Overview

• Ambert placed two derelict homes on the market for €1 this July, requiring buyers to reside full-time for at least three years
• Purchase terms impose binding renovation obligations covering everything from structural repairs to wiring, with risk of government grant repayment for noncompliance
• The sale launches the first phase of Ambert’s five-year plan to revive local life and counter a property vacancy rate of up to 60%
• Indicators of early success include the addition of a new school class two years ago, along with the ongoing restoration of the town’s chamber of commerce building slated to reopen in 2026
• The scheme follows Italian precedents like Mussomeli’s €1 auctions, where nominal sale prices spurred rural renewal