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(CNN) - It seemed too good to be true. A new house, and potentially a completely new life, for sale in sunny rural Italy for the princely sum of a single euro, just over a dollar.
Over the past year or so, numerous small cities from Sicily in the south to the Northern Alps have been offering such bargains in hopes of attracting new residents to revitalize dying communities.
Businesses have made CNN headlines and beyond, captivating millions of people hooked on the romantic notion of abandoning the metropolitan rat race for a simpler life.
Many of the cities were flooded with consultations. The phones did not stop ringing. Websites almost burst.
But did anyone really buy? And when they did, what happened next? Did they get trapped in the notoriously Byzantine bureaucracy of Italy?
Did they meet the language barrier? Did the houses turn out to be money wells? Did the dolce vita get sour quickly and did the buyers feel cheated and dejected?
CNN Travel met some of the pioneer buyers, or “1-euro citizens,” as the locals call them, who did what most of us have only been willing to daydream to discover if it was worth it.
Holiday getaway
Morgane Guihot, which comes from near the city of Nantes, France, was one of the first to buy the 1-euro offers offered in Mussomeli, a beautiful city in the heart of Sicily, where narrow and ancient streets are grouped around from a citadel that falls apart on top of a hill.
The house for which she and her husband paid the pocket change is intended as a second family home.
Most agreements require buyers to commit to investing in renovations, something that Guihot, 27, and her husband, 31, have not wasted time putting in place.
They have almost finished redesigning their 50 square meter Mussomeli abode, after painting the walls and fixing the floors.
"We just have to finish the bathroom," she says. "As we are artisans and renovators, we did most of the work ourselves, which was minimal, and it was great to see that our two-bedroom house comes alive again."
"The panoramic terrace of 15 square meters is fabulous."
They will use the Sicilian abode, together with their two young children, as a holiday home during the Christmas and summer holidays.
“When we decided to invest in a second home, we were attracted to prices in Mussomeli compared to the expensive real estate market in France,” adds Guihot. “But what conquered us the first time we visited was the charm of the place. It's super cute and the locals are very welcoming. ”
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While the couple is used to rural life at home near Nantes, the move to Mussomeli has taken them to a much quieter place.
"Even if it's not a big change for us, what makes it exciting is the excellent location," says Guihot. “The city is close to beautiful Sicilian destinations and not isolated compared to other villages. Here you have everything you need, shops, supermarkets.
“You can lead a great lifestyle. It's just great. "
Apparently, there were no nasty surprises.
"Everyone has been very kind and the girls who work at the real estate agency followed us every step of the way, helping us with paperwork and writing translation."
“It was better than expected. And even our house, we thought it would be in worse condition. Oh, we would do it again and again. ”
While she and her husband are relatively young, they are already thinking about Mussomeli becoming a retirement shelter.
“We are still very young, who knows. For now it will be our holiday home, which will give us plenty of time to learn Italian correctly. ”
Bucolic withdrawal
While many buyers set out to buy houses in ruins with the offer price, some ended up settling for more expensive houses in better shape.
After a long tour of Mussomeli's 1-euro buildings, Belgian businessman Patrick Janssen chose a "superior" home at a higher price, which he has now almost completely restored.
Like many, he was attracted by the media coverage of cheap houses and the possibility of making a life change.
"I'll be honest, we don't buy a house for 1 euro," he says. "They showed us something like 25 old buildings, some of which needed urgent repairs, so in the end we opted for a decent three-room building for 10,000 euros and invested more money in the renovation."
But it was not only the poor state of the buildings that moved him away from the end of the scheme.
“I thought that if I buy a nice house, without falling apart and carefully arranging it to be completely new, it would last many years,” adds Janssen.
“My five children, in 20 years, would have a house in perfect condition. If something happens to me, they will have a good place to live and, as they grow up, they can come here with their friends. ”
At the moment, his plan is also to use it only as a vacation home where the family can spend several weeks or months a year.
"But now, thinking about it and after discovering the beauty of the place, it could become my future place of retreat."
Janssen has made the purchase with long-term plans in mind and weighing many factors, mainly the short distance between its main home in Brussels and Mussomeli.
“Sicily is just around the corner. With only two hours of flight we escaped from Belgium and arrived at the airport of Catania. Without a doubt, it is a great point in favor if you come from a European country to spend the weekend. ”
Mussomeli, compared to the frantic Brussels, is another world, he says.
“People in Belgium do not relax. Life here is simpler, the city is cozy and the surrounding nature is fascinating. It is perfect to recharge the batteries and detoxify. ”
Janssen's house has a panoramic terrace overlooking the rooftops of the old district, picturesque churches and narrow alleys.
“This corner of Sicily is wild, intact, green, not crowded. It is a perfect starting point to explore the rest of the island. ”
The purchase was also quite fluid for Janssen. Paperwork was easier than expected, despite Italy's bad reputation for bureaucracy and excessive regulation.
"Actually, I was surprised to discover that buying and renovating a house is much easier in Sicily than in Belgium."
Blood ties
For some there was something more powerful than the prospect of a cheap house to attract them, such as DNA and ancestry.
Chicago-based financial advisor Meredith Tabbone was among the 16 buyers who secured an old home in Sambuca, also in Sicily, which is famous for its Arab-style courtyards.
Tabbone has Sicilian blood running through his veins. His ancestors came from Sambuca.
After CNN broke the news for the first time in January that local authorities were selling abandoned buildings to reverse depopulation, the village faced a stampede of property.
Interested buyers from all over the world invaded Sambuca, sending thousands of requests.
The mayor, unable to meet the huge demand and clearly perceiving a business opportunity, auctioned the properties to the highest bidder. The houses sold for up to 25,000 euros, considerably more than 1 euro, but it is still a bargain.
Tabbone submitted an offer for two homes without even visiting the city.
“When my friends sent the article, I realized that Sambuca was the town where my family is from,” he says.
“My great grandfather emigrated to the United States a long time ago. I always wanted to visit Sicily, but I had never been to my hometown. I had intended to go since the last 10 years, I never had the opportunity. ”
Tabbone was surprised to discover that his bloodline lives in its original place.
“I still have family members who live near my new house, a few blocks away, but I haven't met them yet. Although next time I will go. ”
Tabbone offered 5,555 euros for each of the two houses and got the one on a street at number 5.
"Five is my favorite number," he adds. "That's why I offered that precise sum and selected that particular house in that place."
She did most of her paperwork online and Google mapped the properties. But after winning the offer in May, she was forced to postpone her first trip until June.
“I had broken my ankle. I bought the view of the house without seeing it. ”
His new home, with three bedrooms, tile roofs, curved stairs and two entrances, turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
"It's different than I expected," he said. “I searched it on Google, but I really had no idea how it was going to be. In the end it turned out to be much better than I thought. The balcony is the most pleasant. ”
The house currently has no water or electricity, but for Tabbone it is "like a blank canvas that I can relive with all those beautiful and beautiful Italian things that make a cozy home."
The history of the building is an additional attraction.
"The ground floor is where the stables were located," says Tabbone. “Between 1700 and 1800, the horses were kept down while the families lived on the upper floor. There are still ropes. ”
Tabbone has completed his paperwork and got the plans. She is coordinating with architects the next steps. It will be a basic change of style.
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“People tend to think that dealing with paperwork is complicated. But it really isn't. Everything was very simple, a very easy process. Everyone said 'God, it can't be easy'. But it was. ”
“You can download and complete all required documents online, even request your new tax code to pay property taxes in Italy. I found the architects on Instagram before setting foot in Sambuca, ”he says.
Tabbone says his ultimate goal is to qualify for Italian citizenship and make Sambuca his future retirement home.
“For now I will spend a few months a year. I'm only 40 years old, but I've started thinking about my future, when I retire from work. The people in Sambuca are warm, sweet and kind. ”
Overcome stereotypes
The Guihot did most of the renovations themselves.
While Tabbone may have found the process relatively simple, things have been less easy for New Yorker Kenny Sanchez, who bought a house in Zungoli, Campania earlier this year.
Sanchez says he made an offer for one of the city's 1-euro houses on a whim and never thought it would be approved.
"I knew that many people would do the same and I thought I had little chance," he admits. “I did not expect to be given a house in Italy. It was a big surprise. ”
Sanchez visited Zungoli during the summer and says the locals were very welcoming.
However, the house of which he is now the proud owner may not be habitable for some years yet.
"The house seemed to need a lot of work," he says. "There are some important things that must be repaired, including the roof."
“We were able to make arrangements to renew it within three years. That period must be sufficient for us to fix the necessary things and make it habitable. ”
The paperwork side of things has also been moving slowly, which means that it has not been able to move forward with any of the repairs.
"We are still waiting for the sales contract," he says. "Since we still don't have that, we haven't been able to start anything."
Once the renovations are completed, Sánchez plans to travel to Zungoli with his family every year.
"Right now, we are looking to have it as a summer house or a place where we can get a break from the United States in Italy."
"Zungoli is absolutely beautiful and we are very excited to have this opportunity."
Many newcomers are considering settling definitively in Italy.
Another buyer, the UK-based Pakistani businessman Muhammad Ramzan, says he would like to enroll his children at the local Mussomeli school.
Like Janssen, he also opted for a slightly more expensive house, which he plans, for now, to use as a summer home for his family.
"The television reports talked about this attractive initiative, I wanted to take a closer look," he said. “I had never been to Sicily or Italy, so I had no idea what to expect. After seeing the bad conditions of a dozen houses of 1 euro, I decided to spend more and bought one for 4,200 euros that needed a minimum repair. ”
"It just requires a little paint and my father, who works on that, will take care of it."
Ramzan says the real estate agency helped him navigate through the entire process, facilitating the paperwork that took months to complete.
“It can be a bit difficult if you come from a different country or area,” says Ramzan. "The agency staff made everything feel more reliable, they were really useful since I needed a translator and the notarial deed had to be written in English as well."
Your three-story house in the historic center has a balcony with a great view of the mountainous landscape of Mussomeli and the spectacular fortress that hangs from the cliffs, known locally as the Castle in the Sky.
“My wife loves the art and beauty of this place is very inspiring,” he said. “A lovely climate. It is silent and peaceful. ”
He made several trips to Mussomeli before making a final decision.
“I had to see for myself, so I met people, the neighbors, we went out for a drink together and became friends. I visited the local school for the children and took long walks at night to see if the place was really safe. ”
“There is no mafia, people tell many bad stories. There is a prejudice that Sicily is about the movie 'The Godfather'. But during my night out I saw no danger, everything was calm and safe. ”
