Buying a cheap property in Italy is an attractive prospect for many travelers, particularly with the ever-growing number of towns offering up homes for next to nothing through regeneration schemes. While some have been brave enough to take the leap and snap up a house ranging in price from one to a few thousand euros in a rural Italian village, others are likely to have been deterred by the fear of something going wrong.

But are there any red flags potential buyers should be looking out for when deliberating over purchasing such a home? And how do you know when you're treading on slippery grounds? When it comes to offering advice and invaluable tips on this particular subject, no one is better placed than those who've actually done it themselves.