Coronavirus Italy: $1.80 houses for sale where no cases are detected

It’s been a while since we’ve seen an Italian town selling houses for less than a cup of coffee – but if you feel like a complete sea-change, this may be for you.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen an Italian town selling houses for less than a cup of coffee, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic that sent both Italy and most other countries into lockdown.

But they’re back, and this time they have an added selling point new for 2020 – the town in question is COVID-free.

Cinquefrondi, located in the southern region of Calabria, is just 15 minutes away from the beach by car and has houses that need renovating.

According to the mayor, Michele Conia, the community hasn’t had any reported cases of coronavirus either.

Prospective owners will have to stump up €1 ($A1.80) for the property and a further €250 ($A415) insurance policy annually until the property has been renovated.

If the buyer doesn’t complete their renovations within three years, they could be liable for a €20,000 ($A33,000) fine.

Cinquefrondi, located in the southern region of Calabria, is a 15-minute drive to the beach by car. Picture: Municipality of Cinquefrondi/Tullio Pronesti

Mr Conia told CNN: “Finding new owners for the many abandoned houses we have is a key part of the Operation Beauty [mission] that I have launched to recover degraded, lost parts of town.

“Too many people have fled from here over the decades, leaving behind empty houses. We can’t succumb to resignation.

“We rise between the refreshing hills and two warm seas, a pristine river runs nearby, and the beaches are just 15 minutes away by car.

“But a whole district of my town lies abandoned, with empty houses that are also unstable and risky.

Prospective owners will have to stump up $1.80 for a property. Picture: Municipality of Cinquefrondi/Tullio Pronesti

“We’re just asking for some kind of certainty once a new buyer commits to the project.”

Earlier this year, Bisaccia, in the south of the Campania region, two hours from Naples, put 90 buildings on the market for $1.40.

Mussomeli in southern Sicily was offering homes for $1.40 as well – as long as the buyer renovated the house within a year. And the town of Sambuca was offering them for the same price as long as you spent $24,000 doing your house up.

Bivona in Sicily asked buyers to pay a $3800 bond to get the 85p house.

Italy has been one of the hardest hit countries in Europe during the coronavirus pandemic, with 236,000 confirmed cases currently and more than 34,000 deaths.

According to the mayor, a whole district of the town lies abandoned, full of empty houses. Picture: Municipality of Cinquefrondi/Tullio Pronesti

Yesterday, it was reported that the country could be nearing herd immunity as more than half of residents tested in its worst-hit province have coronavirus antibodies.

Bergamo, in the country’s northern region, has recorded that 57 per cent of people tested have had some contact with the virus.

Italy has already opened its borders to British tourists and hotels have been open since mid-May along with bars, restaurants and shops while still following social distance guidelines.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and has been republished with permission