A man who bought a house in Italy for just 85p had to give it up three years later

Danny McCubbin, 58, bought the run-down house in Mussomeli, Sicily, for 85p but had to sell it three years later because he couldn’t find workers to refurbish it in that time

A man who bought a run-down property in Italy for just 85p has been forced to sell his home – as he could not find workers to refurbish the property in time to meet a strict deadline.

Danny McCubbin, 58, bought the house in Mussomeli, Sicily, where a Case 1 Euro campaign was launched to attract foreigners to the region.

The Aussie, who has lived in the UK for 17 years, decided the opportunity to own a home abroad at a reduced price was too good to turn down and urged others to do the same.

However, the stipulation was that buyers had to renovate the home within three years of purchase to obtain full ownership.

And the labor shortage in Italy’s construction industry made it difficult to meet the request as the chef – who has worked for Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Foundation – could not find anyone to help him renovate his dream home on time.

He was forced to sell the property back to a real estate agency after just a few months and got his payment back as it was extremely difficult to find builders.

Speak with iNewshe said: “It was very difficult to find a builder and over time the house deteriorated.

“When I found a construction company, the renovation cost twice as much. I’ve decided it’s no longer worth it for me.”

Danny said he was disappointed as he enjoyed the quiet life in Mussomeli, a town of just 11,000 people.

That didn’t deter him, however, as he managed to buy another cheap £6,700 (€8,000) house that required less work.

He was also able to find two builders to work for him for a week, with minor repairs costing him £4,200 (€5,000).

This has now allowed him to settle into the home and he has now opened a community kitchen to prepare and deliver free meals to vulnerable families.

He added: “I moved here at the end of December 2020 because I wanted to live in Italy when Brexit happened.

“I always wanted to live in Sicily, my parents loved the country. So I wondered what was missing from Mussomeli and came up with the idea of ​​The Good Kitchen.”

And the labor shortage has prompted Mussomeli’s deputy to try to ease the pressure on homeowners who desperately need builders to help them renovate their homes.

And Mayor Toti Nigrelli has since vowed to alleviate the labor shortage for others hoping to buy a cheap home at a reduced price.

He said: “Local companies busy with renovations until 2024 are being forced to turn down new orders, but soon there will be an influx of new builders from abroad to help.”