I ditched city for a hidden historic town where houses cost as little as £4K & pints are cheaper than a Tesco sandwich

The Sun

7 days ago

PERUSING the offerings on sale, Kiki Delichte weighs up her options.
A nice vintage one-off for £3,451 that would need a little restoration work, or she could fork out another £700 for a larger piece with fewer flaws.
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But Kiki isn't perusing eBay for a vintage designer bag but rather she's house-hunting for her dream home in Italy.
The 28-year-old moved across the world to renovate a 600-year-old medieval home – because house prices in her hometown had 'sky-rocketed'.
Kiki was stunned by the local property market when she came across the tiny Italian town of Mussomeli online where historic homes were going for 'the price of a handbag'.
The 28-year-old snapped up a 17-room pad for just £22,800, (€27,000) – a fraction of the estimated £367,000 ($500,000) one closer to home would have cost, and has been restoring it ever since.
Despite involving a move across the world to a place she doesn't know a soul, Kiki is embracing the challenge full-heartedly, throwing herself into renovations.
'It started as a bit of a wild idea,' Kiki, who works in fashion PR, says .
'I had always seen news stories about cheap homes but never seriously considered it.'
Kiki, who is originally from Canada, had been living in LA and quickly found the city overwhelming.
'I'd been living in the city for years, surrounded by constant pressure to chase a version of success that didn't actually fit me,' she says.
'Life felt expensive, overstimulating, and still a little soulless.
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'I experienced a lot of loss and pain, and eventually, when I finally picked my head up and really looked around, I realised I wasn't living in a way that felt true to me, and I wasn't even sure why.
'Then I came across this tiny Italian town where you could buy a historic home for the price of a handbag.
'It wasn't some carefully calculated life plan, it was a gut feeling that there was a richer, more grounded way to live.'
Kiki soon found her future home, which she says cost just a fraction of the price of what a house would cost in the US - playing a huge role in her decision.
Kiki says: 'I'd been living in LA for over a decade and the real estate market there is laughable.
'Even in Canada, prices have skyrocketed.
'I was working hard, doing well, but owning a home, let alone a dream home, always felt just out of reach.
'I couldn't justify spending half a million dollars on something that didn't feel special.
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'Then I realised that for a fraction of that I could own a literal piece of history.
'The math just started to make sense in a way that North America never did.'
At some points she was paying £1,830, ($2,500), a month for a one-bedroom apartment.
She explains: 'That didn't include parking or peace of mind.
'Nor with castle views and cobblestone charm.
'Rent felt like a monthly punishment for staying somewhere I wasn't thriving.
'It wasn't sustainable long-term, financially or emotionally.'
But it was not only the price that influenced Kiki who was looking for a change of pace when it came to her lifestyle.
She says: 'In LA, everything felt like a rush — fast food, fast fashion, fast success.
'In Mussomeli, time feels expansive.
'I'll be cooking more, walking more, talking to neighbours, hosting dinners instead of scrolling.
'My daily life will be rooted in connection, creativity, and calm.
'I'll still be working and creating, but from a place that nourishes me. It's not about slowing down completely, it's about being intentional.'
So far she has spent £42,185 (€50,000) on renovations to the 600-year-old pad.
She says: 'This is a historic home, the kind of place that reveals new surprises behind every wall.
'To me, this isn't just a house, it's an experience, an art project, a home base for my future, and a way to live life a little differently.
'So I'm more than happy with the investment.
'I'm building a spa with a jacuzzi and sauna, and full bar, because if you're going to bring a home back to life, why not make it a little magical?'
Kiki estimates that the total will land somewhere around £101,250 – £118,140, (€120,000 – €140,000).
She adds: 'I want it to feel like the ultimate home for peace and tranquillity.
'A place where I can bring all my loved ones together and experience something special and rare.
'It is the kind of place that feeds your soul and makes you feel at home the second you walk inside.
'I'm also building a library as an homage to the home's previous owner, a Sicilian scholar and professor.
'It felt only right to preserve that legacy and create a space where books, ideas, and conversation are front and centre.'
Kiki now splits her time between Sicily, LA and Canada while renovations continue, but she is almost ready to move in full-time.
She estimates it'll save her around £2,200, ($3,000 a month) once renovations are finished.
She says: 'Rent alone is already eliminated.
'Groceries, utilities, dining out, everything is more affordable here.'
And she's not wrong, according to local prices you can expect to pay around £3.40 for a pint, less than most supermarket sandwiches.
Kiki says that another benefit is that she no longer has to pay for holidays.
'I don't need to pay to escape chaos, I just step outside and I'm in a 14th-century fairytale,' she says.
'This house felt like a chance to take something forgotten and make it beautiful again.
Italy's €1 house scheme
Depending on the region, a number of towns and villages across Italy have offered the cheap €1 properties to encourage people to move to the area.
There are around 25 regions who are taking part, each with a number of properties.
Many of the areas have a dwindling or aging population and hope to build the community again.
The properties range from small houses to larger villas, but are all in a very rundown condition.
The conditions for buying each property also vary, but the majority of them need large renovation works which are part of the scheme
'There's a kind of romance to that.'
And to anyone else looking to take a leap of faith, she says that 'life doesn't have to follow the script'.
She got the keys to her new home in January, started renovating in March and is moving in next month to do the finishing touches.
Kiki, originally from Winnipeg, Canada, says: 'You don't need a five-year plan, a perfect timeline, or anyone's permission to build a life that feels good.
'I bought an old, crumbling house in a tiny Sicilian town with no real plan beyond: this feels right.
'And it's led to more freedom, joy, and community than I could have imagined.
'The life I've built here feels amazing.'
For work, as of now - she is continuing her career in fashion PR.
She adds: 'But once my home is completed I plan to start a business here.
'What business exactly, I'm not entirely sure, but I have a few ideas that I'm working on.
'I'm just healthier mentally, physically, and spiritually than I ever was in North America.
'It's truly remarkable what this town has given me, and the version of myself I've been able to return to because of this journey.'
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