Over the past year or so, numerous small towns from Sicily in the south to the northern Alps have been offering such bargains in the hope of attracting new residents to revitalize dying communities.

The deals have made headlines, captivating millions of people hooked on the romantic notion of abandoning the metropolitan rat race for a simpler life.

Many of the towns were inundated with inquiries. Phones rang off the hook. Websites creaked under the strain.

But did anyone actually buy? And when they did, what happened next? Did they become ensnared in Italy's notoriously byzantine bureaucracy?

Did they run smack into the language barrier? Did the houses turn out to be money pits? Did la dolce vita quickly sour, leaving buyers feeling ripped off and despondent?

Holiday escape:

Morgane Guihot (Above), who hails from near the city of Nantes, France, was among the first buyers to snap up the €1 deals being offered in Mussomeli, a beautiful town deep in the heart of Sicily where narrow, ancient streets cluster around a crumbling hilltop citadel.

The home she and her husband paid pocket change for is intended as a second family home.

Most of the deals do require purchasers to commit to investing in renovations -- something which Guihot, 27, and her husband, 31, have wasted no time in getting underway.

They've nearly completed restyling their 50-square-meter Mussomeli abode, having painted the walls and fixed the floors.

"We just need to finish the bathroom," she says. "As we're both artisans and renovators we did most of the work ourselves, which was minimal, and it was great seeing our two-room house come to life again.

"The 15 square-meter panoramic terrace is fabulous."

They'll be using the Sicilian abode, along with their two young children, as a holiday house during Christmas and summer breaks.

"When we decided to invest in a second home, we were lured by the attractive bargain prices in Mussomeli when compared to France's expensive estate market," Guihot adds.

"But what conquered us the first time we visited was the charm of the place. It's super cute and locals are so welcoming."

While the couple is used to rural living at home near Nantes, the move to Mussomeli has taken them somewhere far quieter.

"Even if it's not such a big change for us what makes it exciting is the great location," Guihot says.

"The town is close to beautiful Sicilian destinations and not isolated as opposed to other villages. Here you've got everything you need, shops, supermarkets.

"You can lead a cool lifestyle. It's simply great".

There were, apparently, no unpleasant surprises.

"Everyone has been real kind and the girls working at the real estate agency followed us every step of the way, helping us with the paperwork and the translation of the deed.

"It went better than expected. And even our home -- we thought it would be in a worse shape.

"Oh, we'd do it over and over again."

While she and her husband are relatively young, they're already thinking about Mussomeli becoming a retirement haven.

"We're still very young, who knows. For now it will be our holiday house, that will give us plenty of time to properly learn Italian."

Bucolic retirement:

While many buyers set out to purchase dilapidated houses with the bargain basement price tag, some have ended up settling for more expensive homes in better shape.

After a long tour of Mussomeli's €1 buildings, Belgian businessman Patrick Janssen picked a "superior" dwelling at a higher price, which he has now almost completely refurbished.

Like many, he was lured by the media coverage of the cheap homes and the prospect of making a life-changing move.

"I'll be honest, we didn't buy a €1 house," he says. "We were shown something like 25 old buildings, some badly in need of repair, so at the end we opted for a three-room decent building for €10,000 and I invested more money in the renovation."

But it wasn't just the poor state of the buildings that steered him away from the € end of the scheme.

"I thought, if I buy a nice home, not crumbling down and I neatly fix it making it brand new again, it would last many more years," Janssen adds.

"My five kids, in 20 years time, would have a house still in perfect shape. If something happens to me, they'll have a good place where they can live and while they grow up they can come here with their friends."

For the time being, his plan is also to use it just as a holiday house where the family can spend several weeks or months per year.

"But now, giving it a second thought and after discovering the beauty of the place, it might become my future retirement spot."

Janssen has made the purchase with long-term plans in mind and weighing many factors, primarily the short distance between his main home in Brussels and Mussomeli.

"Sicily is around the corner. With just a two hours flight we escape from Belgium and reach Catania's airport. That's certainly a big plus point if you come from a European country to spend the weekend".

Mussomeli, when compared with frenetic Brussels, is another world, he says.

"People in Belgium don't relax. Life here is simpler, the town is cozy and the surrounding nature spellbinding. It's perfect to recharge one's batteries and detox".

Janssen's house has a panoramic terrace overlooking the old district's tile rooftops, quaint churches and narrow alleys.

"This corner of Sicily is wild, intact, green, not crowded. It's a perfect starting point to explore the rest of the island."

The purchase also went pretty smoothly for Janssen. Paperwork turned out easier than expected, despite Italy's bad reputation for red tape and excessive regulation.

"Actually, I was quite surprised in finding that buying and renovating a house is so much easier in Sicily than in Belgium".

Source | CNN