A couple recounts how much they have already spent to buy a 'one-euro house' in Italy

Photo: Instagram / @sicilydreamhome / reproduction

The duo recounts their experience after they decided to buy one of the famous cheap houses in Sicily

Americans Complete that it Gary Holm They were drawn to Italy after homes sold for just one euro (about R$5.44) became hugely popular online in 2019.

The couple, who currently live in England, said Interested in trade Who wrote to the email address published in an online article and received a response from the Mayor of Sambuca di Sicilia inviting them to a tour of the city and the houses sold in the programme.

Inside, the houses were covered in original coverings from the 1960s, which will be preserved – Image: Instagram / @sicilydreamhome / Reproduction

They discovered that, in fact, one euro was the initial bid value for the properties. In love with the city, they offered €5,000 (R$27,000) for one of these houses, but were not considered.

Then they decided to try to buy a home privately. After visiting about 15 properties, they decided to buy a small residence in which they invested 19,000 euros (103,000 Brazilian reals).

The homes needed much more renovation than I initially imagined – Image: Instagram / @sicilydreamhome / Reproduction

At first, they thought the property would just need painting, but other repairs were needed. Moreover, the size was not very large and there was no way to enlarge it. To solve this problem, they also decided to buy the house next door, for which they paid 8,000 euros (43,500 R$).

However, the two dwellings were not equal to each other. Therefore, to connect them it was necessary to hire an engineer and implement a small project. Between taxes, renewals, brokerage commissions, attorney's fees and the value of the properties themselves, Tam and Gary have already paid about €160,000 (R$870,000).

Despite the much higher investment than they expected, the couple do not seem to have any regrets and have been very well received in Italy: “They see the value of foreigners in boosting the economy and tourism. “I think the one-euro program has been fantastic, in my opinion,” Gary said. “Because it gave some people the opportunity to get homes for less money, which is what got us here.”