If you’ve heard about the intriguing trend of one-euro homes in Italy, you know it’s a unique opportunity to buy charming but rundown houses for just a tiny fraction of their value. Sicily, with its beautiful but often depopulated towns, is full of these hidden treasures — but finding them can be like hunting for a needle in a haystack.

Enter Antonino and Carmelo Cuschera, two Sicilian brothers on a mission to track down these rare bargains and connect them with eager buyers worldwide.

What Are One-Euro Homes?

The concept is simple: many small Italian towns, especially in Sicily, are struggling with population decline and abandoned properties. To breathe new life into these places, some owners sell dilapidated houses for just one euro — a little over a dollar — hoping new residents will restore them.

However, most one-euro homes come with strings attached, like mandatory renovations or strict deadlines. But the Cuschera brothers’ listings are different. Through their agency, Vero Affare (“Good Deal”), they offer homes with no renovation commitments and no down payments. Buyers can purchase these old houses purely for their charm or as investment projects — or even just to own a piece of Sicilian history, crumbling or not.

How Do They Do It?

Antonino, a former honey producer, and Carmelo, a tech expert, scour small towns across Sicily — from medieval villages like Sutera to historic districts in Agrigento and Caltanissetta. They meet locals who view these old houses as burdens, hand out flyers encouraging people to sell, and take care of the tricky paperwork.

“It’s all private deals,” Antonino explains. “We don’t work with town halls, and we never sell homes sight-unseen. Buyers must come and see for themselves.”

Many original owners are eager to sell because keeping these empty properties often means paying costly taxes without any benefits.

Who Buys These Homes?

In just three years, the brothers have sold over 50 homes, mostly to foreigners — including North Europeans and Ukrainians seeking refuge. Every week, new listings appear online, ranging from tiny cottages to larger homes with multiple floors, balconies, and even garages.

One standout is a four-bedroom stone house in Sutera, overlooking the town’s piazza. Another is an ancient 200-square-meter palazzo in Caltanissetta’s historic center, near a stunning basilica, available for just one euro.

Helping Buyers Every Step of the Way

While the homes themselves are incredibly cheap, renovations can start at around 20,000 euros. The brothers assist buyers in finding trusted architects, surveyors, builders, and notaries to make the process easier.

“We’re not in this for profit,” Antonino emphasizes. “We do it for love of Sicily and to help revive these communities. It’s heartbreaking to see so many beautiful places decline due to neglect and emigration.”

The Legal Puzzle Behind the Sale

Selling old Sicilian homes is rarely straightforward. Properties often belong to multiple heirs spread across the globe. Carmelo helps by digging through public archives to track down distant relatives and get everyone’s agreement.

This sometimes means buyers must cover additional costs (around 300 euros per succession deed) when transferring ownership from deceased owners to heirs.

Unlike government-run schemes, the Cuscheras only handle properties where owners come to them with proper documents. This careful approach avoids common pitfalls and speeds up the sale process.

More Than Just a Cheap Buy

Despite their low price, these homes are valuable for their history, location, and breathtaking views in peaceful, off-the-beaten-path towns. Many buyers even prefer a fixer-upper one-euro home over ready-to-move-in properties because of their unique charm.

Antonino recalls one client who initially wanted a turnkey house but fell in love with a crumbling home for the incredible terrace view — a true “corner of paradise.”

If you dream of owning a piece of Sicily and don’t mind rolling up your sleeves to restore an old gem, these brothers might just be your best guides to uncovering one-euro homes that bring history and beauty back to life.

Source: CNN – There are plenty of one-euro homes hidden all over Sicily. These brothers want to find them for you

The post How Two Brothers Help You Buy a One-Euro Home in Sicily appeared first on Journos News - Breaking News, World News, Top Stories, Todays Headlines and Flash Reports.

Sambuca di Sicilia, a once-depopulated town in Sicily, has witnessed a fascinating shift in its home-buying trend. What began as an experiment to revitalize abandoned homes through symbolic €1 homes has now turned into a surprising trend of Italian buyers stepping into the market, taking the lead from American buyers who initially kickstarted the project.

The Sicilian town’s home-selling scheme has captured international attention since its launch. Back in 2019, when homes were being offered for just €1, there was an overwhelming response, particularly from American buyers, eager to invest in dilapidated houses. This initiative has breathed new life into the town, which had been suffering from depopulation due to locals relocating to larger cities.

However, the latest batch of homes up for auction in November 2023 has seen a major shift. According to the town’s mayor, Giuseppe Cacioppo, for the first time ever, the majority of the bidders were Italians. While the town had expected another wave of interest from American buyers, they were surprised to find that only a small number of bids came from the United States, with Italians representing the majority of successful bidders.

From “Little America” to Italian-Driven Revitalization

Previously dubbed “Italy’s Little America” due to the influx of American buyers, Sambuca’s home sale schemes had been a symbol of cross-cultural interest. Thousands of Americans flocked to buy homes for a nominal fee, often choosing abandoned ruins that required extensive renovations.

In the past, the scheme had revived a struggling real estate market, with over a hundred Americans purchasing ready-to-occupy properties. But in the third round of auctions, which featured homes priced at €3, only 15 bidders participated, with six winning properties. Surprisingly, Italians from all over the country won most of these bids, with only one American securing a house. This shift has led some to believe that the town’s revival is transitioning from being an international project to one more rooted in Italy’s own future.

Young Italians Recognizing the Potential of Sicily’s Real Estate

Mayor Cacioppo believes that the surge in Italian bidders is a direct result of the early international interest. He points out that Italians, particularly younger generations, are now recognizing the hidden potential of these bargain properties.

“Younger Italians are not retirees looking for a second home but are working professionals who can work remotely,” Cacioppo shares. Many of these buyers have discovered the beauty of Sicily and its allure as an affordable place to live and work.

Among these buyers are financial advisor Paolo Morabito, 25, and his architect friend Bruno Surfaro, 28, who purchased a 35-square-meter stone house with a panoramic terrace for €2,222 (roughly $2,281). Their plan is to invest around €30,000 (approximately $30,810) to turn the property into a vacation retreat and rental property.

The purchase came with a three-year renovation requirement, meaning Morabito and Surfaro have a limited time to complete their renovation or risk losing their deposit.

A New Appreciation for Abandoned Homes

While some Italian buyers had previously ignored towns like Sambuca, the new wave of interest suggests a shifting attitude. Cristian Salucci, a 47-year-old construction project manager from Ravenna, invested €1,000 (roughly $1,027) in a 70-square-meter house and plans to invest €100,000 (about $102,700) to restore it. Salucci sees this as an opportunity to revitalize rural areas and create a getaway for his family.

“We’ve been blind to the opportunities right in our backyard,” Salucci says, emphasizing the potential of towns like Sambuca that are brimming with empty homes.

Paul Kanitra, a 45-year-old civil servant from New Jersey, was the only American buyer in the third auction. His family hails from Sambuca, and Kanitra is hoping to reconnect with his roots by renovating a family home left behind by his great-great-grandparents. He plans to turn it into a vacation home and a non-profit center fostering ties between Sicily and New Jersey.

Despite his property needing significant repairs, Kanitra is excited to give it a new life. “It’s our way of giving back to both sides of the ocean,” he says.

A Future for Sambuca’s Homes

As the tide of buyers shifts from Americans to Italians, Sambuca di Sicilia’s symbolic home-sale program continues to bring new life to the area. While Americans remain interested in the town’s homes, Italians are recognizing the potential of these properties for both personal and investment purposes. The program has already sparked the rejuvenation of a forgotten town, and with this new wave of Italian interest, Sambuca is well on its way to becoming a revitalized symbol of rural renewal in Sicily.

Source

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