Everyone knows the old adage “you get what you pay for” and it has become clear that, in many cases, Italy’s $1 homes are more trouble than they’re worth.

Costly renovations and government bureaucracy have surprised many bargain home hunters, who lined up to learn more about the country’s creative initiative that was designed to literally pump new life into depopulated cities.

However, towns in Southern Italy are trying a new approach that is attracting a great deal of interest, which involves listing and selling older, inexpensive homes that are either move-in-ready or are only in need of minor fixes.

The Local-Italy reports:

“The most successful towns so far have been Troina and Mussomeli in Sicily, the quaint isolated village of Carrega Ligure in Piedmont, and the town of Latronico in deep Basilicata. 

Local authorities in these areas have opened real estate offices and created online platforms advertising empty old homes on sale for as little as €4.000 ($4,500), most in great shape and some even with furniture. Catalogs have been drawn up to show newcomers what’s on the market.”

Contact the Embassy of Italy in Washington, D.C. for guidance.

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