Conversation

In Cammarata, Italy, a community in Sicily located about 40 miles southeast of Palermo, some homes have stood abandoned for decades after residents migrated, looking for modern conveniences in larger centers.

Recently, some young locals have returned, post-education, looking for a quieter life.

In a bid to reinvigorate their community, they’re actively encouraging owners of abandoned properties to sell to foreigners via a group called StreetTo.

They’ll even help you navigate red tape and find contractors to renovate your new dream home.

What’s more, to get you out of your new courtyard and into the local piazza, they “organize exhibitions, concerts, and gatherings for townspeople old and new.”

If you’re thinking of booking a flight to shop for real estate, however, Abend suggests that you prepare yourself for disrepair.

While many dwellings are severely dilapidated, they’re not beyond hope
—yet their rehab will cost much more than the touted price tag.

Abend also interviews Michael McCubbin, a man who, after working for chef Jamie Oliver in London for 17 years, moved to Italy
and made it his home, motivated by low real estate prices.

An accomplished chef, he’s turned his house into a community kitchen.

“These days, the Good Kitchen also supplies weekly meals for the elderly and has taught some of Mussomeli’s youth to cook,” Abend writes.

“A clutch of older men use the space as an afternoon hangout, and there’s also a free Sunday afternoon lunch.
(The only requirement for those with means is that they bring something to share.)”

While properties typically cost more than a single euro and require extensive renovation,
one thing seems clear from Abend’s fun fact-finding mission:
both buyers and locals seem to be getting more than what they bargained for

https://www.afar.com/magazine/sicily-sold-homes-for-one-euro-what-happened-to-them