Schotte transforms one-euro house in Mussomeli into a holiday hit – this is how it works!

Schotte transforms one-euro house in Mussomeli into a holiday hit – this is how it works!

In 2017, Italy launched an innovative one-euro house program to revitalize structurally weak regions. This program particularly focuses on Mussomeli, a small town in Sicily with around 9,915 inhabitants. The Briton George Laing purchased such a one-euro house here in December 2022 after spending over 30% of his income on rent in London. This program aims to attract people like Laing to remote areas and encourage investment to halt economic decline.

The one-euro houses are often in great need of renovation and must be renovated within two to three years. However, Laing's house was in relatively good condition, so he had to invest less than 11,700 euros in the renovation. The renovation costs were therefore lower than expected, and there were also around 5,000 euros for administration and brokerage fees as well as energy certificates.

Transformation into holiday accommodation

After the renovation, Laing converted his one-euro house into holiday accommodation. This was done not only for economic reasons, but also out of the desire to create a community of one-euro houses in Mussomeli. He currently has around 600 interested parties for his newly renovated accommodation. To organize the rental, he only uses his own website and does not use platforms such as Booking or Airbnb.

However, the success of his project raises questions. While the one-euro-house model is primarily intended to bring new residents and economic revitalization to small Italian towns, the focus on tourist use may call into question the original objective. It is therefore necessary to create clear rules that ensure that houses are permanently inhabited and not just used as holiday accommodation.

Outlook for the future

George Laing plans to purchase and renovate more one-euro houses in Mussomeli. These projects could make a decisive contribution to promoting the local economy and sustainably improving life in the region. With an ever-increasing number of people interested in his offers, it is clear that his decision to buy a one-euro house was the best possible choice. Mussomeli remains a fascinating example of the positive effects of the One Euro House program, which aims to revitalize the beauty and opportunities of the Italian provinces.

For further information on the subject of one-euro houses in Italy and Georg Laing's experiences, see here more information on Merkur and here on imticker.ch.