Would you like to work remotely from home in a picturesque village in sunny Sardinia? You can do this without worrying about the rental price. The authorities of the town of Ollolai offer premises for a symbolic amount – one euro per month.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people working remotely have set up an office in some picturesque corner of the world instead of at home. The market has already responded to this trend, with more and more accommodation offers and packages for digital nomads appearing.
Previously they sold houses for 1 euro
The authorities of the small town of Ollolai, located in the heart of Sardinia, have an interesting proposal. They decided to rent apartments to people working remotely for one euro a month. How did you come to that? Despite its beautiful location and numerous attractions, Ollolai is becoming depopulated – over the last hundred years, the number of inhabitants has dropped from 2,250 to 1,300. Hence the attempt to attract guests.
Ollolai has good experiences with the “Buy a house for 1 euro” program, which was intended to encourage foreigners to settle in the town and invest in the modernization of vacant buildings.
– It was a huge success. Foreigners have bought and renovated dozens of abandoned apartments, Mayor Francesco Columbu told CNBC.
Ollolai, SardiniaGoogle Maps
“Work with Ollolai”
Now the local authorities have allocated PLN 20,000. euro for the “Work from Ollolai” program, which is to make the town a center for digital nomads. Within two years, Ollolai will host people working remotely for a period of one month or – in justified cases – even three months, for a symbolic fee of 1 euro. In addition, the guest is responsible for utilities, food and transportation costs. Those interested can submit applications until the end of December at workfromollolai.com.
What does Ollolai offer to digital nomads? In addition to practically free accommodation in local houses, everyone is guaranteed high-speed Internet access. Moreover, the residents will not leave the guests alone – they will be happy to meet them, talk to them, and invite them to local events. However, there is one catch.
– This is not a free vacation. Guests must have documented experience as people working remotely, warns Veronica Matta, head of the local cultural association Sa Mata. He adds that the program is addressed to specialists in various fields: technology, media, finance, real estate, architecture, as well as artists, writers, musicians, scientists and academics.
– We want them to leave something behind for the local community at the end of their stay. It can be a conference, an essay, a research article or a documentary film – says Veronica Matta.
Main photo source: Google Maps