1 € houses in Sardinia: What you need to know to request one
Good news: buying a house in Sardinia could cost you 1 € only
Who would ever sell his house for 1 €?
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1 € house Sardinia; Owning a house, besides being one of the major aspirations in the Italian culture, represents also a cost.Real estate owners know this well, especially if they have to pay for an old and unused property.
The dilapidated real estate that weighs on the unfortunate owners or municipalities’ budget, are more than 6,000 in Italy. These buildings are actually a cost for both of them, who have more than one reason to get rid of them.
What can be done when, maybe by inheritance, one gets a dilapidated real estate in a small isolated village far from home and from the workplace?And if the property belongs to the municipality, it makes no sense to leave it for sale for nothing, or even worse to have to pay taxes on it.
If we add this economic issues to the depopulation that affects the municipalities where these properties are located, it is quite easy to understand the purpose of the “One-euro Houses” project.Let’s see more clearly and more in details what it is.
In none of the situations above, the sale of the property seems to be a viable solution. Indeed, no one would buy at the real price of the market, a dilapidated house in a small village that depopulates.Only a paltry profit would be generated then.
It is quite never a good idea to donate a house, but as you can imagine, in this specific case, the idea of paying taxes on an unused real estate will encourage the owner of the “home” (read rather dilapidated building without any economic value) to choose this convenient solution allowing him to get rid of it.
And here comes into play the municipality: ready to buy the property, releasing the owner of this heavy tax burden, with the target to make it available for all those who wish to rebuild it, live there and take care of it.
Why buying a house for 1 €?
Why should some people be interested in buying dilapidated buildings in isolated villages?The framework in which the “1 € houses” project is offered, aims to achieve several important social objectives.Here are the two main goals of the project:
– Help young people who have difficulties to get a mortgage, to obtain one in order to renovate – often rebuild – the purchased premises (at the symbolic price of one euro)
– Fight against rural depopulation and desertification of small towns and villages that are facing this problem.
Where is it possible to buy houses at 1 €? Contrary to what might be believed, the project “houses at 1 €” is widely spread in various regions of Italy, including areas from Tuscany to Sardinia.Here is a short summary of the municipalities and regions involved in this initiative.
•Campania: Avellino and Zungoli.
•Sicily: Gangi, Palermo, Regalbuto, Enna, Salemi, Trapani, Mussomeli la Caltanissetta
•Lazio; Patrica and Frosinone
•Tuscany: Montieri, Grosseto, Lucca and Vergemoli
•Sardinia: Nulvi and Ollolai
•Piedmont: Carrega Ligure and Alessandria
•Abruzzo: Lecce nei Mari and Aquila
The presented cities and regions are numerous and in some cases, as for Sardinia, they are some historical villages that are protagonists in the ranking of the most beautiful Italian cities.
The 1 € houses project: The solution against the rural depopulation of some towns in Sardinia
In Sardinia, there are many picturesque villages that are popular around the world. It is not by chance that Sardinia is often nominated as one of the most popular destination. Despite of this, some of them are subject to depopulationThe reason is the sharp decrease of birth rate together with the well-known unemployment problem.
In these conditions, the municipalities seek to slow down as much as possible the phenomenon of depopulation through initiatives in order to improve and enhance the heritage of the villages.Such actions have attracted many tourists over the years, so that between 2011 and 2015, an increase of more than 7,000 foreign residents has been registered.
With the aim of repopulating and restructuring the historic centers, by solving the problem of depopulation, a genuine craze for the “1 € Houses” program has been noted.The municipalities in Sardinia that are involved in this initiative are Nulvi, in the province of Sassari and Ollolai, in the province of Nuoro
1 € houses in Sardinia: the dream of each tourist.
From all over Europe, but especially from the Netherlands and Switzerland, the tourists who spotted the houses at 1 euro in small villages of Sardinia are mainly attracted by the tranquility and the slow life, without bustle, that these places can offer.
The proximity of the sea – especially for those who are choosing Sardinia to spend their holidays – is a parameter that shouldn’t be underestimated and the island also offers to passionate tourists, an incredible historical and cultural heritage.In addition to its fantastic beaches, there are also among its attractions the ancient Nuraghe, the Tombs of the Giants and the Domus de Janas (fairy houses)
It is impossible to leave the island without discovering the archaeological site Su Nuraxi in Barumini, Unesco Heritage or the Basilica of San Gavino in Porto Torres, the largest and oldest Romanesque church on the island.
The “one-euro houses” project aims to guarantee a full access to all these historic beauties. Opportunity seized by many foreign citizens who wished to join this initiative.Many people look on the idea of leaving the chaos of big cities to live in Sardinia with a favourable eye.
Most of these people come from big and hectic cities, where the slow pace and the silence of small villages are considered paradise. The cost of living is very low and the possibility of buying a house at the symbolic price of one euro makes it even more convenient..Furthermore, Sardinia is a perfect destination for those who are already retired as for those who wish to start a business.
Living on the island of centenarians thanks to the “1 € Houses” project
Sardinia is not called Land of the Centenarians by chance. There is the triple of centenarians compared to the Western Countries, it has a microclimate and a DNA studied in the whole world. This record is mainly assigned to local food and good wine.
According to recent studies, the typical Sardinian wines, usually consumed by islanders, contain antioxidant properties in a greater percentage compared to the wines from other regions.
Sardinian cheeses contain a large amount of pro-biotic bacteria, and fruits also have high levels of flavonoids and polyphenols.Sardinian cereals, moreover, are free of mycotoxins that can be found in most of the cereals cultivated in the world, and responsible for numerous pathologies.
A large part of the Sardinian countryside, close to the villages that are involved in the project “One-euro Houses”, has a pollution level reduced to zero and a very low industrialization, which allows the land of the island to remain uncontaminated and to produce healthy food.
Ollolai: The first town to join the “1 € Houses”project
Ollolai is a small town of about 1,200 inhabitants and is located in the province of Nuoro.The mayor, among the first to join the project “One-euro Houses”, showed a strong willingness to stop the problem of rural depopulation the town is subject to.Thanks to this project, he has also set the goal of giving a new breath to the historic center.Buying a house in Ollolai means to enjoy of a huge archaeological heritage, of around 70 nuragic sites and numerous churches.
In terms of traditional culture, it is very famous and appreciated by tourists for the traditional Palio degli Asinelli (donkey race) and for the very typical carnival festivities.At the moment, in this small town, the “One-euro houses” project has met a great success: indeed, many housing are already intended for new owners.
Not only Ollolai: 1 € house Sardinia in Nulvi
The one-euro houses in Nulvi in the province of Sassari are also very popular.In this small town there are many testimonies of its Nuragic and pre-Nuragic past: the Nuraghe, the Tombs of Giants, the sacred well “Nuraghe Irru”, which is a building from the nuragic period dedicated to the worship of water
The city of Nulvi has embraced the “One-euro houses” project and thanks to its strategic position, has received a large number of requests from new applicants, coming from all over Europe..
Buy a house for 1 €: here are the restrictions
Unlike what some people may think, the project is not exactly at no cost.The idea of buying a house and then forgetting about it – with the only purpose of adding it to your own real estate heritage – is not possible with this project.To understand this project better, you must carefully consider the restrictions that may be binding on the success of the project.
As you can imagine, nobody offers you a house. Besides this symbolic purchase value, there are indeed concrete imperatives the buyer needs to comply with.
Here are 4 – pillars – concerning the restrictions and the obligations asked to the buyer.
- All reconstruction work must be planned and completed no later than 365 days after the acquisition of the property
- It is necessary to take into account the application fees as for example the notary costs, cadastral fee or property transfer fee.
- Start the works no later than 2 months after the delivery of all permits.
- The municipality will ask a small deposit of € 5,000 kept for a period of 3 years to the buyer. At the end of this period, it will be refund by the municipality.
Conclusion
1 € house Sardinia: As we saw it previously, the 1 € house Sardinia or “One-euro houses” project turned out to be very interesting, reaching its primary objective: the repopulation of villages and areas facing a worrying rural depopulation problem.
Even if the project flourished and the results were noticeable quite quickly in Sardinia, we must admit that some Italian municipalities have faced a difficult start in such a way that its development had been suspended.
Excluding bureaucracy, the idea of “giving for 1 €” a property is most likely a great opportunity for all those who want to have a house in the middle of nature in some of the most beautiful places of this attractive Italy.
