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In a municipality in Ticino there are rustici for one franc. “But it is impossible for a family or an individual to build a reasonably comfortable holiday home there,” warns one family.
A lot of money would have to be invested before such beautiful rustici as in this picture are created.
PantherMedia / Claudia Buchmann
In a municipality in Ticino, Rustici, stables converted into small stone houses, can be bought for one franc.
The offer sounds too good to be true, as a 20-minute reader reports.
She was interested in one of the Rustici two years ago – but then realized that it is hardly possible for a family to turn it into a habitable holiday home.
It sounds like the dream of many a city dweller: high above Lake Maggiore, the Ticino municipality of Gambarogno is offering small stone houses, so-called Rustici, for sale – for just one franc. The interest is correspondingly great, hundreds of interested parties have responded to the offer.
The aim of the campaign is to revive the remote hamlet. Simply buying the stone house, tearing it down and putting up a neat villa is not an option: When renovating and converting the stone houses, various guidelines must be observed. In addition, the Ticino authorities will only decide this year how many Rustici should be sold. And the local parliament of Gambarogno also has a say.
“More ruins than houses”
Even 20-minute reader MH * knows that a holiday home in Ticino sounds too good to be true for one franc. But the truth is different, ”she says. “We were interested in a rustico in Gambarogno two years ago and received the documentation for the project.”
It quickly became clear that the offer had several catches: «The abandoned village is located on the“ Alpe di Sciaga ”on Monte Tamaro opposite the village of Indemini. You definitely don’t have a view of the lake from there, “says H. The rustici are in fact nothing more than ruins:” They have neither roofs nor windows, nor electricity or running water. ” Due to the regulations, you are not allowed to install a solar system. “So getting electricity up there is simply impossible at the moment.”
«No sewage system, only heat with wood»
To build a new village or to revive the hamlet, as the community has in mind, considers H. to be completely unrealistic. After all: “A few years ago the community had a well built. The problem with the water could be solved with a lot of effort. But there is still no sewer system, you could only heat it with wood. ”
Another problem: “There is no parking space in the nearest village of Indemini, and you have to walk an hour from there. How is that supposed to work with the shopping or with the disposal of the waste? ” According to H., it gets really expensive when you have to transport building materials upwards: “You can only do that by helicopter and it costs around 400 francs an hour.” H. and her husband quickly realized that they had to give up the dream of an idyllic holiday home on Lake Maggiore.
Nevertheless, she could imagine a use: “It’s nothing for families, couples or individuals. But a foundation with a lot of money could certainly build a beautiful, rustic house there, for example for a holiday camp in nature without all the amenities that we are otherwise used to. “
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