In 2019, a Californian woman bought 3 abandoned houses for $3.30 in Italy. Now, she is turning them into a home, art gallery and wellness centre

Rubina Daniels moved to California from Brazil nearly 30 years ago when she heard about Italy's cheap houses. The City of Love was offering properties at a remarkably low cost to repopulate uninhabited villages in secluded regions. An idea struck her and in 2019, she purchased 3 abandoned houses in Mussomeli, a small town in Sicily, for just $3.30 (approximately Rs 270). In 2023, she started renovating the properties, turning her real estate purchases into long-term projects. It helped her achieve her personal aspirations as well as contribute to the local community.

From bargain purchase to a renovation plan

Rubina, in an interaction, with Business Insider, revealed that she was fascinated by the low-cost properties and decided to give them a makeover. The 3 dilapidated houses cost her $1.10 each, reported Case 1 Euro.

Rubina was charmed by the city’s welcoming atmosphere, warm hospitality and rich history. She had a plan chalked out of how to give the houses a makeover. As per the Californian woman, the first house would be made into a residential complex so that she could visit it anytime she wishes.

Turning abandoned houses into community spaces

As for the second house, Rubina planned to convert it into an art gallery – a move meant to contribute to the town’s local community. Meanwhile, she intended to renovate the third property into a wellness centre. As per Rubina, it was her "biggest renovation".

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Rubina started the repair work in 2019 but was met with a challenge a year later: the Covid-19 pandemic. It pushed the deadline for finishing the 3 projects. By 2023, the exterior work of the first 2 properties was complete, reported the New York Post.

More such cases

This isn’t the first case where Italian towns offered renovation duties to outsiders. In 2021, 9 villages in southern Italy offered individuals to pay $33,000 to move there who were willing to repopulate fast-emptying towns.