When Rubia Daniels heard a town in Italy was selling off abandoned homes for 1 euro (roughly $A1.63) each, she had to take a look herself. The resident of Berkeley in the US state of California booked her first flight to the town of Mussomeli in Sicily in 2019.
She quickly ended up buying not one, not two, but three crumbling properties at a bargain price. Daniels, 50, has a construction background and envisioned three dream projects: a holiday home, a restaurant and a wellness centre. So far, she’s spent about $A53,000 working with a local crew on her vacation home.
Despite the stress of renovating a home across the world through the COVID-19 pandemic , Daniels says the Mussomeli lifestyle has brought her more happiness. One of the biggest reasons Daniels decided to buy in Mussomeli was how welcome she felt when she visited. The real estate agent who sold her the houses, Nathalie Milazzo, took Daniels to restaurants, cafes and other parts of Mussomeli to really get a sense of what it was like to live in the town.
Daniels now considers her “like a sister”. Mussomeli is tiny, with just about 9900 residents, but Daniels says many people have strong bonds. “It’s much easier to make friends in Sicily than it is to make friends back in California,” Daniels said.
“In Sicily, the social life is very important. Everybody has time to talk to you, to know you, or to share a cup of coffee.” Daniels became fast friends with Katerina Montagnino, a local, who has become lik.
