July 04, 2025

What Happens After You Buy That One-Euro Italian House?

20 minutes

Welcome to Unpacked, Five Questions, a new series where we go behind the scenes of one great travel story.

In this episode, host Katherine LaGrave sits down with Afar contributing writer Lisa Abend, who recently traveled to Sicily to investigate the viral phenomenon of European countries selling homes for one euro. Based in Copenhagen, Lisa explores what really happens after the headlines fade—both for the buyers chasing their dreams and the Sicilian communities welcoming newcomers.

She shares what it's like to be an outsider in a tight-knit village, the reality behind those too-good-to-be-true property deals, and why the distinctively Sicilian spirit still dominates despite an influx of foreign buyers.

On this episode you'll learn:

The real story behind Sicily's one-euro house program and what buyers actually get for their money

How small Sicilian towns are responding to an influx of foreign buyers and what "welcoming" really looks like

Why most one-euro house purchases take much longer and cost far more than buyers expect

Don't miss these moments:

[02:30] Lisa's first impressions of Sambuca di Sicilia and the feeling of being watched as an outsider

[04:15] The elderly café customer who seemed hostile but just wanted to ask about his New Jersey cousins

[06:45] Danny McCubbin's journey from Jamie Oliver collaborator to Mussomeli community member—and dream crusher

[09:20] Why buying a one-euro house doesn't guarantee a residence permit or the right to drive

[12:10] The difference between one-euro ruins and Lisa's dream 50,000-euro house with pizza oven potential

Resources

Read Lisa's complete Afar story about Sicily's one-euro houses.

Follow Lisa Abend on Instagram for more European travel insights.

Subscribe to Lisa's newsletter, the Unplugged Traveler, where she explores Europe without using the internet.

Next Episode Preview

Join Katherine in two weeks when she speaks with Peggy Orenstein, author and Afar contributing writer, who traveled to Busan, South Korea, and discovered a new love for the "second cities of the world."

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠Behind the Mic⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, ⁠Travel Tales⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.

Unpacked by Afar is part of ⁠Airwave Media⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠[email protected]⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

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