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Man purchases home for $1.50 - but there’s a catch!

<p dir="ltr">A man struggling to enter the property market has revealed how he purchased his home for just $1.50 - but there’s a catch. </p> <p dir="ltr">Danny McCubbin, who is originally from the Gold Coast, wanted to upend his life once more and move from busy London. </p> <p dir="ltr">On his mind was a quiet, peaceful area where he could enjoy his life – and the small town in Mussomeli, Sicily, took his breath away.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I fell in love with this town,” Danny told news.com.au.</p> <p dir="ltr">Danny took a leap of faith and bought his home in 2019 for just $1.50 (plus a further 3000 euros for notary and inspection fees). </p> <p dir="ltr">However, a condition of the house was that he would have to renovate it within three years of purchase or he’d have to pay a further 5000 euros (AU$7,571) to the government. </p> <p dir="ltr">The pandemic threw a spanner in the works, making Danny’s mission to renovate his home almost impossible.</p> <p dir="ltr">Danny then decided it would be cheaper to purchase another home and renovate that. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I ended up buying myself a house for 8000 euros, which is less than the cost of my car. And I spent 5000 on it and renovated that,” he revealed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That’s where I live now. It’s a beautiful place, it’s got a view of the mountains, it’s just perfect for me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Danny offered his best tips to those looking to do the same: spend time in the city where you plan to buy, see as many houses as you can, bring a friend who knows a bit about engineering, and don’t fall for the view.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

International Travel

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Find your Italian dream home for just $1.50

<p><span>If you’ve ever dreamt of living in Italy, this special option might just be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.</span><br /><br /><span>The depopulated town of Laurenzana, located in Southern Italy's Basilicata region, has set itself apart from the number of home schemes up for grabs in the country.</span><br /><br /><span>Last month, potential buyers were given the option to buy a dilapidated home without having to put down a deposit guarantee that would ensure they finished renovations on their property.</span><br /><br /><span>The mayor of the town Michele Ungaro, said they were making the process a heck of a lot easier.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840249/italian-home-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/19a75d6fe76047c492624c11d812f2c0" /><br /><br /><span>"We want to help newcomers purchase the house of their dreams without making it hard for them to follow tedious procedures and tight requirements," Ungaro explained.</span><br /><br /><span>"At times it can be difficult to navigate through regulation, particularly if you're a foreigner. We want this adventure to be a pleasure, not a burden.”</span><br /><br /><span>She continued: "That's why we are not asking for any deposit guarantee to ensure the works are speedily carried out. It sounds as a sort of threat.</span><br /><br /><span>"We rely on the good faith and commitment of buyers, but we will be constantly monitoring the work-in-progress and status of the renovation."</span><br /><br /><span>To entice buyers, authorities have also kept paperwork costs to a minimum, and has assured them that they will benefit from southern Italy's relatively low local taxes.</span><br /><br /><span>However, as with most one euro ($1.50) home schemes, buyers must agree to complete the renovations on their property within a certain time frame.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840248/italian-home-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/72764117d3f04324bb734455c3434ca6" /><br /><br /><span>In Laurenzana, work needs to start no longer than three months after purchase and has to be completed within three years.</span><br /><br /><span>Buyers are also required to give in a detailed restyle plan before their offer is considered.</span><br /><br /><span>"If we are flooded with emails of people just saying 'I want to buy a house for one euro' without any further details, we'll get nowhere," Ungaro said.</span><br /><br /><span>"Targets are paramount. It would be of great help in speeding up the process if interested buyers get in touch straight away with a draft plan of what they intend to do with their new property and how much money they plan to invest in the restyle."</span><br /><br /><span>The abandoned houses for sale in Laurenzana come in different shapes and sizes, so Ungaro has encouraged those interested in buying to make clear what size home they are interested in, or what purpose they will use their property for – whether that be a private summer home, B&amp;B or shop.</span><br /><br /><span>The homes available range from 40 to 150 square metres.</span></p>

Real Estate

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The $1.50 Kmart hack that will change your life in the kitchen

<p>One of New Zealand’s all-time favourite brunch foods is the popular poached egg.</p> <p>If you find it hard to recreate the perfect poached egg in your own kitchen, one savvy mother has revealed a clever hack.</p> <p>The thrifty mum revealed that she has mastered the tricky technique of the poached egg by using $1.50 backing moulds from Kmart.</p> <p>Sharing her trick on social media, she wrote: “Don't know if anyone has already hacked this but wanted to share anyway.”</p> <p>The mum shared two photos accompany her secret trick, the first showing a pot of water with two eggs in silicone muffin cases floating inside.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 375.14792899408286px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7821687/1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6d88a58d31d84b3bb765c505efd0cbf8" /></p> <p>The second photo revealed the end result of the surprising technique, showing two perfectly poached eggs sitting on two slices of toast with bacon and wilted spinach.</p> <p>“I totally suck at mastering the poached egg…so I gave this a go – it worked a dream!”</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 375.14792899408286px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7821688/2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a9346ce14f37491aae050d997da12ae0" /></p> <p>“I put a tiny bit of cooking spray in the cup and just let some water boil over into it,” she said.</p> <p>The silicone cups are available from Kmart in packs of six for $1.50.</p> <p>The woman received a flood of praise for sharing her little-known secret.</p> <p>One user wrote: “I need to do this! Last time I tried poached eggs, they dissolved – I literally lost the eggs! Can't wait to try this.”</p> <p>Another said: “I'm the poached egg maker in my house, but they never look this round or perfectly awesome – thanks for sharing!”</p> <p>One user admitted their relief that they weren’t the only person who struggled to make poached eggs.</p> <p>“So it isn't just me – I am honestly so glad to hear this,” she said.</p> <p>Some users also shared other tricks to perfecting poached eggs, such as adding a dash of vinegar and stirring continuously to prevent the eggs disintegrating.</p> <p>What is one of your favourite kitchen hacks? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

Food & Wine

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French baker to sell business to homeless man for $1.50

<p>A French baker has decided to sell his business to the homeless man who saved his life, only asking for a single Euro for the Parisian boulangerie he built.</p> <p>But the baker Michel Flamant, 62, has a good reason to offer his business at such a bargain. Just last year Mr Flamant was working when disaster almost struck.</p> <p>When one of the pastry ovens started leaking carbon monoxide Mr Flamant was in trouble, dazed and staggering around the bakery.</p> <p><img width="499" height="305" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/18587/baker-2_499x305.jpg" alt="Baker 2" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Jerome Aucant, the 37-year-old homeless man who regularly stopped by the bakery, was walking past and quickly noticed something was amiss. When he saw Mr Flamant staggering around he immediately contacted emergency services.</p> <p>"If Jerome wasn’t around that day I would have been a goner," Mr Flamant told said.</p> <p>Mr Flamant spent the next 12 days in hospital, before returning to health.</p> <p>Mr Flamant offered Mr Aucant a job at the bakery, and Mr Aucant has impressed the bakery owner so much with his application he taught him the baking business.</p> <p>Now, with retirement just around the corner, Mr Flamant has offered Mr Aucant his business for just one euro ($1.50).</p> <p>"What's more important, money or life? I don't care about money. I'm not rich but I don't care. I want to be free, I want to take it easy now. And also, if this makes him happy..." Mr Flamant said.</p> <p>And Mr Aucant is very grateful for the offer, "I have to be 100 percent on the job/ Michel has given me a real gift, and now... I want to be worthy of it."</p> <p>To see the pair at work, scroll through the gallery above. </p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/04/oldest-skier-in-britain-retires-from-sport/"><em>102-year-old skier retires from the slopes</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/03/grandmother-lifts-100kg/"><em>78-year-old grandmother lifts weights like a pro athlete</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/03/man-celebrates-92nd-birthday-by-jumping-out-of-plane/"><em>Grandpa celebrates 92nd birthday by jumping out of a plane</em></a></strong></span></p>

Retirement Life