A Chicago woman has transformed an abandoned “1 euro” house into a dream home worth $490,000, complete with a spa center, outdoor kitchen, and wine cellar.
45-year-old Meredith Tabbone decided on a whim to bid on a dilapidated house in Italy after a friend shared an article about low-cost buying schemes with her.
The house was initially listed at just 1 euro, but she bid around $5,600 randomly and ended up purchasing a 17th-century abandoned building in Sambuca di Sicilia on the island of Sicily.
This building had no electricity, no running water, and a roof covered in thick asbestos.
Tabbone later bought the neighboring house for $3,400 and after connecting the two properties, she built a four-bedroom, five-bathroom estate.
She spent around $490,000 and five years constructing her dream vacation home, complete with an outdoor kitchen, spa center, and outdoor party room.
“The condition of the house was very bad, but in many ways, it was everything I expected and more,” said Tabbone, a financial advisor from Chicago. “It has a lot of charm.”
“It has very interesting architectural details, you can really see the history through the walls. At the very least, it’s a fixer-upper. It was worth it. The result is great. It’s modern but maintains a traditional style. It’s a vacation home.”
In 2016, Tabbone began researching how to obtain Italian citizenship and discovered that her father Michael’s great-grandfather Fillippo Tabbone came from a small village in Sicily called Sambuca di Sicilia.
After reading an article about Italy’s 1 euro house auction, she started bidding in January 2019 and successfully won the bid in May of the same year.
A month later, she began renovations, spending around $850 in an eco-friendly way to remove the roof.
In August 2020, she purchased the neighboring house through a private sale and after connecting them, built a 3,000-square-foot estate.
“When we first saw this house, it was 750 square feet, with no electricity, no running water, no windows, and very thick asbestos.”
“At first, our plan was just to turn it into a small vacation home. Although we initially just wanted it as a small vacation home, in the end, we turned it into a dream home.”
Tabbone also bought two guest rooms in the same village for a total of $35,600, both requiring minor repairs.
She also purchased a derelict building for $73,800, which she is transforming into an art gallery and apartment for artists to stay in.
Tabbone is currently finalizing plans and gathering manpower to start renovating the gallery later this year.
After five years of hard work, Tabbone’s vacation home was finally completed in April 2024, and now she spends four months a year in Italy.
“Life here is slow-paced and simple,” she said. “The sunsets are spectacular.”
Tabbone advises people to consider purchasing 1 euro houses but says it’s not for the faint-hearted.
“I went all in,” she said. “If you can muster the courage, it’s worth it.”