Ciao!
I hope you all are following us on Youtube! We have gotten some really great traction over there and some of the videos are really taking off!
We are trying to put up informative and fun content that we know you want to see and it looks like we are succeeding so thank you if you have gone over and watched any of them.
By far the most popular video on YouTube is the one where I talk about the 1 euro Italian houses that are so popular nowadays and whether or not these are a wise purchase.
This video is up to 7,400 views and just keeps climbing. The other popular videos are the ones featuring our house renovations and several other renovation projects in our village of Santa Domenica Talao.
Every week I get several letters from people asking about purchasing a property in Italy and wondering if they can make their Italian dream come true.
Now, these 1 euro Italian houses have gotten everyone’s attention. It is a BRILLIANT marketing campaign.
But is it a good deal?
Well, it might be but here are a few things that you need to keep in mind.
The homes that are selling now for 1 Euro are abandoned and have been for a long time.
First of all, let’s go back several generations and find out why these towns and villages are abandoned in the first place.
Back in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s many Italians, especially from the South. left their homes in Italy for the dream of a better life in America.
Life in the rural districts was difficult back then. The weather was capricious and one never knew whether the next year they would still be able to eke out a meagre living. Many left with the idea that they would be back after seeking their fortunes but they never returned.
Over time the properties that would have been inherited by the sons and grandsons fell into disrepair and ruin.
This was a long time ago and many of these properties are in pretty rough shape. Generally these are the 1 Euro Italian houses.
Most of them are found in the historic centers of so many hill towns and seaside villages. Some are wedged in between other houses that have been cared for and perhaps renovated and most are in a pretty severe state of disrepair.
So that said, are they a good deal?
Well, it depends on so many different factors.
One of them is the state of disrepair. If the walls are intact and not crumbling due to a roof failure, it will be less expensive to fix up than one that has had the roof fail completely letting water leak into the walls and destroy their integrity.
Once that occurs, there is substantial repair needed and sometimes you may have to take the walls down to the foundation and rebuild them from the bottom up.
In the case of a house that is seriously damaged, make sure you get a good inspection and estimate on the repairs in writing before you purchase it.
A better purchase would be a house that is still pretty much intact, only needing cosmetic repairs like new floors, windows, kitchens and bathrooms. These are not generally for sale for one Euro but many times they are really inexpensive because there are so many of them.
Also kitchens and bathrooms are very inexpensive tp purchase in Italy, especially in the South. Ikea does have branches in Italy where you can purchase DIY kitchens for not very much money.
Another factor that you want to pay attention to in shopping for your Italian house is that in many villages, there may be one architect and one builder, You have to make sure that you can work with them and that they are honest and reliable.
Talk to others who have gotten renovations done in your village and ask them about their experiences.
Bear in mind that the houses for sale for one Euro are not anything like any houses we have here in America. Many of these houses were built centuries ago with whatever building materials they had to hand.
Centuries old walls may be made up of old roof tiles, bits of rock, mortar and sometimes even wood canes like the ones we found holding up our ancient roof. Miraculously we have not had leaks under that part of the roof as the wood canes are black with age and somehow still standing.
Honestly there is so much to finding and purchasing your house in Italy. It is very difficult to put it all into one blog post.
Do go watch our Youtube video and stay tuned as Pete and I are putting together a consultant package for those who are interested in having experienced help in this area.
Once you have your dream firmly in place, it is time to begin!