Brit buys Italian house for one euro - and has people queuing to rent it
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A British man who bought a house in Italy for the bargain price of just €1/85p has revealed he now has hundreds of people desperate to rent it out.
George Laing, 32, bought the derelict three-storey property in Mussomeli, a town in Sicily, in December 2022.
The Brit purchased the bargain home under a renovation scheme set up by the council.
Once George had paid for admin fees, agency costs and energy certificates, the purchase price came to €5,000/£4,300.
And George, who works as an antiques trader, now splits his time between Mussomeli and Eastbourne.
He says he spent less than £10,000 renovating the home, despite it requiring a lot of renovations.
George had to fix the home's leaky roof, set up electricity and have the water supply reconnected.
The enterprising Brit did nearly all of the improvements himself but admits there were some difficulties along the way, including when a storm hit and 'buckets of water' came in the house.
George Laing, 32, bought the derelict three-storey property in Mussomeli, a town in Sicily, in December 2022. The Brit purchased the bargain home under a renovation scheme set up by the council
He says he spent less than £10,000 renovating the home, despite it requiring a lot of renovations
George reveals: 'I wouldn't say it's a completely glamourous lifestyle, but it's definitely a rewarding one.'
The antiques trader has been sharing the journey on his Instagram (@george_laing_) and claims that more than 500 followers have requested to rent the home.
He says: 'It's been the best decision I've made. I've got a waiting list of more than 500 people waiting to rent my home out.
'I just use my website and a booking form, I don't have to use Booking.com or Airbnb - it's edging up to nearly 600 people now.'
George has now bought a second €1/85p home in Mussomeli, due to the positive reaction he's had.
The Brit believes that his new property, which is just a five-minute walk from the first, will be easier to renovate and has said it 'won't take too much work'.
He explains: 'I got pretty lucky, it's structurally sound, it's huge and it won't take too much work. That project will start in the next two or three months.'
Under the one euro scheme, George must renovate the house within three years or face a fine.
George reveals: 'I wouldn't say it's a completely glamourous lifestyle, but it's definitely a rewarding one'. The antiques trader has been sharing the journey on his Instagram (@george_laing_)
George has said that his 'long term goal' is to purchase 'whole rows of one euro homes' and build his own 'community'
He says: 'It's been the best decision I've made. I've got a waiting list of more than 500 people waiting to rent my home out'
George had to fix the home's leaky roof, set up electricity and have the water supply reconnected
He says: 'Eventually in the long term I do want to buy a countryside house in the UK, but property is so expensive, and there's such a disparity between wages and property prices'
George has said that his 'long term goal' is to purchase 'whole rows of one euro homes' and build his own 'community'.
He is even considering opening an antiques shop in Mussomeli, which will be much cheaper than doing so in the UK.
The antiques expert revealed that a shop in Mussomeli would cost just €5,000/£4,300, compared to £200,000-£300,000 in the UK.
He says: 'Eventually in the long term I do want to buy a countryside house in the UK, but property is so expensive, and there's such a disparity between wages and property prices.
'I'm in a position where I am savvy enough and not scared of taking risks and could come here, but life for most people in the UK is unbearable right now.
'No one is thriving, everyone is just surviving, taxes shouldn't be getting to 40 per cent and after rent, bills, national insurance, the UK has become crazy expensive.
'A coffee costs £5, a pint is £8, it's £10 to travel around London, nobody can afford anything - the average person is struggling.'
Daily Mail
