Meredith Tabbone purchased a four-bedroom home in Sambuca di Sicilia, Sicily, for just €1 under Italy's initiative to revive declining towns. However, when she arrived, she discovered the property was in dire condition: no electricity, no running water, uneven floors, asbestos, and two feet of pigeon droppings.
Renovation Costs Soar
Initially budgeting $40,000 (£30,200), Tabbone ultimately spent $446,000 (£336,800) over three and a half years to make the house habitable. She told CNBC Make It: "The condition of this property when I first purchased it was dire at best." Major renovations included leveling floors across 18 rooms, adding electricity and water, and installing more windows for brightness.
Personal Connection to Sicily
Tabbone, from Chicago, chose Sambuca di Sicilia because her great-grandfather left the village in 1902 for the United States. Despite the high costs, she says she will "never sell this house" and plans to spend four months a year there, eventually donating it to the village.
Advice for Future Buyers
Reflecting on the process, Tabbone advises patience: "If I were to begin again, the single piece of guidance I would offer myself is to exercise greater patience at the outset." She emphasizes the strong sense of community in the village, calling it "an easier place to be social than in many areas of the United States."
