8 Cities Where You Can Buy a House at a Cost of a Slice of Pizza

2019-05-07

Some people dream of having a small, cozy house, and others dream of living in a huge mansion near the sea. Today, it’s not that hard to make the dream come true because some houses are sold for just $1 and some are simply given out for free.

Despite the fact that today, the prices for real estate are quite scary, there are a lot of alternatives, especially if you don’t have a lot of money. This is why Bright Side did some research on many places throughout the world where you can buy a house for 2 cents or even for free!

Sambuca, Italy

Italy set off a major blast in the real estate market when it offered a huge number of great houses for just $1. The houses are situated in different villages and regions where there are few people. A lot of young people from all over the world agreed to the offer.

Sambuca is one of the many Italian villages where there are still houses that cost just $1. However, you should know that the new owner is required to make this house a beautiful place within 3 years. And the buyer is expected to spend at least $15,000 on the renovation.

Roubaix, France

If you like France, then the small town of Roubaix situated in the north of France is definitely for you. This city that is near Belgium is economically stable and is quickly developing. The local authorities just want the city to be populated and attractive to other people.

In this city, you can buy a small house in the industrial district for just $1. The buyer is supposed to live in this house for at least 5 years and must also invest time and money in the renovations of the abandoned property.

Tokyo, Japan

Even a country with overpopulation issues can have a lot of empty houses! People from Tokyo are ready to give away their houses for free or almost for free — they simply don’t need them anymore.

This is because of a unique superstition that the Japanese have: all houses where there was a disaster or a crime are believed to be cursed. They think such places bring bad luck. This superstition is spread across all of Japan, so Tokyo is not the only city in this country where you can buy a ridiculously cheap house.

The Japanese even created a special online market of abandoned properties called Akiya. Here, you can become a home owner for free or for a very small price.

Okutama, Japan

If you love nature and silence, there is another option for you in Japan: you can live in Okutama. This is one of many ghost cities in Japan but the incredible landscapes make this place really special.

The local authorities noticed the interest among young people in this remote place and they designed a special program to make it more popular. There are special requirements for buyers. Only people who 43 or younger can live here. And one more little thing: in order to become the owner of a house here, you need to live at least 22 years in it.

Buffalo, USA

The authorities of Buffalo offer anyone who qualifies to buy property for just $1. The program is called the Urban Homestead Program. Such programs are common in the US, especially when it comes to giving away uninhabited lands.

All you need is to be a lawful citizen of the city, live in your new house for at least 3 years, and invest a significant amount of money into its renovations. Doing this, the authorities are hoping to make the city beautiful again without spending a lot of money.

Detroit, USA

Eminem’s hometown has been in economic stagnation for a long time now due to its unemployment, bankruptcy, criminality and so on. So few people use this as a chance to buy cheap property today.

The inhabitants of Detroit have lost their hope that the powerful city will be reborn one day, so now they are ready to sell their homes for very little money. The problem is, nobody needs these houses except for homeless people. Additionally, other US states also offer houses and land for little money from time to time.

Liverpool, Great Britain

The problem of uninhabited houses also exists in Great Britain. Despite the fast development of the country, more and more inhabitants are moving into the capital to build successful careers.

According to statistics, in Great Britain, 200,000 houses have been empty for at least 6 months. Most of these houses were abandoned by the working class during the years of unemployment in the ’70s, ’80s, and the ’90s. The government is trying to make people move to the outskirts of Liverpool selling the abandoned houses for just $1.

However, the rules for purchasing the property are quite strict. If you want to buy such a house, it has to be your first deal on buying property. Also, you need to be a resident of the city and live in the new house for at least 5 years. Additionally, you have to do the renovation according to the city’s standards.

Candela, Italy

If you still have your doubts about spending $1 on a house, you should know: the authorities of Candela are ready to pay $2,000 to you if you move to their town. The authorities made such a desperate move just to make sure that this town doesn’t get completely abandoned.

In 1990, there were 9,000 inhabitants, and in 2019, there are only 2,700. A huge number of people left the town looking for more opportunities. In turn, the town stopped to develop economically and its level of unemployment increased. The authorities believe that it’s possible to return the town back to the way it once was.

In order to be paid to move to Candela, you need to become a permanent resident of the town and also have an income of at least $7,500 per year. If you are moving alone, you will get $800, and if you are moving with your family, you will get $2,000.

Which of these options did you like the most? Tell us in the comment section below.