"Too Cheap to Believe" Three Houses in a World-Famous Resort for Only '4400 Won'

American Woman Buys House on Sicily Island
Purchases Fire-Destroyed Home with Restoration Condition
"Will Donate One Remodeled House to Society"

An American woman has expressed her intention to purchase a house that was completely destroyed by fire on Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean and a famous Italian resort, at a low price and restore it to give back to the local community.

On the 16th (local time), Business Insider reported that Rubia Daniels, a woman living in San Francisco, California, USA, heard the news that "there are cheap houses in Italy" and rushed to Sicily, where she bought three houses burned down by fire for only $3.3 (about 4,400 won), making this decision.

A woman named Rubia Daniels living in California, USA.
[Photo by Rubia Daniels]

According to the report, Daniels traveled for 10 days in July 2019, before the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), to Musomeli, a small village on Sicily, to check the condition of the houses in person.

In an interview with the media, she said, "(The price was so cheap) I was very surprised. I had to see it with my own eyes to confirm if it was true," adding, "I booked a plane, hotel, and rental car within three days after hearing the news and suddenly left."

Visiting the small and cozy Musomeli, Daniels said the village reminded her of her hometown Brazil where she grew up, and at the end of her 10-day trip, she purchased three burned houses for the cheap price of 1 euro (about 1,450 won) each. There was one condition for her to buy the houses at the price of just about 4,000 won: to restore the original form of the Sicilian houses, which boast history and tradition.

Daniels calculated the cost to restore the houses to their original Italian traditional state and inspected the houses she intended to purchase, growing her affection for the village through her busy schedule. She recalled, "The local residents welcomed me, a foreigner, and offered me coffee," and "The locals spent time with me as if it was their own daily routine during my stay."

Due to the pandemic that struck the world, the construction began last year. It is known that Daniels plans to give back to society by turning the largest of the three houses she purchased into a resting place for the local people.

Meanwhile, the population of Sicily, Italy, a famous Mediterranean resort known for its beautiful scenery, has been continuously decreasing, leading to an increase in vacant houses, which has become a social problem.

In response, local government officials including mayors and residents are encouraging migration of outsiders by auctioning off abandoned houses at low prices.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.