Transforming a ruin into a dream home is possible: even if you are some eight thousand kilometres away from the site and do not speak a single word of the local language. Meredith Tabbone, 46, a financial consultant from Chicago, has succeeded. She has revived an entire alley in Sambuca di Sicilia, the land of her ancestors, in the province of Agrigento. Meredith bought a house in Italy for one euro, choosing it online and extending it with the addition of other houses bought later at market price.
A deep renovation that was also very social, as Meredith documented everything on Tik Tok and Instagram, collecting thousands of followers. When we meet for this chat, online, she was in Chicago, about to leave to spend the Christmas holidays in Sicily, in her dream home. Let's find out more about Meredith's experience of buying a 1 euro house in Italy, and if this sounds up your street, on the website of the Municipality of Sambuca di Sicilia you can see the list of 1 euro houses and get more information on how to get your hands on one.
How did you find out about the possibility of being able to buy a house for 1 euro in Sambuca di Sicilia while living in Chicago?
I read an article on the CNN website and learned about this possibility. You should know that Sicily, where I had never been before, is the land of my family, because my great-grandfather was originally from Sambuca di Sicilia. So I decided to buy the house.
What convinced you to choose that very property when you arrived in Sicily?
I didn't actually go to Italy straight away to look at the houses available among those for sale for 1 euro. I did everything from home, online: I remember choosing house number five. Five is also my lucky number, after all.
If I understand correctly, your new home is located in the historical part of the town, the old Saracen quarter, right?
Yes, that is correct.
Let's talk about the renovation. How did you change the house? Tell me how you bought it and what it looks like now.
Well, initially the building didn't even have running water and electricity. It even had a roof covered with asbestos. The house measured 70 square metres, it was very small. So I bought - at market price this time - three houses and a garage from the neighbours. And I started the work.
How big is the new house?
There are now 19 rooms including four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a spa, a wine cellar, two large terraces with an outdoor kitchen, living and dining area.
What was the hardest phase of the whole process?
Definitely the project management as a whole.
How did you manage a renovation in Sicily while being on the other side of the world, in Chicago?
I had a team of four locals. Unfortunately none of them spoke English, which was a disadvantage: but during the various stages they regularly sent me photographs of the work progress on WhatsApp.
What about the timing?
I bought the house in 2019 and finished the work in October 2023.
Did you have any problems with the Italian bureaucracy?
No, I must say that I had no problems at all.
Your renovation was also very popular on social media, with over 28,000 followers from all over the world on TiK Tok - but many more on Instagram too - who watched the videos, commented on the photos, gave advice. How do you explain this?
I think there are many people out there who share a similar dream to mine: to own a house in Italy. Telling the story of my renovation in a very honest and detailed way, unfiltered, was a way to make people realise that this is a real possibility. And that they could do the same thing.
May I ask if it is a house intended to generate income or if it will remain for private use?
It is my dream house, I designed it for private use. In just a few days I will head to my new home in Italy.
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