Italy is offering a massive discount on homes in the town of Maenza. It is one of those places where people can buy a house for as low as one euro (approximately ₹87). The only catch is that the buyer will have to restore the houses.
Maenza, 70 kilometers south of Italy’s capital Rome, and has become the first in the Latium region to begin selling homes for just over a dollar. The town has about 100 homes for sale for 1 euro, or a little more than $1, that are in need of repairs. The scheme was launched by Italy last year to help stabilise the dwindling population in villages.
The town boasts of scenic views and has a long history of being the home to fiery tribes. Maenza is located high up on the wild Lepini hills south of the capital and is the latest to join Italy’s one euro a home project.
Claudio Sperduti, the mayor of Maenza, said that Maenza is getting in touch with the families who own the properties to give them up to be sold.
“Families and youths often leave town to move to larger homes in nearby cities and villas in the countryside, but there’s always some newcomer who takes their place so it’s balanced out,” said Sperduti. “This is not a dying city, people still inhabit the old district but it needs a revamp, fresh oxygen.”
“We’re taking it one step at a time. As original families get in touch and hand over to us their old houses, we place these on the market through specific public notices on our website to make it all very transparent,” he added.
The offer, according to authorities in Maenza, is currently open for a few houses till August 28, but the mayor has assured that more such properties will be made available soon.
A person buying the house does not have to live there compulsory, but submit a plan about how they want to use it – as a home, a restaurant or a shop. The initial deposit will be €5,000 (about $5,840), which will be returned once the work is completed.
