[ciguy]

I looked into this pretty extensively when Italy announced it and like most government initiatives there it's a borderline scam and was done for the PR not because it makes sense. Each of these houses requires extensive renovation work, usually of the type that can only be performed by an expensive specialized contractor.

Besides the expected costs for this work (Which will be at least 20k Euros up to 200k or more) you will be responsible for paying for many different permits to do this work which can also add up to 100s of Euros. Then you will find out that you get only one year from purchase to complete all renovations or you forfeit your investment.

After all this if you still aren't convinced you will find that the local governments will take months to issue each permit. The few specialized contractors licensed to perform the work will not show up for weeks at a time randomly whenever they feel like it. After one year you will have paid tens of thousands of Euros to local governments and contractors and your house will be worse than when you started.

Since you didn't meet the deadline the local government will take the house back and sell it for 1 Euro to the next sucker in line. This is a stimulus program for local governments and contractors in small Italian towns, and you are the source of funding if you decide to try to buy one of these houses.

[jaclaz]

>After all this if you still aren't convinced you will find that the local governments will take months to issue each permit. The few specialized contractors licensed to perform the work will not show up for weeks at a time randomly whenever they feel like it. After one year you will have paid tens of thousands of Euros to local governments and contractors and your house will be worse than when you started.

Maybe, but this is a constant, no matter how much you initially paid the house (to be restructured).

Strangely enough, for a few hundred thousands of dollars/Euros, a large number of houses already perfectly rehabiitated are available that you can buy and enter into in a matter of a few days.

Also, in all western world you will need to comply with building regulations, build masonry and plants according to norms, have licensed architects and engineers for the projects, "fight" with contractors, etc., etc.

Italy is not much worse or different than other countries in this regard, maybe - it greatly depends on the specific place - permmits will talke a little longer than in other places, but all the rest will be very similar in any EU country.

[SuoDuanDao]

In theory, could someone who wanted to spend a year in Italy buy one of these houses for 1 Euro and just not initiate any of that repair work?

[LoSboccacc]

you'll find a lot of issues living in a house without a 'certificato di abitabilità', connecting utilities might be outright impossible and you might be fined/removed from the premises.

[ciguy]

No, you cannot live in the house until it is certified as habitable. Like many things in Italy this would no doubt be flexible with the right "permits" paid for to the right officials. But the houses would likely have no working electricity, heat, water or plumbing. So you wouldn't really want to live there anyway.

[mensetmanusman]

“Doctor, I’m not dead!”

[aliswe]

Tbh I dislike this post. Too cynical. Sounds like you were expecting a house for 1eur which was in a moderate need of whitewashing?

How about someone who knows a bit of plastering, welding, painting, plumbing and waterproofing? Still a bad deal for them?

[ww520]

How's that old saying goes? If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is