Since December 2022, the Parotte family has been the proud owner of a house they bought for the modest sum of… one euro. Explanations.
It was in Saint-Amand-Montrond, in the Cher, that a little Christmas miracle took place for the Parotte family before its time. Because after several months of administrative procedures, it was on December 14, 2022 that Lisette, her husband and their two children were able to receive the keys to their new 90m² house. A very special house they have bought for a symbolic euro as part of a special operation organized by the town hall, former owner of the house whose real price was estimated at 27,000 euros. In order to attract new residents and get rid of a house uninhabited since 2006, the town hall had the idea of offering it for sale for only one euro, but in exchange for several conditions.
To acquire this property, Lisette Parotte had to fill out a file with a cover letter to explain her project and the future owners had to undertake to quickly carry out the work necessary to make the house habitable and settle there. It had also been requested by the town hall that local companies be chosen for the work, and that the family settle in the house for a minimum of six years. Conditions that the Parotte family has fulfilled, as explained by Chantal Cabat, head of the city’s urban planning department to our colleagues from France Bleu Berry: “We really fell in love with them because they convinced us that our city interested them”.
A few thousand euros of work
The new owners felt the cost of the work between 70,000 and 80,000 euros, knowing that they can count on several grants to give them a boost. The project delights the whole family, especially Lisette Parotte who has been involved for months. “I applied without even visiting the house! (…) I had a crush despite its condition. And then, it’s not that bad, it’s an old house to be renovated”. An old house that fits perfectly with their vision of the future. “With my companion, we were looking for tranquility”. A tranquility they found in Saint-Amand-Montrond, populated by around 10,000 inhabitants.