1 euro houses in Laurenzana: the project gets under way in another Italian municipality

There is no end to the initiatives of small Italian municipalities in Italy that put their houses up for sale for 1 euro. This time, idealista/news has interviewed Michele Ungaro, the mayor of Laurenzana, a village in Basilicata that has chosen to offer part of the real estate in its historic city centre for a symbolic price. Let's find out more about 1 euro houses for sale in Laurenzana.

Just like in Oyace and Pietramelara, other Italian villages selling houses for 1 euro, there are no restrictions on the use of the buildings once sold. More than anything, the administration of Laurenzana (a small town of 1,700 inhabitants in the province of Potenza) is ready to facilitate and help buyers who want to start a business in the town.

The mayor explains: "Buyers can do whatever they want with the houses, the important thing is to say so at the time of purchase, we accept any proposal. And if economic activities are carried out, then even better and we can help those who want to do business to choose the most suitable property for their projects if they make it clear in the initial stages".

The 1 euro houses project in Laurenzana started and developed in order to "fix up" the old town centre, "not so much from an aesthetic point of view," points out Mayor Ungaro, "but to guarantee public health and safety by making the houses, which are often abandoned, safe". For this reason and in view of the many examples scattered throughout Italy, this Lucanian municipality has launched its own initiative.

This project, like many others, is also having an effect beyond Italy's borders, as CNN also reported on it, and Mayor Ungaro has already announced that he has received the first contacts from buyers. At the moment, however, the municipality (which does not require a deposit from buyers) is concentrating on mapping out the properties to be put up for sale at the symbolic price of 1 euro.

"We are currently informing the owners, we are not going to acquire the houses as heritage, otherwise we would damage ourselves economically," explains the first citizen of Laurenzana. Potentially, there are between 30 and 40 properties that could be sold for 1 euro in the town, and the municipality has already collected the first applications.

Whoever buys will be followed at all stages by the municipal authorities and must assume the obligation of renovating the property he or she buys. The steps are as follows, as detailed in the official announcement in the local council: within 3 months from the purchase, the buyer has to submit the project to the municipal technical office and, from the moment of approval, they have 3 years to start renovation work.

• Find out more details about other 1 euro home projects in Italy in 2021