I bought one of Sicily’s famous $1 houses and spent $446,000 to renovate it; take a look inside

While bids for the Sicilian properties started at €1, Tabbone bid €5,555 for his building. With taxes and fees, he spent 5,900 euros (about $6,200) to acquire the property.

He visited his new home for the first time in June 2019. The condition of the property was “at best,” Tabbone tells CNBC Make It: no electricity, no running water, asbestos in the roof and “probably two pigeon poo feet”. on the floor.”

After viewing the space, he also purchased the vacant home next door through a private sale by owner for €22,000 (just over $23,000).

Combining the two properties meant a bigger renovation budget: Tabbone initially planned to spend €40,000 to renovate 620 square feet, but that grew to €140,000 to cover 2,700 square feet.

By the end of its renovation in October 2023, it had spent approximately 425,000 euros, or $446,000. Because the project was delayed by the pandemic and spread over several years, he was able to pay it all off over time without taking out loans.

Tabbone’s goal with his Sicilian property was to build a vacation home where he could also host visiting friends and family.

To begin, Tabbone’s renovation team made structural changes such as tearing down several walls to open up common areas, leveling the floors of both buildings, adding steel beams to protect against earthquakes, and adding two terraces.

It was Tabbone’s first renovation project. He was inspired by his father, who was an architect and died when he was 15 years old. He now calls the house Casa dell’Architetto in his honor.

Tabbone says his vision was to design a space that is “simple, but meaningful,” in a nod to “Mad Men” character Don Draper.

The finished project is “a thousand times better” than his original vision, he says. “It’s modern, but it’s still cozy. And it really showcases all the best features that were already in the home,” such as original arches, a trough in the kitchen and a unique staircase.

Now that his house is complete, Tabbone plans to spend four months of the year in Sicily. He also uses it as a meeting place to organize dinners with the friends he has made in Sambuca.

“It’s an amazing community” of expats and locals, he says.

Tabbone says his Sambuca property is more than just a vacation spot. “What this house really means to me is a bridge between my past and my future,” he says. “It was an opportunity to really reconnect with my father’s lineage. But it also speaks to my future because it’s something I’ve created for myself … where I can think more about enjoying my life and having a better balance between work and family life.”

Tabbone has no plans to sell the house and has already promised it to a cousin if he dies first. “After that, it will be given to the people,” says Tabbone.

Although Tabbone dedicated herself to her home away from home, she says what she has gained from the experience is invaluable.

“There’s a real sense of community here, so I definitely think people are very happy here,” he says. Also, “I’ve started thinking differently about how I’m building my business, and maybe not having my life’s focus on work, (but) just on personal fulfillment in general,” he says.