Is Italy still selling €1 houses? The real story behind Netflix's La Dolce Villa

Independent

28-02-2025

Italy's one-euro homes have made the headlines with Sicilian Cinderella stories and fixer-upper failures since the scheme's inception in 2017.
On paper, the initiative offers those looking for a cheap leg up the property ladder a run-down Italian villa, flat or house for just €1.
Sceptical? As is concerned dad Eric Field (Scott Foley) in the new Netflix film La Dolce Villa.
In the flick released last month, Eric rushes to Italy to talk his daughter out of buying and restoring a crumbling €1 Tuscan villa.
Shot in the fictional village of 'Montazara' – actually the small Tuscan cities of San Quirico d'Orcia and Pienza – La Dolce Villa is a romanticised version of an actual initiative to attract new residents into underpopulated Italian regions.
Although an Italian love affair isn't guaranteed, the fictitious Tuscan fixer-upper for 83p is real life for the expats who have bought in over the last eight years.
Of course, the Netflix rom-com has a happy ending for the abandoned villas, but can you still buy a €1 house in Italy, and are the crumbling homes all they're cracked up to be?
Can you still buy €1 houses in Italy?
Yes, so-called 'one euro' towns are currently active in at least 30 municipalities across Sardinia, Sicily, the north and south of the Italian peninsula.
The Italy-wide ' Case 1 Euro ' initiative was launched in 2017 and aimed to boost dwindling rural populations, reclaim derelict properties, attract investment and rejuvenate communities.
Of the communities involved, most are located in small medieval hilltop towns, away from major business areas.
Popular towns with international buyers purchasing the homes include Salemi, Sambuca and Mussomeli in Sicily.
How can you buy a €1 home?
When purchasing a €1 house, each municipality has its own specific application and process requirements, and interested buyers must contact the area directly.
According to the Case 1 Euro website, commitments from buyers include submitted renovation plans within a year of purchase and the payment of notary fees for registration, transfers and land registry.
Several municipalities require interested parties to visit before purchasing to prove they are serious about renovating their €1 Italian home.
The residency issue is one of the main headaches for Brits looking to buy in Italy.
For British citizens or prospective buyers living outside the EU, the properties can be purchased in Italy, but as "non-residents". This status incurs higher taxes compared to local buyers. Non-residents are allowed to spend up to 180 days per year in their Italian homes, but they cannot stay for more than 90 days within any 180-day period.
To visit more frequently, you must apply for Italian residency, which requires demonstrating that you have sufficient funds to support yourself without working in Italy.
Are they really that cheap?
The renovation of your Italian dream home will likely cost a lot more than €1 and comes with several strings attached.
Houses selected for the scheme are often in varying states of disrepair, dilapidated and require major structural improvements, and investing in the Italian homes can cost serious savings – in the region of €20,000 to €50,000.
Some municipalities also ask for a 'guarantee fee' of up to €10,000, depending on the town, to prove you're committed to improving the property within a set time frame (usually three years) and dedicated to spending time living in the community.
As for popular properties, these can become the subject of a bidding war, with several going for €5,000 or even €20,000 rather than their 83p asking price.
Is it worth buying a €1 house in Italy?
The scheme has received a mixed response from those who have bought into buying and restoring the crumbling Italian homes.
Meredith Tabbone turned her abandoned "one euro" (£4,400) Sicilian house into a £384k dream home - with a spa, outdoor kitchen and wine cellar.
After also buying the home next door in Sambuca for £27,000, she knocked through to create a four-bedroom, five-bathroom property.
A success story of the initiative, Meredith recommends people consider buying a one-euro home but said it's not for the faint-hearted. She said: "I went all in. If you can gather the strength, it is worth it."
The house that was bought for €1 and renovated by Amanda Holden and Alan Carr in Salemi was also listed on Rightmove for €145,000 (approximately £128,323) in 2023.
However, not everyone who dropped 83p on a property was happy with their bargain building in Italy.
Danny McCubbin bought a house in Mussomeli, Sicily, in 2019 - but decided to return it to the authorities after refurbishment proved too much of a challenge.
McCubbin told The Independent in 2022: 'When you take on a €1 house, you take on a challenge.
'Saying, 'I'm just going to buy a bargain, renovate it and flip it' - that doesn't work. I would say to anyone who's thinking of doing it - you need to put in effort and time.'
He added: 'It's a big decision, not just at €1 - even at €5,000 or €10,000. Get a feel for the place. Don't be bedazzled by the view - even though the surrounding area is absolutely stunning.'