Paul Millet (54) from Los Angeles bought a house. But not in the USA. The man flew to Italy for this – for the first time. And within 24 hours he had a new home, like CNN reported.
“It was something that stimulated my imagination”
The 54-year-old came to Italy with the plan to buy a property there. An article about one-euro houses gave him the idea. “I can’t say exactly why I was drawn to the idea of buying a one-euro property and renovating it, but it was something that caught my imagination.” Ultimately, however, he decided he would prefer a slightly more expensive home to acquire.
He bought a 60 square meter house with a balcony, attic and roof terrace in Latronico. Live there loudly “casalatronico.eu“About 4200 people. He spent 12,000 euros on the property. He planned up to $35,000 to bring it into shape, writes CNN.
American doesn’t want to move to Italy permanently
“Unlike the one-euro programs, I was not required to do anything with the house I bought. Of course it was about renovating the properties and making them viable, but as a foreign buyer I could do whatever I wanted with them. I liked that,” he explains, explaining his decision to buy a more expensive property.
The renovation work on his 12,000 euro house is now almost finished. Nevertheless, the American does not plan to move to Italy permanently. However, he would like to come here at least once a year “to get away from it all.” “The place will serve as a starting point for future trips to the EU,” Millet told CNN. He may offer the property as a vacation rental and share it with friends and family.
“The lifestyle here is just a lot slower”
The 54-year-old is fascinated by Latronico. “The lifestyle here is just a lot slower.”
The town offers properties for sale on the website “casalatronico.eu”. The “La Tua Casa a Latronico” project has existed since 2013. The aim is to promote the use and reuse of empty houses. The prices are very different. At the moment the cheapest offer is 3000 euros and the most expensive is 230,000 euros.
Another American also bought an apartment in Italy. He spent 22,000 euros on it and experienced a big surprise. During the first viewing after the purchase, the man discovered that three nuns still lived in his property. At first they didn’t want to let the new owner in. However, they eventually moved out and the city government provided them with alternative accommodation.