Based on media coverage, it would seem that opportunities to buy a 1€ house abound in Italy. We’ve read newspaper stories plus a novel, seen a full-length movie, watched numerous TV shows, and flipped through multiple YouTube videos on the subject. Many of these accounts follow the general theme of the recent film La Dolce Villa, itself a play on the famous “sweet life” Fellini film from 1960, La Dolce Vita: romance, adventure, fun in the sun, a sense of purpose, escaping the rat race, and the promise of a new life. That sounds ideal if your goal is to live in the land of delights like pizza, pasta, and pesto, but what about the bread, wine, and cheese of France?

The idea for a 1€ house appears to have originated in the Sicilian town of Salemi that was largely abandoned after an earthquake in 1968. In hopes of attracting new residents who would refurbish the remaining homes, in 2008 the mayor put many of the structures on the market for a miniscule symbolic price. The idea was considered a success because it generated massive media attention, became a model for other Italian towns, and drew buyers to Salemi for more expensive properties.

In this country, perhaps because the 1€ idea has not really caught on, it seems to be a newsworthy event when a maison goes on sale for such a small amount of money. There isn’t a national database devoted to these bargains but from what I’ve seen online, the likely candidates come from the center of France, in rural, hilly, sparsely populated locations that could even be considered isolated where you would have to have your own car. Possible cities might include Aurillac, Brive-la-Gaillarde, and Mende.

Even if you successfully buy a house for the price of a baguette, you may need an entire shopping cart full of money to finish the deal. The building will probably need extensive renovation, sometimes dictated by the local housing authority with whom you will have signed an agreement to carry out the work within a specific time frame. They will likely require you to settle in the house for a number of years, use it as your primary residence, and not rent it out or sell it until a specified time has passed.

Sadly, the two stories that I read in the newspaper about the 1€ transactions in France both ended with buyer’s regret and for essentially the same reason: sold as is. There are rules about hidden defects (vice caché) that must be declared to a buyer but the courts have ruled that if you made the purchase “as is” those regulations do not apply.

There are multiple videos on YouTube regarding these homes in Italy from people who have taken the plunge. Some titles include positive words like, “dream, big news, incredible, deal” while others say, “huge mistake, scary, this s**t”. In France, while finding a house for sale at such a low price isn’t easy, there are still enjoyable experiences for 1€ like buying a croissant or a cup of expresso from a boulangerie. That’s where you’ll find us, watching the world go by.

Photo notes: The featured photo is an abandoned house in the hilltop village of Preixan and in the first paragraph is a stairwell in need of repair in the Marais district of Paris.