Riverside village offering houses for just 10p - but comes with strict rules

24 January 2024 , 20:18

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Houses are available for 10p in Croatia (Image: Alamy Stock Photo)

These houses situated in a remarkable location are available for just 10p - but you will have to have an eye for renovation.

At one point, the town of Legrad, located in the northern part of the European country had the second highest population in all of Croatia. However, since the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1918, it has subsided to a mere 2000, prompting the area to start the initiative in 2018, hoping to attract tourists to settle down in the neighbourhood.

In a bold concept which has caught the attention of people from across the nation and beyond, the government has announced their 10p houses, which, while attractive on paper, have more than a catch or two.

Firstly, to be in the running to purchase one of the houses, applicants must match certain conditions. They must be under 45, in a marital or extramarital partnership, and have no criminal record. In addition, those weighing up making the move cannot own another property. It is not 100% clear whether this covers the globe or just Croatia.

The town is located by a magnificent river (Alamy Stock Photo)

In 2021, Legard put 19 empty houses and abandoned construction sites on the market, all in varying states of disrepair, with some in half ruins, and others missing windows and doors and covered in mould. Regardless, according to Reuters, they've successfully sold 17 of the properties. Furthermore, the government has offered to cover 20% of the cost for new residents wanting to buy a privately owned home.

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Thus far, the programme has been a roaring success, with HRT reporting that the number of children in the area has grown exponentially.

The Mayor, Ivan Sabolić, said: "A total of five houses ready for occupancy have been sold. Three families have already moved in, and what delights us is that all three families welcomed a new member during their move-in. This has increased the number of children in the daycare centre."

Legrad is desperate to attract new homeowners (Alamy Stock Photo)

Unsurprisingly, families across Croatia have shown interest in the opportunity, and the mayor claims that the hype has spread across the world, stretching as far as South America. He said: "After some media reports about our action, we got enquiries about houses from very distant places like Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Argentina or Colombia."

Newcomers have arrived at a multitude of job opportunities, including chances to work in food production, wood processing and metal processing industries. Danijel Harmnicar, moved to the area with his wife and two small children for just 10p and hasn't looked back since. He beamed: "It is much nicer to live in your own place than to be a tenant. Staying 15 years here is not a problem for us; we don't plan to move."

James Sweetnam