Best Tips for Buying a $1 House in Italy | Wilnesh News

Homes in Sicily may start at €1, but this cost is largely symbolic and is just the beginning of more expenses to come.

In Mussomeli, one of the most famous €1 towns, buyers must also pay an estate agent’s fee of €500 and pay deed fees of €2,800. Total 3,301 euros, approximately $3,600 USD.

Rubia Daniels, 50, from Berkeley, California, bought three houses in Mussomeli in 2019 for €1. So far, she’s focused on renovating her main vacation home. She originally thought it would cost her $20,000, but has already spent $35,000 on materials, labor and furniture. She hopes to keep it under $40,000.

Tabbone paid 5,555 euros for her house, which, with some taxes and fees, brought the price to 5,900 euros, or about $6,400. She later bought the building next door for 22,000 euros (about $24,000) through a private sale with the owner.

Over the next four years, Tabbone spent about 425,000 euros, or about $463,000, on renovations. In total, her dream home in Sicily will cost 430,000 euros, or $469,500.

When it comes to renovations, while talking to local builders can get plans started, buyers say it’s crucial to stay on site while the work is completed.

Australian Danny McCubbin, who bought a house in Mussomeli for €1, said he saw “quite a few” foreigners trying to manage their projects in their home country.

McCubbin bought his Sicilian budget home in 2019 with the hope of turning it into a food rescue charity. After experiencing massive and costly flooding, he eventually sold his home back to a real estate agent. But he managed to open his charity Good Kitchen elsewhere in the town.

“It’s best to work with your builder to select tile and choose whatever you need,” he says. When you can’t be there in person, he also recommends finding a local case manager who speaks English and Italian to communicate plans with local staff.

Daniels worked in construction and quickly learned that things took a lot longer in Sicily than in the United States

“When working with contractors in Sicily, I had to learn how to set my expectations, not my American expectations,” she said.

Have the patience to understand the culture and how the business works so you don’t get frustrated, she adds. She has been renovating her main home in Mussomeli on and off since 2020 and is still months away from completion.

“In general, there are a lot of capable people doing the work,” Daniels said, but “it’s done in a different way here. You have to remember this is an island, and they’re in an island age. So (things) are just moving a little slower than you expect.”

If you are planning to buy real estate in another country, it is best to stay there for a long time. And don’t just go during peak tourist season.

“I always say it takes longer than a week or two,” McCubbin said. “The most important thing is, come winter. Summer is beautiful. The sun is shining and there’s no mold in the house. In the winter you find a lot of houses that do have mold. They do have moisture, and it’s a very different situation.” It feels better here than in the summer. fine. “

Taborn, Daniels, and McCubbin agree that in order to truly visit Sicily, learning Italian is crucial, especially if you plan to spend part of the year there.

Language learning apps and courses are a great place to start, but immersing yourself among locals is another great way to practice.

Taborn said she enjoys spending time with Sicilians when she visits Sicily. Her first friends in Sambuca included the construction crew on her project, who then introduced her to their friends and family. She also has a close relationship with the mayor – she practices Italian with him and he practices English with her.

“I think without Google Translate I would be perfectly fluent in Italian,” she joked, “but I’m very, very fluent in Google Translate.”