There is a town in Val Chisone where many, in the last period, have bought a house or would like to do so. It is Usseaux, about 120 inhabitants – scattered between the capital and the villages of Laux, Balboutet, Pourrieres and Fraisse – which multiply tenfold during the summer. Just under 600 second homes are scattered between 1300 and 1600 meters above sea level. A small real estate assets whose value has skyrocketed especially after the pandemic.
“Let’s say that Covid has accelerated real estate transactions. Some evaluations have really reached crazy prices »- reflects Andrea Ferretti, the mayor of Usseaux, considered one of the most beautiful villages in Italy and awarded the Orange Flag by the Italian Touring Club since 2011. There are examples. “In the village there is a beautiful villa to sell but it seems to me that the price even exceeds one million”, says the mayor. And again: «There is a large building to be completely restored, it is not even habitable and is on sale for 100 thousand euros. Here the prices vary according to the location of the house or apartment ». In the last two years, many deals have been concluded in this slice of Val Chisone and almost all buyers were looking for a second location, “a refuge” where they could hide in the event of a health alarm and other limitations. There are still some buildings on the market, even to be restored but, the mayor warns: «In this moment of crisis, the price of a building restyling intervention has reached really considerable costs. In the future, some of these houses could also become the first home for someone who chooses a more peaceful life after retirement ».
Ferretti knows that growth entails responsibility: «The truth is that, in order to attract younger families, we should grow above all in terms of the services to offer, from transport to internet connections. We have been working on it for some time ». Not only, therefore, second homes. Mountain municipalities such as Usseaux have focused on beauty, also with murals and frescoes made by artists from all over Europe, who arrive in the village that rises towards the Olympic mountains, a few kilometers from the Fenestrelle Fort, and leave their mark. For Ferretti, bonuses for renovations have also shaped the real estate market and transformed the country. That transformation will not happen without services: “To be guaranteed as soon as possible, in agreement with the neighboring centers”.