Property Description

Recently Renovated and Fully-furnished Town House with a Sea View Terrace on Sicily’s North Coast

Casa Claudia is a freshly restored three bedroom family house with quintessential Sicilian heritage, perfect for a first-time buyer of property in Sicily. Standing near the centre of the village of Rodi Milici, near the city of Messina, it is for sale fully furnished and equipped with everything you would need to move in tomorrow!

The House

This three bedroom property, Casa Claudia, is built on three storeys with a large squareish footprint of around 40m2 and 110m2 of habitable space, including a fabulous roof terrace. Let’s start at the top!

As you’ll already have seen from the pictures above, the roof is the star attraction of this house, with a sea view terrace that’s both spacious and a year-round sun trap. It’s fitted with the superstructure for a canopy that offers shade in the summer and keep you (or your laundry) dry in winter, and finished with a charming mosaic banquette, as well as sturdy all-weather dining furniture and a tap to keep your roof garden clean and plants watered – or to connect to an outdoor shower. The panorama afforded by the house’s hillside position also takes in the green foothills of the Nebrodi park.

Inside, the house holds two double bedrooms and a twin, as well as a pair of bathrooms with showers and all the usual fittings, and an additional toilet. The ample, fully-fitted kitchen is large enough for a dining table and chairs, and a large living room with comfy leather sofa and brazier. Here, double doors open onto the top of a stairway which, on the first floor and with no direct line of sight to the street below, doubles as a kind of small balcony.

Best of all is the design, which makes a constant feature of the house’s historic bones. The renovations were carried out by a close relative of the current German owner, who spared no expense to recapture the glory of the place. On the outside and in the plasterwork is artfully interrupted to showcase the ancient masonry beneath. Ceilings feature exposed wooden beams that give a warm, rustic feel, and antique stone features like the stone drinking trough which has been repurposed as a sink. Even modern additions feel integrated into the traditional style.

This area of Sicily is famous for its ceramics, and the tiles which have been used to add colour and practicality are high quality and durable.

Lacking no creature comforts, Casa Claudia is ready for year-round inhabitation with gas heating, Wi-Fi and Satellite TV.

Surroundings

The village of Rodi Milici is home to about 2,200 inhabitants, many of whose families have lived here for generations. Despite being just a ten minute drive from the nearest beach, the area is quiet, safe and beautifully untouched by mass tourism – perhaps sheltered by the flashier resorts of Taormina and Cefalù which lie between Messina and the airports at Catania and Palermo respectively.

The atmosphere is unmistakeably Sicilian and timeless – while there are a couple of small supermarkets 200m from the property, most of the residents still buy their fruit and vegetables from the greengrocers, and their meat from Gino, the excellent butcher whose shop is just opposite the town church. Characteristic bars, restaurants and trattorias stand side by side, with locals always ready to start a conversation and teach you some new words of Italian or the local dialect.

Just a hundred metres above sea level, the village has lovely views down to the beaches which lie just a ten minute drive away, and of the beautiful Aeolian Islands which lie out in the Mediterranean. The largest town in the immediate area is Milazzo, with all the amenities of a 35,000 population, and a regular ferry out to that beautiful volcanic archipelago.

If you’re looking to explore further afield, the national park of the Nebrodi hills lies to the west, with glorious hiking trails and a spectacular array of flora and fauna – chief amongst which is the Nebrodi pig, which locals prepare as a rare delicacy.

Messina, 40 minutes away by car, is the gateway to the Italian mainland, with a shuttle ferry connecting to Reggio Calabria, at the toe of the peninsula’s boot. Beautiful Taormina and the northern slopes of the spectacular volcano Mount Etna are just 70 kilometres to the south east.

Potential

Looking for a house with a sea view terrace that captures the essence of Sicily without sacrificing comfort? The charm of a restoration project without the delays and uncertainty of managing it yourself? Superb value per square metre with the beach just around the corner? Casa Claudia could be for you. We’ll even take care of the logistics like getting residency and setting up a bank account on your behalf. If you are keen to know what other clients think about us, do not forget to check our Testimonials page.

With a motivated seller looking to invest in property elsewhere and all furniture included, we think the price tag represents an absolute bargain. Contact our friendly team to find out more today.