EXCLUSIVE: Rae Knopik, 31, was always determined to find out more about her Italian roots, and now she’s able to dive into her history further than she ever imagined after winning a €1 (86p) home in Troina with the love of her life
A couple managed to snap up a €1 (86p) home in Italy after finding love in the romantic country. Rae Knopik, 31, had always been determined to explore her Italian heritage, and now she’s able to delve into her roots further than she ever dreamed possible. The social media personality, who has amassed over 35,000 followers on Instagram eager to follow her adventures, opened up about how she managed to secure her dream home alongside her fiancé Declan Norrie, 31.
Rae, who is American, explained that her family originally hails from Sicily. Her ancestors ended up settling in the US when her great-great-grandmother and great-great-grandfather emigrated, despite her great-great-grandmother being reluctant to do so at the time.
Rae explained: “She never learnt English and never smiled in her family photographs. I found her so fascinating and I wanted to return to my Sicilian heritage.”
Eventually, Rae relocated to Florence, where she lived for a period of time. It was there that she met Declan, the man she is now set to wed.
“I met the love of my life when I was in Florence. Four weeks after meeting him, I was on a plane to Australia, and I’ve been here ever since,” she added.
However, when Covid struck, the pair began browsing the internet for travel videos while they were unable to venture far from home, and it was during this time that they stumbled across the €1 (86p) property in Troina. While it’s not something many people would seriously contemplate without a lot of thought, they simply thought “why not?” and threw their names into the hat.
After taking part in a series of interviews, they heard nothing for quite some time — but then everything changed in an instant.
Rae added: “They waited for about 12 months. We didn’t tell anyone about it in case the house didn’t pan out but, in May 2022, they said ‘you have won the house, would you like to come see it?'”
The couple flew over in June and snapped it up almost immediately. They later found out that roughly 60,000 people had entered for the property, meaning they had truly struck gold.
When asked about the condition of the property, Rae said: “We knew it was going to be a complete renovation. We didn’t know how long it’d been since someone had lived in the house.
“They clean it up, but you know it’s going to be a complete renovation. We didn’t even think we’d have running water so we were pretty pleased with the house.
“It was over 60 years since someone had lived in it. It is a complete renovation journey.”
The couple must now carry out a full overhaul of the property, entirely at their own expense. There are also certain conditions they are required to adhere to.
Renovation regulations, however, can vary considerably depending on the area when it comes to €1 properties. It’s therefore essential to thoroughly research the rules before putting in an application for any property.
She also pointed out that people can have the wrong idea about purchasing them. They are far from simple bargains, as Rae explained that a considerable amount of effort and money is required to make them habitable.
Nevertheless, Rae has ambitious plans for the property, and the couple are also planning to tie the knot in Italy, with some of the locals even intending to come along. For this young pair, they may well end up returning to the very place that sparked their whirlwind romance.
When asked to describe Troina, Rae said that as you drive towards it, it looks like “a castle in the sky”, adding that “it’s quite romantic”. She now hopes the home will be transformed into a stunning retreat for them to share with loved ones once the renovation is complete.
“I want my family to use it,” she added. “Me and Declan want to settle there at some point for months or even years, but I hope it will be used by my family.”
You can keep up with Rae’s journey on Instagram.