If you’ve ever fantasized about moving to Italy or even owning an Airbnb there, now is the time. As Italian residents abandon small towns for big city life, there are many abandoned homes in picturesque villages that desperately need new owners.

How desperate are they?

Right now you can buy a home in Mussomeli, a small town in southern Sicily, for one euro, which equals about $1 and change.

The town of Mussomeli hopes that the crazy low price will entice people to move into the abandoned homes and increase the population of the small town.

Council Member Toti Negrelli says,

Almost every house in our old town enjoys a lovely view. There is no shortage of sunshine: it only rains 20 days a year and the panorama is unique. … Mussomeli is one of the safest cities in Italy. No robberies have been reported for years, thanks to a sophisticated video surveillance system and the presence of numerous police forces patrolling the city.

Sounds almost too good to be true, right? There is a catch.

The catch is that these homes are in desperate need of repair, and in order to buy one of the homes, you have to promise to renovate the home within 3 years.

Also, by “homes” we’re not talking about castles or even big houses. We’re talking about the equivalent of a small apartment inside a fairytale-looking yet rundown building. Still, $1 for a 700 square foot 2 bedroom home in Italy is an amazing deal. 

Many of the homes have a lot of character on the outside including beautiful wooden doors and store exteriors.

Renovations are expected to cost about $75 per square foot. There are also additional fees, like a notary and secretarial fee, which would probably cost anywhere from $2,800 and $4,500. It really just depends on the home.

You can totally assemble your own construction team for the renovation, or do it yourself if you’re a contractor or DIY expert, but there are experts available in the town who can complete the renovations for you.

In order to buy a property, interested parties need to travel to Mussomeli and go on a tour. Besides visiting the homes for sale, you’ll also visit local restaurants and landmarks. The tour costs $450, but you only have to pay if you end up purchasing one of the $1 homes.

Would you want to move to a small town in Italy for $1?