The quiet Italian town where Brits are ‘buying homes for 85p’ – but there’s a catch

It sounds like an aspiring homeowners dream – a house for less than £1. That is the case in Mussomeli, a town of 11,000 people, in the heart of .

Located in an inner hilly area, 765 metres above sea level and 93 miles from Catania Airport, Mussomeli has winter temperatures between 7C and 11C and up to 32C in the summer. 

On the island where house prices can be anywhere up to €14 million, a project by the Municipality of Mussomeli enables house-hunters to buy their dream house for just€1 (around 85p). About 100 people have already done so. 

The website writes: “Is it true or is it a joke? project is not a joke. The project is managed by the Municipality of Mussomeli, which is proposed as a mediator and guarantor of purchase and sale transactions. Today, the regulation is fully operational and has been initiated as an important buying and selling process with people from all over the world.”

When Jake Goodwin saw a house for sale for 85p, he too believed it was too good to be true. 

“I was a bit sceptical, but I kept reading about it,” the Oxford-based stone mason told .

However, as young Italians migrate to the city, many remote villages are being abandoned, without houses left falling into disrepair. Elderly Italins find they have no one to leave their homes to.

For younger citizens, because having a second home means more taxes, selling these houses off cheaply is often their only choice. In Italy, the property tax on the first house is not paid (only for Italian citizens). If you have more than one house, you have to pay for it.

As a result, around 25 Italian municipalities are now selling properties for this low price. The idea is that having these homes improved and occupied is worth more to the towns than selling them off at full price. 

“Some of the homes in the area were £17-20k, but then they showed us the one euro ones. We stepped foot into my one and it had the most incredible views over the landscape,” the 30-year-old said. 

There is, however, a catch. The properties are in a less-than-ideal state. Goodwin said the property he bought was full of crumbling solid stone walls.

Even though the overall costs were low, he spent a few thousand pounds once all the selling fees were included. He also estimated that he would spend around £50,000 over the next few years turning the property into his dream family holiday home for his wife and kids.

However, Goodwin was determined he could do the majority of the work himself. Under the rules of the scheme, he had three years to fix the facade. 

He said: “It’s such a nice place. It’s so safe and friendly and you get a real sense of community.”

Similarly, when George Laing realised a house deposit in could set him back £50,000, he started to look for alternatives. His new home cost one euro, while the agency fee was 500 euros (£419.80). A transfer of deeds was 2,500 euros and with fees for an energy certificate and floorplan, it ended up costing him around £4,500. 

“That won’t even get you a garage in London,” the 31-year-old said. He aims to refit the entire house for under £15,000. 

Mussomeli is said by the website to be one of the safest cities in Italy: “There have been no robberies for years, thanks to a sophisticated video surveillance system and the presence of numerous police forces who control the town.”

There are lots of supermarkets, an efficient hospital offering free healthcare to all, banks, pubs and nightclubs, restaurants, churches, and a medieval castle – Castello Manfredonico, built in 1370, home to large halls, dungeons and a chapel with a valuable alabaster depicting the Madonna dell Catena – known throughout Europe. 

Goodwin said. “But for £4,000 initial cost, people spend that on a cruise. And if it doesn’t work out, you can always sell it on.”

“If you are willing to put in a little hard graft and time, you can have a home in Italy for a fraction of what it costs in the UK,” said Laing.