Property Description

Large House to Renovate in Sicily, with Sea-View Terrace and 200m2 of Indoor Space

This three-storey house is found in the charming historic centre of Rodi Milici, a typical Sicilian village close to the city of Messina at Sicily’s northeastern tip. Just five kilometres inland, it is conveniently close to some lovely sandy beaches. Flanked to the west and south by the great natural parks of the Nebrodi Hills and Mount Etna, this is the island at its most natural and varied.

Casa Cati needs to be almost entirely renovated. In fact, the vendors had begun this work last year, but some health issues have thrown a spanner in the works and they have reluctantly decided to let someone else finish the project. So far only one of the bathrooms has been completed. If you have ever dreamt of renovating a property to make your new home in Sicily, the attractive asking price and sizeable interior could make this a very interesting place to start.

The perfect buyer would be one who likes the challenge of doing some of the work for themselves. It is the kind of property where the perfect strategy would be to move into one or two rooms while you fix up the rest of the place, perhaps over a long winter so the fruits of your labour are ready to enjoy when the Spring comes around.

The Property

The three storey property is on a corner of the quiet via San Filippo, although it is terraced to both sides. This gives the front rooms on each floor an irregular shape. In total around 200 m² of habitable indoor space is divided into ten rooms.

The second floor is a little larger than the ground and first ones, extending slightly over another property to the rear.

The exterior is in pretty good condition, with smooth yellow plaster and wooden shutters on all of the windows. There is a fairly deep balcony on the first floor with wrought iron railings. The front of the second floor is partially given to a roof terrace from which you can enjoy a great view of the hills that surround the village. Facing south-east, it is a lovely spot in which to enjoy breakfast while soaking up the morning sun.

To the rear of the property, on an elevated level, is a really interesting feature – a shared terrace from which you can enjoy views of the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north.

The house is connected to all municipal supplies, and the water and electricity are functional. However, both will need to be reinstalled in the future to confirm with modern building regulations.

Surroundings

Although Casa Cati is only a few metres from the centre of Rodì Milici, it’s very quiet, with no traffic noise. The village, which is in the province of Messina, is home to about two thousand people, many of whose families have lived in the area for generations.

You’ll find a mini-market, a greengrocer, Gino the friendly butcher, a pharmacy and doctor’s surgery and of course a couple of spots to get pizza!

A short trip north brings you to some more populated areas along the seafront, and you’ll love the sandy beaches at Marchesana and Tonnarella. Lovers of sailing can moor their boats at a very attractive little marina found at Tonnarella, just ten minutes downhill.

The beautiful Aeolian islands, with their volcanoes and black sandy beaches, can be seen 30 km out to sea, and if you’re not yet lucky enough to have your own boat, ferries travel regularly to and fro from the port of Milazzo, a 30 minute drive towards Messina, the region’s primary city.

Heading south you will quickly come to the slopes of Mount Etna, southern Italy’s highest peak. In its shadow are the chic tourist magnet that is Taormina, and the second city of Sicily, Catania. This is where you’ll find the nearest international airport, with another option in Palermo along the north coast to the west.

Potential

This would be an ideal purchase for a DIY enthusiast who’s been dreaming of renovating a home in the sunshine. Almost every room needs to be renovated, only the bathroom on the top floor is practically new. The asking price takes into account the condition of the house and seems reasonable to us, especially for such a big property.

When calculating a budget for the work, it might be useful to check out our guide to renovating a property in Sicily. You will certainly need to redo the roof, and the wiring and plumbing. There are, however, some nice elements which you could retain, including some tiles and a couple of interesting bits of furniture and light fittings.

We have helped a lot of our previous clients manage renovation work in the past, and we are in contact with other residents in the area who have revamped properties in a similar condition. If you would like to talk to us about any ideas you have for Casa Cati we would be pleased to offer our help with finding the right team to manage your project and make your renovation work go as smoothly as possible! Ask about our after-sales assistance packages when you contact us!