A British couple bought what they thought would be a cheap Italian holiday home - but they soon spotted a significant drawback.

YouTubers Alex and Emma bought the six-room house on the sunkissed island of Sicily for just £35,000. They estimated it would cost them a further £45,000 to renovate it.

Now though, they fear those costs will spiral and put their ultimate dream in jeopardy - to buy a property in the UK.

The couple, who have two kids and run the channel Travel Beans, purchased the home two years ago but have put their plans to do it up on hold for the time being.

Emma explained: "Every pound spent on the Sicily house delay our UK dream. The question is at this point in our life where do we want the next £50,000 or £60,000 to go," reports the Daily Mirror.

Alex, for his part, said: "Ultimate dream is to have a house in the UK. Wondering whether these dreams are competing."

The digital nomads have big plans for the Italian property. They want to refurbish the roof terrace, which has stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea, while the also intend to build a second bathroom along with other bits and pieces.

Their initial plan was to spend £45,000. But after chatting to their friends Sara and Luca, who are in the middle of their own mammoth project, they fear the costs could spiral to more than £100,000 inclusive of the money spent on the house purchase.

Alex joked: "The worst thing that could happen - people who know more than us peed on our dreams."

Emma continued: "Is this becoming a money pit? Could the money be better spent elsewhere? Sara and Luca told us that it (the money they were quoted for renovations) could even double. As they have no much more experience than us it would be ridiculous not to listen to their warning."

A number of Italian towns regions like Sicily, Sardinia and Tuscany sell properties for as little as €1. The idea is to regenerate unused buildings while revitalising ageing and dwindling local communities.

The properties often involve a lot of work though, as Alex and Emma are finding out.

The couple explained why they had settled on buying a property in Sicily to begin with.

Emma said: "Sicily wasn't a completely random purchase for us. It's what we've been doing our whole adult life. Finding unconventional ways of living, prioritising freedom, and not needing a tonne of money to do it.

"We love Sicily. It allows us to have a slower pace of life and allows us to create family memories when our kids are young."

Alex agreed, adding: "It can also turn into a retirement home for us. It represents freedom from the conventional way of living."