Buying a house in Italy for one euro sounds like an irresistible bargain, but the reality is much more complex, as Dayami, a Cuban resident in the European country, discovered when she shared her experience on her YouTube channel "Cuban in Italy".
In her video entitled "Houses for €1 in Italy | How I Bought Mine as an Emigrant", the young woman transparently explains all the details of her purchase, the legal requirements, and, above all, the hidden costs that accompany this type of offer that many Italian municipalities launch to repopulate nearly abandoned rural areas.
“It’s not as simple as paying a euro,” warns Dayami. The approval of "the purchase" was subject to several requirements, among which the following stands out:
- Present a complete architectural plan for the restoration project of the house
- Deposit 4,000 euros as a guarantee
- Commit to rehabilitating the dwelling within a maximum of three years
- Cover the notarial fees, the building's property tax, and the property registration.
All these procedures can raise costs to several thousand euros, not to mention the expenses for restoring the home that is currently uninhabitable.
The house that Dayami bought is part of a municipal repopulation program in a small community near a tourist area.
Many of these homes are in ruins or at risk of collapse and require a significant investment in materials, permits, and specialized labor. In some cases, they may even need to be demolished, which could also incur costs for the buyer.
The euro is just symbolic, because in reality, you will have to pay for the services of an architect, licenses, specialized labor for the restoration, and expensive materials typical of this type of construction, such as wood and stone.
You should also update all the electrical wiring and install a modern heating system. The budget should include the transportation of the products and materials to be used in the renovation, as these towns are far from everything.
Dayami acknowledges that living in those rural areas entails isolation, harsh winters, and a lack of basic services, but she assures that she is prepared for what is to come and will provide her followers with updates on the step-by-step restoration of her house in Italy.
The "houses for one euro" program emerged in Italy as a strategy by the municipalities of depopulated towns to attract new residents, particularly foreigners interested in a peaceful lifestyle or in tourism projects.
However, not all cases end well, some buyers back out upon discovering that the actual cost of restoration can exceed 50,000 euros.
The story of this Cuban in Italy has become a realistic example of what lies behind the dream of "buying a house for one euro." It is possible, but it is not without obstacles, expenses, and bureaucracy that must be faced with determination.
“Do you think this investment I made is worth it?”, Dayami wondered at the end of her video, which has garnered views and many comments from other emigrants interested in following in her footsteps.
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