language Barrier:
One of the biggest challenges that every foreign buyer mentioned was finding reliable builders. Many small towns don’t have large construction companies, just local craftsmen who work slowly and carefully, which is both a blessing and a curse.
I visited one renovation site where a couple from Germany had been working for months. The wife, Claudia, showed me around the half-finished home. She smiled and said, “The work is good, but communication is tricky. We speak English, they speak dialect.”
She laughed, but I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. The builders had done excellent masonry, but progress was slow. Permits took time. Delivery of materials was unpredictable.
Yet, despite all this, Claudia said, “It’s worth it. When you wake up here, you forget the stress.”
And she was right. Every time I walked through these towns, I felt time slow down. People greeted each other in the streets, bakeries smelled heavenly, and even the church bells sounded like they were part of a movie soundtrack.
The Hidden Costs No One Tells You About:
By now, I had learned that the €1 home was just the beginning of a long list of expenses.
Here’s what I discovered through both locals and buyers:
- Notary and legal fees: €3,000 to €5,000
- Taxes and registration: around €1,000
- Architect or engineer fees: €2,000 to €10,000 depending on the project
- Renovation materials and labor: €20,000 to €80,000
- Utility setup (water, gas, electricity): €2,000 to €5,000
- Unexpected issues (roof leaks, hidden damage): always count another €5,000 to €10,000
When I added it all up, the so-called €1 house could easily cost anywhere from €40,000 to €100,000 in total. Still not bad for a home in Italy, but definitely not as simple as those glossy headlines suggest.
And yet, despite the costs, people still kept coming. Why? Because this wasn’t about money anymore. It was about the dream of living in Italy, waking up to mountain views, drinking local wine, and walking to the market every morning.
A Night in Sambuca:
To understand what life would really feel like, I spent a night in one of the renovated €1 homes in Sambuca. It belonged to a young couple from the UK who had finished their restoration two years earlier.
The moment I stepped inside, I was speechless. The house looked like something from a travel magazine. Exposed stone walls, a modern kitchen that still felt rustic, and a terrace overlooking a golden sunset.
We sat there drinking Sicilian wine, and I asked them if it was all worth it.
The husband, Tom, smiled and said, “Every time we sit here, we forget how hard it was. The paperwork, the dust, the delays, all of it disappears when you see this view.”
His wife nodded, “It’s not just a house. It’s our new beginning.”
That night, as I sat on their terrace, I understood what made the €1 home dream so magnetic. It wasn’t about buying cheap property. It was about buying peace.
The People Who Gave Up:
Of course, not everyone finishes the journey.
In Mussomeli, I met an Italian-American man named Roberto who had bought a €1 home three years earlier. He had started renovations but stopped halfway. The costs went up, his builder left, and COVID delayed everything.
He looked disappointed but not bitter. “It was a beautiful idea,” he said. “But I underestimated how complicated it would be. Italy doesn’t rush. And I was rushing.”
His unfinished home still stood, half-renovated, half-ruined. It reminded me that this project isn’t for everyone. You need patience, flexibility, and a genuine love for the culture.
The Bureaucratic Surprise:
A few days later, I had lunch with a local journalist who had been covering these €1 home projects since they started. Over a plate of pasta, she told me that not all towns were happy with how things turned out.
“Some buyers vanish,” she said. “They buy, they sign, but they never return. The homes stay empty.”
To prevent that, new rules were being added. Some towns now require buyers to pay fines if they don’t start renovations within the first year. Others demand proof of financial capacity before approving the sale.
It made sense. Italy didn’t want abandoned houses with new owners on paper; they wanted life, people, stories.
My Visit to Ollolai:
Ollolai, in Sardinia, was my final stop. The town had been one of the first to launch the €1 home program years ago.
As I arrived, I noticed how alive it felt compared to the stories I had read. Families were walking around, renovated homes shining under the sun, and cafés full of laughter.
The mayor welcomed me warmly. He was proud of what the project had achieved. “It’s not about money,” he said. “It’s about identity. We want people who love this place, who bring their own energy.”
He showed me a restored home that used to be completely in ruins. Now it was a small art gallery run by a woman from France who had moved there three years ago.
When I met her, she said something I’ll never forget: “This town didn’t just give me a house, it gave me a purpose.”
That line stayed with me as I drove away.
The Truth I Discovered:
By the time I left Italy, I had seen enough to understand the full picture. The €1 home scheme is real, but it’s not what most people imagine.
You do pay one euro for the house, but you also pay with time, effort, and patience. You navigate bureaucracy, handle contractors, and face unexpected surprises. But if you stay, if you finish, if you truly fall in love with the place, you’ll get something money can’t buy, a home with a story, and a life that feels slower, fuller, more meaningful.
It’s not a shortcut to owning property. It’s a journey into Italian life.
Would I Buy One?
After everything I saw, I thought about this question seriously. Would I buy one of these €1 homes?
Maybe yes, but not yet. Because this isn’t a weekend project. It’s a lifestyle decision. You have to live there, breathe the slow rhythm, and accept that things won’t always go as planned.
But one day, maybe, I will. I can already imagine sitting on a small balcony somewhere in Sicily, sipping espresso, watching the sunset over the hills, thinking about how a €1 dream turned into a life I built with my own hands.
Final Thoughts:
If you’re thinking about buying a €1 home in Italy, here’s what I’ve learned. Visit first, walk the streets, meet the locals, and feel the rhythm of the place before you make any decision. Do your homework because every town has its own set of rules, paperwork, and hidden costs. Budget wisely, as the real investment isn’t €1, it’s closer to €50,000 or more once renovations begin. Be patient because this is Italy, and things move at their own beautiful, unhurried pace. Most importantly, fall in love with the culture and the lifestyle. If you’re only chasing a cheap deal, it won’t work. The truth about Italy’s €1 home scheme is that it’s never just about buying a house, it’s about finding a new way to live.
FAQs:
1. Is Italy’s €1 home scheme real?
Yes, it’s real, but the catch is that you must renovate the property within a set time frame.
2. How much does it actually cost to restore a €1 home?
Expect to spend between €20,000 and €80,000, depending on the house’s condition.
3. Can foreigners buy these €1 homes?
Yes, anyone can apply, but you’ll need to follow local town rules and provide renovation plans.
4. Do buyers have to live in Italy after buying the home?
In most towns, yes, at least part of the year, to help rebuild the local community.
5. What happens if you don’t finish the renovation on time?
You could lose your security deposit or face penalties from the local council.
6. Is buying a €1 home worth it?
It’s worth it if you love Italy, have patience, and see it as a life experience, not a cheap property deal.