An Italian town is selling homes for 85p each and looking for people to renovate them

Would you fancy living here? (Photo: Shutterstock)Would you fancy living here? (Photo: Shutterstock)
Would you fancy living here? (Photo: Shutterstock)

If you’ve ever dreamt about packing everything up and starting a new life in the sun, then one Italian town could have just the ticket.

The quiet town of Bisaccia, nestled in the south of the Campania region, is selling homes for just 85p - and it wants people to buy and renovate them with their family and friends.

Reviving a community

The picturesque town, which sits around two hours from Naples, is putting 90 dilapidated buildings on the market for one euro each (85p), in the hope they will be renovated into communal living areas.

The town has suffered from a number of earthquakes which has led to a population decline in recent years, but it is hoped the cheap properties will attract more families, or groups of friends, to live there - reviving the local community.

Bisaccia joins a number of other locations across Italy that are trying to save dying communities by incentivizing people to move and live there for a bargain price.

The offer expects buyers to commit to and renovate their property, with deputy mayor Francesco Tartaglia hoping it will encourage families and friends to move together, instead of single buyers.

She told CNN Travel, “We face a very particular situation here. The abandoned [area] spreads throughout the most ancient part of the village. Forsaken houses are clustered together, one next to the other, along the same roads. Some even share a common entrance.

“That's why we welcome families, groups of friends, relatives, people who know each other or investors to join forces. We encourage them to buy more than just one house to actually have an impact and breathe new life."

It is hoped the dilapidated buildings will be renovated into communal living areas (Photo: Shutterstock)

No time frame on renovations

Unlike many other bargain Italian home offers, there is no stated investment level of time frame to complete the work.

Mussomeli in southern Sicily was also selling homes for just 85p, but the buyer must have completed the renovation within a year. Similarly, the town of Sambuca was also offering homes for the same price, as long as buyers spent £13,000 doing them up.

Another asset of purchasing a home on Bisaccia is that local authorities own all of the buildings - not former residents. This will make the transactions much easier and avoids running into tricky dealings with the original owners.

Tartaglia said, “This stands as a guarantee that the disposal process will be speedy and smooth, we won't need to chase descendants of old owners nor have any issues with third parties."