So, Uh, Why Is This Stunning Italian Town Selling Homes for $1?

$1, Bob.

January 30, 2018 9:00 am EST

Dig deep into that couch and scrounge up five quarters.

It’s all you’ll need to purchase a home in an tucked-away Italian mountain valley.

The town of Ollolai — located in the heart of the island of Sardinia — is looking for new residents following decades of sons and daughters moving away, a trend that has thinned down the population to just over a grand, and left hundreds of stone buildings abandoned and decrepit. 

Efisio Arbau, the town’s mayor, is offering up these gray granite homes for a euro each (a dollar and change) in an effort to revitalize the neighborhood.

(2 images)

This is no empty gimmick: Multiple homeowners have already moved in. The catch? You’ll have to refurbish the home on your own dime, an estimated $25,000 over three years.

If that sounds like a steal, it’s because it is. Ollolai is in a mountain region surrounded by protected parks and lakes, and the town’s an hour drive from seaside bluffs as jaw-dropping as anything you’d find in Capri. Not to mention, any newcomer will have access to the full gamut of authentic Sardinian cuisine, from autumn cakes and roasted piglet to local wines and cheeses.  

Buona fortuna, folks.

Meet your guide

Tanner Garrity

Tanner Garrity

Tanner Garrity is a senior editor at InsideHook, where he’s covered wellness, travel, sports and pop culture since 2017. He also authors The Charge, InsideHook’s weekly wellness newsletter. Beyond the newsroom, he can usually be found running, skating, reading, writing fiction or playing tennis. He lives in Brooklyn.
More from Tanner Garrity »

MEET US AT YOUR INBOX. FIRST ROUND'S ON US.

Every Thursday, our resident experts see to it that you’re up to date on the latest from the world of drinks. Trend reports, bottle reviews, cocktail recipes and more. Sign up for THE SPILL now.