Italy: New homes for sale in a city that wants to attract new residents

the phenomenon The urbanization that some cities in Italy are facing, in which in order to find new residents, they use housing programs as “bait”, Which starts selling even from one euro.

CNN also reported on the city Samosa in Sicily It saw huge demand for cheap homes for sale in 2019 and 2021, and is now preparing to launch its third batch of homes, this time with a starting price of €3, with the hope that more sales will follow in the future.

The town of Sambuca made international headlines in 2019 when it was first reported that 16 homes had been sold for one euro. Two years later, the city offered a second batch of homes, this time starting at €2.

In fact, as CNN reported, it attracted said sales International buyers until The Middle East It helped stimulate the local economy with an influx of 20 million euros, through the creation of new rentals and shops, as well as contracts with builders, architects, surveyors, interior designers and notaries. The mayor told the media that 250 homes have been sold so far, noting that the growing interest in spending holidays in Italy has created the conditions for the success of these efforts.

From abandoning homes to reviving the city

the Successful efforts Sambuca is largely credited with selling its empty homes to local authorities They actually own the abandoned homes.

Other abandoned Italian towns, such as the medieval village Patrikalocated to the south of it Rometried to launch similar programs, but had difficulty locating previous owners to get permission to sell their empty homes.

Sambuca authorities took over the town’s abandoned houses after an earthquake struck the surrounding Beles Valley in 1969. The natural disaster led local residents to leave the place, Leaving behind empty homes. At that time the government of Rome He issued a special law to revive Sambuca Which granted ownership of abandoned homes to the city council without intermediaries. This means that the selling process is much faster, as local authorities do not need to connect owners with buyers.

The residences on offer are single-family homes, two or three bedrooms, from 50 to 80 square metres, built in golden brown stone and spread over one or three floors. Many of the houses have wrought-iron balconies, overlooking cobblestone streets and panoramic balconies, as well as old original green-painted wooden doors, arches and decorative windows.

But most houses need repairs and are full of forgotten things and piles of broken and dusty furniture. Depending on the condition of the property, Renovation costs usually start at 30,000 euros, but can reach more than 200,000 euros. Depending on how much the owners are willing to invest.

However, there is a condition in the market where the scheme rules stipulate that buyers must have completed renovation work on their homes Within three yearsOtherwise, they risk losing their deposit guarantee. In former times, homes ended up being sold at prices between €1 and €25,000, while most homes ended up being bought at prices between €5,000 and €10,000.

Those interested can find photos and descriptions of available homes, as well as application forms, on the official website of the Town Hall.