Couple buy a four-storey Italian home for the price of a chocolate bar

A couple, who purchased an Italian a €1 property in Italy, have said "it changed everything" in their lives.

Jeffrey Pfefferle and his partner Leon McNaught found out about the scheme back in 2019 – and two years later ended up buying two houses in Sicily for a combined total of £27,651.

The pair opened up to CNN Travel about their decision, saying they "really fought for it from the start."

"At Rome Airport, I went into panic mode when we missed the gate for the Palermo flight – luckily we were able to catch another plane later that same day," they said.

Jeffrey continued: "It’s been gutted [by the previous owners] and our architect says it’s an easy fix, a blank canvas.

"The electrics are fine, and the plumbing is done."

They went on to discuss the "better quality of life" in the Mediterranean which for them, "values people above money."

"A place that embraces a slower pace, giving more priority to the important things," they said. “We are surrounded by a community that have shown us extreme caring and kindness.

"It’s a place that has taught us that time is our utmost prized possession and that time is meant for living, and living it to the fullest with those we love and care about.”

It comes after another couple couldn't afford to buy a home in the UK – so they purchased an entire farm in Italy instead.

The Le Marche farm was initially on the market for €200,000 (about £170,000), but the pair managed to negotiate the price down to €160,000 and bought it outright with their savings and £50,000 of loans.

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