Located in the heart of New Zealand, Mellonsfolly Ranch sits on more than 900 acres of land. Surrounded by rolling hills, the unique rural town comes with three main homes as well as two rental houses, that are ideal for staff accommodation or for boosting income. 

Not just home to plentiful accommodation, the ranch also includes a replica of a 1860's Wyoming frontier town. Built in 2006, it's currently operating as a boutique hotel and is full of some jaw-dropping luxury amenities. 

With space for 22 guests, the ranch is like a time capsule that you'd expect to see cowboys roaming on their horses. It comes complete with a courthouse that's actually a secret cinema, a sheriff's office and a billiards lounge, which all sit behind a worn boardwalk. It really is like a scene from a classic western movie!

Also home to an authentic licensed saloon complete with a glamorous bar and fun swinging doors, the ranch offers a lifestyle like no other with hunting, fishing and swimming in the summer, and skiing in the winter months. 

Nestled in the arid Arizona desert in Yavapai County, the town of Cleator was founded in the late 1800s as a gold-mining outpost. Spanning almost 40 acres, this compact settlement is now on the market with North & Co for $1.3 million (£980k). 

Once flanked by mining camps and the Prescott and Eastern Railroad, the settlement bustled with workers and their families in the 19th and early 20th centuries. However, by the 1930s, many of the town's mines had folded – the final blow came a few years later when the railroad closed. Home to around 1,500 people in its heyday, the outpost was all but deserted. While some consider Cleator a ghost town, it's still home to a handful of people who've formed a small, tight-knit community. 

On the market for $506,000 (£391k), the hamlet offers six buildings in various states of repair. A stone and wood building, the main property is fully habitable and encompasses 1,700 square feet spread over three floors. Outside, there's a pretty garden with a hammock overlooking spectacular views of the surrounding hills and mountains.

Xerdiz is the ideal property for those yearning to escape the rat race in favour of a more self-sufficient lifestyle away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities. A business-savvy buyer could even transform some of the structures into holiday lets, providing a rural spot for visitors to reconnect with nature.

Nestled near Big Bend National Park in west Texas, the 62-acre town of Villa de la Mina includes a large mine and comes complete with a railroad track. A slice of Wild West nostalgia, cinnabar, a blood-red mercury sulphide mineral, was mined here in the early 1900s.

Built at the start of the 20th century during the boom time of cinnabar mining, the town was constructed from local rock and handmade bricks.  The sale, which has its very own website, includes 20 buildings, ranging from a jail, horse stables, cabins and a bandstand to a two-storey hotel. 

Sadly deserted, the ghost town has been left to wrack and ruin, with many of the settlement's abandoned spaces calling out for a new lease of life. For those intent on bringing the town into the 21st century, the property has plenty of potential, including multiple building sites and room to install an airstrip. Are you ready to be the new mayor?

The tranquil village of El Mortorio is nestled in the middle of the verdant Spanish countryside, surrounded by rolling fields and mountains, including the picturesque Picos de Europa. 

On the market with Iberia North, the extensive property also comes with 32 acres of rolling fields that surround the hamlet, as well as an agricultural barn for those wanting to cultivate their own produce. If you're looking for a remote spot to forge a tight-knit community, this is it.

On the market for $4.5 million (£3.5m) with Vladi Private Islands, the settlement is home to five beautiful cottages overlooking the beach and the tranquil Caribbean Sea. Featuring stylish wood-clad interiors, each residence has two air-conditioned bedrooms as well as a private cabana – the perfect spot to soak up the tropical sunshine. 

With its dazzling white-sand beaches and azure shoreline, this paradise island for sale is primed to continue its success as a profitable luxury community. A mere mile away from the Belize Barrier Reef, a renowned underwater beauty spot known from its world-class snorkelling and diving, there’s plenty of activities to draw in punters too. 

The rural hamlet of Campo in San Diego County has hit the market for a reported $6 million (£4.6m). Just one hour east of San Diego, the town comes with 28 buildings and is ideal for someone looking to take on a town that's already up and running. 

Not quite a ghost town, Campo is currently home to around 100 people and comes with working buildings including a post office and church. However, the current residents are looking for the new owner to expand the town, adding facilities such as a gym, laundromat and recreation centres.

Spread over 16 acres, the small community is peppered with abandoned clapboard homes like this one. With a little work, these neglected structures could provide charming houses for new residents looking to relocate to the town.

Established in the 1700s, the quaint community of Sätra Brunn was originally founded as a wellness village when a natural mineral spring was discovered on the site. It went on to become a popular destination for those in search of relaxation and respite. Fast forward some 300 years and health and wellbeing are still very much at the heart of this unique development, which is now on the market with Christie’s International Real Estate for $7.5 million (£5.8m). 

Home to possibly the world’s cutest houses, it’s hard not to be charmed by the village's array of colourful painted buildings. A tight-knit community, Sätra Brunn plays host to an array of celebrations throughout the year, from Midsummer, Christmas and New Year's festivities to concerts and weddings. The current owners acquired the village in 2002 and are keen to pass the mantle to a buyer who wants to preserve the community’s rich history and help its business ventures thrive.

Originally built in the 1920s and 1930s to house 2,000 residents, Tarraleah is now on the market for a reported $9.2 million (£7.1m). Having recently undergone a complete renovation, the town has 350 acres of land that encompass a water supply, electricity, working sewage, fibre cabling and road networks. 

Annual revenue for the town is expected to be around $1.6 million (£1.2m), and with access to the Tarraleah Golf Club, a fully-stocked lake and a forest with walking trails, managing the property could become a full-time job for the new owner. 

The unique township's listing includes details of the renovated buildings on offer, which include a spa, award-winning hotel, a function centre, caravan park, church and a café, which can seat up to 50 people. 

With all the trappings of a flourishing resort town, the listing also comes with an array of restored and new-build homes, plus rolling acres of empty land that would be perfect for development. The opportunities are endless in this small town!

Located within the unparalleled rural idylls of Tuscany's Val d'Orcia region, this small historic hamlet offers a picturesque slice of Italy's rich past. On the market for $9.3 million ($7.1m) with Casa Tuscany, the settlement includes just over 741 acres and has no shortage of development potential, with an olive grove and vineyard just waiting to be brought back to life.

With accommodation spread across three vast floors, the grand stately home has been in the same family since the 1500s. Aside from some restoration work required across the attic and roof, the property is resplendent, with stunning coffered ceilings, antique flooring and fixtures and elegant double-height living spaces, while a swimming pool is also situated in the grounds. This unique business opportunity could be a real passion project for an investor with a penchant for history. 

An upscale village located on a dreamy private island in Georgia's Golden Isles, Little Hawkins offers an ideal hideaway from modern life without sacrificing any creature comforts. Surrounded by waterfront views and coastal salt marshes, wildlife is plentiful here, with dolphins, otters, turtles and a myriad of fish and birds making a regular appearance.

Within easy reach of the mainland, there’s a private dock suitable for a 40-foot boat, or you can drive over the community's private 110-foot concrete bridge. For more far-flung destinations, there's even an airport located on neighbouring Sea Island.

The village itself, which is on the market with Private Islands Inc, is comprised of four buildings nestled within a three-acre gated community. A luxurious property serves as the main residence, flanked by two cottages and a clubhouse, complete with an outdoor pool, spa and bar. If that wasn't enough, the lot also enjoys over 700 feet of water frontage. 

Listed with Private Islands Inc, there’s just shy of 60 acres of land on offer for the hefty price tag of $25.7 million (£19.9m). However, the significant sum isn't without justification – in addition to the commercial facilities, there are two dazzling beaches on the east coast of the island and one on the north side, as well as a wharf and jetty that allow easy access to the mainland. 

Located on the slopes on the south side of the island are an array of self-contained residential chalets. With the potential to offer a healthy rental income, there’s a total of 24 beachfront cabins and 38 homes offering two to three bedrooms. While the settlement has been unoccupied in recent years, it’s been maintained by an on-site caretaker. With power, water, sewage and connections in place, all the enclave needs is a buyer to take this former resort town under their wing.

Located in 1,730 acres of land, the village includes the remains of a medieval castle that could make the ultimate fixer-upper, as well as a vast 18th-century villa and a church complete with a bell tower. The grounds also include partially restored stables, an olive mill and a labyrinth of underground cellars. 

On the market with Essentis Group, the sale includes 50 separate buildings plus 200 acres of woodland, two lakes, 23 acres of fruit trees and 55 acres of vineyards. Ready to breathe new life into this historic settlement?

Located in the heart of Georgia, Toomsboro was one of the larger towns for sale with around 700 residents. Included in the sale were 37 parcels of land in around 40 acres which included a syrup mill, an old bank and a railroad depot. Toomsboro is also home to the Swampland Opera House, which was opened in 1975 as a music venue and was once a regular stop on the circuit for bluegrass, rock, gospel and country and western performers. 

Nestled in Irvington, Alabama, Safe Harbor Landing is a residential community of 99 homes. The prefab homes are rented out with the aim to provide affordable accommodation to families in the workforce economy, drawing in an annual revenue of upwards $614,000 (£475k) at the time of sale. 

The tiny village of O Penso in Northern Spain sits in just over 100 acres of land and included a cattle barn, two additional barns, bakery complete with two bread ovens and a water well in the sale. Abandoned over a decade ago the characterful stone buildings had seen better days. 

This quaint hamlet in Normandy in northern France sits on a natural hilly site that’s surrounded by woodland. Included in the sale was a three-storey main house, two detached cottages and a rundown fourth property that certainly wasn't for the faint-hearted. 

This spooky abandoned mining town in British Columbia was put on the market again in 2017 after a previous offer fell through. The lucky buyer got 50 acres of untouched Rocky Mountain land and 22 empty homes in need of renovation.

This South Dakota ghost town in deepest cowboy country was not a purchase for the faint-hearted. The buyer would have got a notoriously rough bar and garage for their money as well as a 'haunted' house – we wonder if ghosts were included? 

This small village went back on the market in 2017 after the winning bidder of an online auction pulled out. The historic Connecticut village is packed with 18th- and 19th-century buildings, and could be converted into anything from a retirement community to a living museum.

Nestled in the Gran Sasso national park in Italy's Abruzzo region, this abandoned shepherd's village came with a dilapidated medieval church and 10 houses crying out for some serious TLC.

Slap bang in the center of the mountainous Aveyron region, this dinky hamlet is a spacious four-house complex surrounded by acres of landscaped gardens.