A man who bought a house in Italy for just 85p has been forced to give it up after being unable to find tradesmen to refurbish the property before a strict deadline.
Danny McCubbin purchased the building in Mussomeli, Sicily, after a 'Case 1 Euro' campaign was launched to encourage foreigners and investment in the area.
The Australian, who has lived in the UK for 17 years, considered the opportunity too good a bargain to miss out on - and encouraged others to take advantage of the deal, according to the Mirror.
However, houses included under the scheme were sold on the condition that buyers had to renovate the properties within three years of their sale in order to be awarded complete ownership.
And labour shortages in Italy’s construction industry made the request tricky to fulfil as the chef – who has worked for Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Foundation – couldn’t find anyone to help him renovate his dream home within the time frame.
He was forced to sell the property back to an estate agency after just a few months, receiving his payment back, as it was extremely difficult to find builders.
Speaking to iNews, he said: “It was very difficult to find a builder and over time the house deteriorated.
“By the time I did find a building company, it was double the cost to renovate it. I decided it was not worth it for me anymore.”
Danny said he was disappointed, having enjoyed the quiet life in Mussomeli, a town of just 11,000 people.
However, it did not deter him as he managed to turn his hand to buying another cheap house for £6,700 (€8,000) which required less work.
In addition, he was able to find two construction workers to do a week of work for him, with the smaller fixes setting him back £4,200 (€5,000).
This has now allowed him to settle into the home and he has now opened a community kitchen to make and deliver free meals to vulnerable families.
He added: "I moved here at the end of December 2020, because I wanted to live in Italy when Brexit happened.
“I’ve always wanted to live in Sicily, my parents loved the countryside. So I asked myself what was missing in Mussomeli and I came up with the idea of The Good Kitchen.”
And the labour shortage has promoted Mussomeli’s deputy to try and reduce the pressure on homeowners who are in desperate need of builders to help renovate their houses.
And mayor Toti Nigrelli has since promised to alleviate the labour shortage for others hoping to purchase a cheap house at a reduced rate.
He said: “Local enterprises, which are busy with renovations until 2024, are forced to turn down new contracts, but soon there will be an influx of new builders from abroad to help out.”
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