Local authorities of three Italian towns are hoping to attract new residents by cutting the prices of some of their houses. Properties will be available in some of these increasingly deserted settlements for as little as €1.

The catch for anyone interested in nabbing one of the these cut-price properties is that most of them need around £18,000 worth of renovation work before becoming inhabitable. The Mail Online reported that towns taking this rather drastic step include Gangi in Sicily, Carrega Ligure in Piedmont and Lecce nei Marsi in Abruzzi.

The mayors of all three are attempting to bring in new residents to towns where the population has dropped so far that they are in danger of becoming ghost-towns. In Gangi, houses needing less renovation can reportedly be bought from €100, with some being given away for free as they are in such poor condition.

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