Italian town puts 500 abandoned homes up for sale for €1 each – but there is a catch

It may sound too good to be true, but an Italian town is set to sell 500 homes for less than £1.

Mussomeli in southern Sicily has put 100 empty properties up for sale online for €1, or 85p, with another 400 expected to follow.

Some of the homes are very small, but are made up of multiple bedrooms and offer stunning views across the Italian countryside. 

Mussomeli (pictured), which sits on a hill two hours south east of Palermo, has Byzantine caves, a medieval castle as well as numerous ancient churches

The local government signalled the houses were available by putting signs on the doors – but there is a catch.

Anyone who buys a house has to renovate it within three years or face losing their deposit, which is reportedly $8,000 (£4,270).

Restoring the homes has been valued at about $107 (£81) per square foot as well as admin costs of $4000 (£2,135) to $6450 (£3,443).

The catch is that anyone who buys one of the abandoned houses has to renovate it within three years or face losing their deposit, which is said to be $8,000 (£4,270)

The local government signalled the houses were available by putting signs on the doors (pictured) and a link to the website to buy them

Some of the homes are run down and need a lot of work, but others have multiple bedrooms and boast views across the Italian countryside

Local architects and engineers are on hand to help with the work but buyers can chose to get outside help if they prefer. the houses remain boarded up until they are sold

Local architects and engineers are on hand to help with the work but buyers can chose to get outside help if they prefer.

The move comes as Italians have left the rural areas for cities in recent years.

It has forced local authorities to sell off empty houses for the knock-down prices.

Mussomeli, which sits two hours south east of Palermo, has Byzantine caves, a medieval castle as well as numerous ancient churches to sweeten the deal. 

It comes as Italians have left the rural areas for cities in recent years, forcing local authorities to sell off empty houses for the knock-down prices

Restoring the homes has been valued at about $107 (£81) per square foot as well as admin costs of $4000 (£2,135) to $6450 (£3,443)

The houses are on the doorstep to incredible scenery of the town’s hilly landscape, which is currently only appreciated by its 11,000 residents

Last year, Ollolai, which is nestled in the mountain region of Barbagia on the island of Sardinia, offered 200 abandoned stone dwellings for just €1 (90p) each.

The town’s population had halved over the past three decades, with just 1,300 people – mostly middle-aged childless couples – left.

With just a small number of babies born each year, Ollolai’s mayor decided to prevent the population plummeting further by launching the ‘houses for €1’ scheme in 2015.

Again, there was a catch, as buyers had to commit to refurbishing each house, which were all in poor conditions, within three years at an estimated cost of up to €30,000 (£26,000).