After enduring a lifetime of cold and gloomy British winters, Sally Boole and her husband Martin decided that they’d had enough.
During a chance conversation with Sally’s parents, they were told about a sunny solution that seemed almost too good to be true – and acted fast.
The couple, from Castle Donington, Derbyshire, packed their bags and headed to Mussomeli, a stunning medieval town in the heart of Sicily that has grabbed headlines around the world with its unique scheme that gives visitors a chance to buy a home there for just 1 Euro, or 86 pence – less than it costs to buy an espresso in one of its many rustic cafes.
Within days of arriving, they had viewed 15 abandoned homes and agreed that there was one that could be their perfect winter bolthole in the Sicilian sun.
Sally, 54, told the Mail: ‘We always wanted a home in Italy and had been on holiday to Sicily in the past. My parents told us about the 1 Euro scheme as we were always complaining about the British winter and how we wanted to escape it.
‘It sounded too good to be true, so we thought let’s go there and look into this.
‘We fell in love with Mussomeli and the Sicilian culture, but more than anything, we realised that our dream of being out of Britain during the winter months could become a reality.’
Since completing the purchase of their three-storey abandoned property in July 2024 the couple have been travelling to Mussomeli to renovate it themselves. Most of the work is being carried out by Martin, 56, a plumber who is also something of a DIY expert.
They expect to finish within the next two years by which time their Sicilian home, located in the heart of Mussomeli’s historic quarter, will be made up of two en-suite bedrooms, an open plan living area and a state-of-the art kitchen.
Derbyshire couple Sally Boole, 54, and her husband Martin, 56, outside the house in Mussomeli, Sicily, that they bought for only 1 euro
The couple headed to the medieval town that has grabbed headlines with its scheme that allows visitors to buy a home for less than the cost of an espresso in one of its rustic cafes
While the house is definitely a doer-upper, Sally and Martin are doing the renovation work themselves
The house is in need of a makeover which Martin and Sally estimate will cost around £30,000
Most of the work is being carried out by Martin, 56, a plumber who is also something of a DIY expert
Martin, right, expects to complete the renovation work within the next two years
When finished, their Sicilian home, located in the heart of Mussomeli’s historic quarter, will be made up of two en-suite bedrooms, an open plan living area and a state-of-the art kitchen
Sally, who works as a project manager for a property company, said: ‘I can work remotely, and my husband’s work is seasonal, so we don’t need to be in Britain during the winter. Our plan is to live in Mussomeli from October to February, it won’t be our permanent home.’
But as the Booles and others interested in the scheme are informed from the outset, there is more to buying a slice of ‘La Dolce Vita’ in the Sicilian sun than just handing over 1 Euro.
The couple paid close to £3,000 in legal and administration fees while the renovation will cost them around £30,000. They also had to pay all the back taxes owed on the property which were almost £700. It means that by the time they finish, the price they pay for their winter home will come in at around £33,700 plus 1 Euro, of course.
Sally said: ‘Even if we fail, at the end of the day it won’t be the end of the world. It’s a gamble worth taking.’
Located 60 miles south of Palermo, Mussomeli is one of many rural towns in Italy that are selling off vacant homes for 1 Euro.
The scheme, known as ‘Case a 1 Euro’ (Home for 1 Euro) started in 2008 when the local authority of Salemi, in the west of Sicily, started selling dilapidated homes for that amount to revive the community and regenerate its centre.
In recent years many of Italy’s most remote and prettiest towns and villages have virtually been abandoned as younger people move to the cities or abroad. Overall, the country has one of the oldest populations in Europe because of a plummeting birth rate and an exodus of young Italians emigrating in search of work.
Mussomeli once had a population of close to 20,000 but over the years, following large scale emigration, this dwindled to less than 10,000 leaving its historic centre a virtual ghost town, made up of elderly residents living amongst abandoned homes and properties.
Inspired by the success of how the scheme revived Salemi’s fortunes, Mussomeli adopted it in 2017 as other towns and villages across Italy followed suit. It is now in operation across 25 locations around the country ranging from rural municipalities in Bologna, Campania and Abruzzo, east of Rome.
Virtually all the properties in the 1 Euro scheme are owned by those who inherited them following the death of elderly parents or relatives. But having a second home means paying high property taxes in Italy and with rural homes not selling for much, it is cheaper to leave them empty and list them with an estate agent for 1 Euro.
Sicily is the hotbed of the 1 Euro scheme with six towns taking part of which, Mussomeli has become the most successful as visitors from around the world descend to snap up bargain properties in the hope of making their dream of a new life reality.
Antonella Zaffuto, who works for an estate agent in Mussomeli that specialises in the scheme, said: ‘A lot of people are attracted to the very low price, but we make it clear that this is not what the property will end up costing you.’
Ms Zaffuto, who was born in Woking but returned to live in the town where her parents originated from mainly deals with customers from Britain and other English-speaking countries.
She added: ‘A lot of Brits don’t want to live here permanently, they just want to escape the British winter. We also work with other nationalities, many of whom want to move to Italy full time but my advice to everybody is that they should do their research before going ahead with this.’
To finalise any sale, buyers have to pay £3,000 in legal and administration costs. This includes notary fees; certificates required by the local authority and agency fees.
The cost of renovating a property will depend on the state it is in and what the new owner requires but according to Ms Zaffuto, this can range from £10,000 for a more modest project to anything up to £50,000. All outstanding property taxes also have to be settled.
Shawna Williams from Alaska, who also bought a house through the 1 Euro scheme, said: ‘Work is still continuing on my house, but it should be finished soon. I absolutely love it here, the views are amazing, and I feel as if I have found a new family’
Inside another of of the 1 euro homes for sale in the historic town of Mussomeli in Sicily
Many of the ultra-discounted homes are perfectly structurally sound and just need modernising
The historic town of Mussomeli in Sicily where you can buy a house for 1 Euro – or around 86p
One of her most recent clients is Nicky Cook from Coventry. The project manager wanted a fresh start following a messy break up from her long-term partner and visited Mussomeli in May after finding out about the 1 Euro scheme on social media.
She chose a two-story abandoned home within two days of arriving and is set to take possession in September when renovation work will begin. This is estimated at £10,000 meaning the final price for her 1 Euro home will be around £13,000.
She said: ‘I needed to make major changes to my life and escape Britain because things became hard for me. I had a very traumatic breakup with my long-term partner, was sick of the daily commute and the British winter.
‘This will be the perfect escape for me because the renovation will occupy my mind and be the start of a new life. I love the Sicilian culture and being in a warm climate. And it’s not a huge investment so what’s there not to like?’
Each town has its own rules when it comes to the scheme and there are also several stipulations placed on buyers which are strictly enforced. In Mussomeli, for example, a detailed project proposal outlining the renovation must be submitted to the local authority within a year of the purchase.
Work must start within two months of a building permit being issued and completed within three years. The facade of the property must also keep in line with other historic buildings in the area and the colour used to paint it must be approved, but you can do whatever you like with the interior.
Buyers must also put down a 5,000 Euros deposit (£4,300) with the local authority and stand to lose it if the work is not completed within three years. Some other local authorities demand double this amount.
On a typically hot Sicilian morning, Ms Zaffuto took the Mail on a tour of the 1 Euro homes available in Mussomeli.
Clutching a large set of keys, she forcefully pushed open a shabby wooden door to a two bedroom home filled with debris and dust that had broken windows offering a stunning view of surrounding sun-drenched hills and a medieval castle atop a rocky outcrop which lies on the edge of the town.
A local estate agent who showed the Mail around some of the area’s 1 Euro homes
Nicky Cook from Coventry, right, wanted a fresh start following a break-up from her long-term partner and visited Mussomeli in May after finding out about the 1 Euro scheme on social media
The house, left empty for more than ten years, was previously owned by a local man who inherited it but did not want to live there.
Ms Zaffuto added: ‘All the homes in the scheme have owners who don’t want them and it’s more affordable to leave them empty. There are a lot of regulations and the final cost might be up to £50,000 but that’s still a bargain compared to what you might pay in the UK. You get to be part of a wonderful, safe community and have a fantastic life enjoying true Sicilian culture.
‘Only one owner has ever asked for their 1 Euro and he said he wanted to make it to make it into a pendant to wear it around his neck.’
For British owners, there is also the added complication of coming from outside the EU. This means that you pay higher property taxes than locals and can only spend 180 days per year at your Italian house but no more than 90 days consecutively.
To live more regularly or permanently, Brits and others from non-EU countries would have to apply for Italian residency or try and secure an EU passport.
Ms Cook said: ‘My plan is to live in Sicily permanently one day but the only way I can do that is to have an EU passport. Luckily, I’m of Irish heritage so I’m going to try and get an Irish passport.’
One of the many quaint, sun-kissed streets that run through Mussomeli in Sicily
The town instituted the 1 Euro house scheme as a way to try and arrest a declining population
Zachary Debottis from New York has bought a house in Mussomeli recently and is looking forward to renovating his home
The town is located in the heart of the beautiful Sicilian landscape
Since adopting the scheme, officials in Mussomeli claim that 500 homes have been sold for 1 Euro and that it has bought enormous benefits including attracting 18 different nationalities to the town, most of them made up of Americans and Argentinians.
Shawna Williams from Alaska said: ‘Work is still continuing on my house, but it should be finished soon. I absolutely love it here, the views are amazing, and I feel as if I have found a new family. But sadly, I can’t live here permanently so have to go back to Alaska soon.’
Giuseppe Catania, the mayor of Mussomeli claimed that the scheme has generated a staggering £70million for the local economy.
He said: ‘The 1 Euro scheme has been the best thing that’s happened to our town and bought huge financial, cultural and social rewards. People who have bought homes here are spending a lot of money locally and have also raised Mussomeli’s profile.
‘We want more people to come from all over the world and buy homes here because it wasn’t that long ago that our town was dying. Now it is full of interesting people and life.’
