California woman who bought THREE of Italy’s €1 houses warns other buyers about the REAL costs of renovating the budget properties – revealing she will have to spend at least $60,000 to do up her homes
- Solar consultant and business owner Rubia Daniels was one of the first to buy a bargain-priced house in Mussomeli, Sicily, in the spring of 2019
- On her first-ever trip to Sicily, she bought three €1 houses — including two for her children
- She later brought along friends and family to buy their own homes, and she intends to retire there
- She made the purchase because of ‘how the people make you feel and ‘how welcoming the town was’
- Daniels said others should do research before arriving; in Mussomeli, buyers must renovate within three years or face losing a reported €5,000 deposit
- Renovations prices can range between €100 ($121) to €700 ($844) per square meter, and homes range from 11 to 190 square meters in size
- She has spent $12,000 on one house so far and expects to spent about $20,000 per house
In recent years, Italian towns have been fighting depopulation by selling vacant homes for just €1 each — and one California woman decided it was such a good deal that she bought three of them.
Solar consultant and business owner Rubia Daniels was one of the first to buy a bargain-priced house in Mussomeli, Sicily, in the spring of 2019, and went on to buy two more for her children.
Daniels later returned with a group of friends and family, several of whom bought their own Sicilian houses, and she now plans to retire in the town, which sits two hours southeast of Palermo.
Score! Solar consultant and business owner Rubia Daniels was one of the first to buy a bargain-priced house in Mussomeli, Sicily, in the spring of 2019
Bright idea: Daniels, who had never been to Sicily before buying the houses but speaks Italian, first became aware of the €1 homes after reading an article about Mussomeli
Moving fast: She quickly snapped up another two houses in the town
Homeowner: She made the purchase because of ‘how the people make you feel’ and ‘how welcoming the town was’
Ta-da! She ended up buying additional homes for each of her kids — and later brought friends and family to go house shopping
Daniels, who had never been to Sicily before buying the houses but speaks Italian, first became aware of the €1 homes after reading an article about Mussomeli. She did a lot of research on the town, as well as the houses for sale, and emailed for more information.
Armed with knowledge, she flew to Sicily hoping she’d end up buying one house, and found herself in a town that is ‘almost like sitting above the clouds.’
It’s got history! Daniels shows off an old house key
She didn’t take the decision to buy lightly, and spent days touring houses, deciding, and verifying documents.
‘Once you get there, there are so many opportunities that if you’re only there a week, you’ll run out of time, come home, and be frustrated,’ she said.
Daniels gave herself plenty of time and ended up buying three homes instead of one, including one for each of her sons, Yuri, 24, and Ygor, 22. She also helped her daughter Selena, 24, buy her own house, for which she is now completing the paperwork.
‘They were all very excited and have different dreams and aspirations for the houses in the future,’ she told DailyMail.com. ‘My youngest is planning to open a Brazilian Coffee Shop!’
While she hadn’t intended to buy so many homes, she said: ‘It’s how the people make you feel that makes you say, “OK, I’ll buy three.”
‘Overall, [the locals have been] very positive and welcoming,’ she said. ‘They really make it easy for people to come in and pursue their dreams. Mussomeli is becoming a multicultural place with people from all over the world.’
‘Mussomeli is all about socializing,’ she added to Travel + Leisure. ‘It’s a much slower place because it’s not about the money. It was a very positive experience, and it felt empowering as a woman,’ she said, adding that she decided to buy because of ‘how welcoming the town was.’
Several towns in Italy have made headlines for offering up nearly free houses to buyers in the past few years.
Mussomeli, which is home to Byzantine caves and a medieval castle, was one of the first to do so, hanging signs on the doors of available properties directing prospective buyers to a website.
The Municipality of Mussomeli explains that so many homes remain empty because the people who lived in them have died, and their children and grandchildren choose to live in other cities.
Other citizens have relocated to larger cities for work, or moved to newer homes during the building boom of the 1970s.
But while the sale price for each of the houses is just €1, the actual price of owning any of these houses in naturally a bit higher.
‘People need to have a level of reality,’ Daniels said. ‘If you sell me a house for €1, I know I’m going to have to fix it. They’re revitalizing the town and that’s why the house is coming to you for €1. Then, you have to do the work.’
Anyone who buys a house in Mussomeli has to renovate it within three years, or they face losing their deposit, which is reportedly €5,000 ($6,032).
According to CNBC, renovations prices can range between €100 ($121) to €700 ($844) per square meter. Since house sizes range from 11 to 190 square meters, the total cost of renovations can be as much as €133,000 ($160,451).
Bright idea! Mussomeli, which is home to Byzantine caves and a medieval castle, was one of the first Italian cities to offer the budget homes
Empty: The municipality explains that so many homes remain empty because the people who lived in them have died, and their children and grandchildren choose to live in other cities
Movin’ out! Other citizens have relocated to larger cities for work, or moved to newer homes during the building boom of the 1970s
‘People need to have a level of reality,’ Daniels said. ‘If you sell me a house for €1, I know I’m going to have to fix it’
Historic: In Mussomeli, buyers are also allowed to do whatever they want to the interiors of their homes, but the façades must be kept as-is
‘There are plenty of construction companies there that make things very easy, and the person who works in the city department is helpful,’ Daniels said
In Mussomeli, buyers are also allowed to do whatever they want to the interiors of their homes, but the façades must be kept as-is.
Luckily, Daniels told DailyMail.com that she ‘loves the architecture of the house and the history.’
Daniels wasn’t worried about the renovations, and returned in the summer of 2019 to start them.
‘There are plenty of construction companies there that make things very easy, and the person who works in the city department is helpful. If you bring plans, he’ll give you the best guidance,’ she said.
She also said that when she first went to buy materials for the renovations, the man at the store even came over to measure everything with her to make sure she didn’t spend too much.
So far, she has spent $12,000 on labor and materials for the first house, and expects that it’ll cost her about $20,000, which is average in the area.
Unfortunately, though the pandemic impacted her planning a bit, and she hopes that the town will extend the deadline for renovations.
In December of 2019, she returned for a third trip, this time bringing along family and friends to do their own house shopping. All in all, she estimates that she has helped 20 people buy property there.
Things to see! A view of Mussomeli’s castle, which dates back to 1364
‘Mussomeli is all about socializing. It’s a much slower place because it’s not about the money,’ Daniels said
Growing old in: Daniels plans to retire in the town, which sits two hours southeast of Palermo
‘Once you get there, there are so many opportunities that if you’re only there a week, you’ll run out of time, come home, and be frustrated,’ Daniels said
Daniels suggests doing research before traveling, since different towns have different rules
She said buyers should be prepared that other people may want the house the same house they have their eye on
As long as travel restrictions loosen, she hopes to take another group to buy houses this June.
She has plenty of advice for those looking to purchase their own €1 in Italy.
First, she said, read up on the place you’re hoping to buy in. Other towns — like Bivona and Castropignano — are also advertising €1, but they all have different structures for payment and rules governing when renovations must be done and by whom.
At least two towns, Sambuca and Salemi, have auctioned homes starting at €1 each. Daniels said she knows of people who went to a town not realizing the homes were being auctioned, not sold directly.
She also advises buyers to give themselves at least a week to house-hunt and to be prepared that other people may want the house the same house they have their eye on.
‘If you find the location you want, let them know you want to sign up for the house. There are lots of people searching for these homes, and you need to be ready,’ she said, adding: ‘Make sure you have options.’
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