The picturesque town of Presicce, in the sunny region of Puglia, is the latest to join the game with a tempting offer. Authorities say they will pay interested parties up to around 30,000 euros to buy an empty residence and settle in the area.
The houses for sale through the program cost up to 25,000 euros. Like other cheap properties for sale throughout Italy, they have been abandoned by their original owners.
As an added bonus, the location is incredible, surrounded by the nature of the Salento area in the “heel of the boot” of Italy and close to the white sandy beaches and turquoise waters of Santa Maria di Leuca.
Presicce authorities hope that the cash incentive will breathe new life into the town, which is suffering from depopulation, with birth rates declining each year.
“There are many empty houses in the historic center built before 1991 that we would like to see alive again with new residents,” said councilor Alfredo Palese to CNN. “It is a shame to witness our old neighborhoods full of history, wonderful architecture, and art slowly emptying out.”
The details of the agreement are being finalized, according to Palese, but authorities are ready to launch applications in the coming weeks, when information will be available on the city hall’s website.
“We will offer up to 30,000 euros to anyone who wants to move here and buy one of these abandoned homes,” he announces. “The total funding will be divided into two parts; one will be for the purchase of an old house and the other part for its renovation, if necessary.”
To qualify for the 30,000 euro incentive, buyers must reside in Presicce and purchase one of the properties built before 1991 that have been mapped by the authorities.
According to Palese, house prices start at 500 euros per square meter. About 25,000 euros should be enough to secure a 50-square-meter dwelling, he adds.
Source: CNN