Property Description

Three-bedroom, Sea-view House in Sicily’s Madonie Natural Park

Casa Francesca is a recently renovated, three-bedroom family townhouse in the peaceful Madonie village of Gratteri, a friendly and picturesque community which lies at the heart of the north coast of our beautiful island. With nearly 140m2 of internal space across three floors, plus a partially converted loft, there is tremendous potential in this lovely sea-view house in Sicily.

Listed at a price which belies the amount of money which has been invested here in the recent past, Casa Francesca is tremendous value for a property of this size and in this condition. The traditional design touches and modern additions make it a lovely combination of the authentically Sicilian and eye-catching to an overseas purchaser.

With a sea view from the upper balcony and the possibility of adding a roof terrace in the loft space, a relative small additional investment could see the value of your new property almost double. That’s not to mention the priceless feeling of sipping a cool early evening aperitivo as you watch the sun set over the calm clear waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Let’s take a closer look at Casa Francesca…

The Property

The wide terraced house stands on a kind of piazza, formed by the curve of the street outside as it winds down the hill of this sloping village. This gives a terrific sense of space to the front of the property, and allows for wonderful views, especially from the upper floors.

Also thanks to this gradient, Casa Francesca has in fact a pair of dual entrances, with a true ground floor on Viale Vittorio Emanuele, and another entrance a storey higher on the quieter, cobbled Via Lanza. Starting with the primary door to the west, however, we pass into a hallway with a little storage space for coats and shoes, from which there is an entrance into the dining room. Recently painted in an unmistakeably Italian shade of terracotta, this wide space is lit by a west-facing window at the front of the house.

Behind the dining room, an open archway connects to the kitchen. This is simply equipped, but offers a good deal of cupboard space. There is a utility room under the stairs which doubles as a WC.

Moving up to the level of the Via Lanza entrance, another little hallway links a pair of bedrooms. Both of these open through full length windows onto the first of the property’s twin balconies. At this level you are still below the height of the opposing buildings, so there is no sea view, but the hills which flank Gratteri frame the nicely maintained houses in front of you. One of these bedrooms is a roomy double, while the other is a narrow single which would suit a single child.

On the second floor the combined floor space of these two bedrooms is taken up by a single master, with a huge amount of storage space and dual access onto the balcony. By now we have climbed above the nearby rooftops, and the Gulf of Termini Imerese is clearly available downhill in the middle distance. The water is 7.5km to the north west, and about 650m beneath this hilltop perch. This floor also contains a bathroom with a half tub.

The loft is a slightly peculiar semi-conversion, with tiled floors but not enough space to stand comfortably upright at any point. It could certainly function as a practical storage space, but the fact that the floors are solid and the view from the skylight is so spectacular immediately made us think about its potential for a conversion into a terrace. More on that in a little while…

Surroundings

Nestled in the picturesque landscapes of Sicily, Italy, Gratteri is a charming village of around a thousand inhabitants. With a captivating blend of rich history, natural beauty, and traditional Italian charm, its an enchanting destination and one of our top picks for high value investments in Sicilian real estate.

Gratteri sits right at the top of a hill, affording its residents breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding rolling hills and the azure Mediterranean Sea in the distance. The village exudes an old-world charm with its narrow cobblestone streets, ancient stone buildings, and vibrant blossoms cascading from wrought-iron balconies. Everything you need for daily life is within a five minute stroll from your front door, including a small supermarket, a bakery, a couple of bars, a traditional restaurant and a friendly pizzeria. To find both the calm of village life and a sea-view house, in Sicily at this price, is a wonderful opportunity.

In this traditional, perfectly Sicilian setting, where time seems to stand still. The locals spend their days chatting from balcony to balcony, or passing time in the piazzas and narrow streets of the village which many of their families have called home for centuries. strolling through the village’s winding streets, immersing themselves in its rich history and architectural marvels. The church of San Giuseppe provides glimpses into its past, and while the Medieval castle which originally protected the community is no more, one of the entrances is still visible in Piazzetta Ponte Silvio.

Nature enthusiasts will adore Gratteri’s position in the stunning Madonie Natural Park. Lush forests, pristine mountain streams, and verdant meadows provide endless opportunities for outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, and picnicking in an endless array of fabulous scenery. The other towns and villages of the green park are filled with historical, architectural and culinary treasures waiting to be discovered.

Additionally, Gratteri is conveniently located near the vibrant coastal town of Cefalù, renowned for its sandy beaches, crystal-clear waters, and (particularly in summer) lively nightlife. Just a short drive from your front door you will find some top quality restaurants, boutique shops, and a bustling seafront.

The main E90 motorway which hugs the north coast of the island passes just a couple of kilometres downhill, connecting you to Messina in the east and Palermo in the west. Sicily’s largest and most exciting city is just an hour up the road by car, home to fabulous art, Europe’s most acoustically perfect opera house and the convenient Falcone-Borsellino international airport.

Potential

Casa Francesca is ready for immediate inhabitation, following a well-executed renovation in the past years. The windows and doors of the property are sturdy, with double glazing and energy efficiency. It is heated by a system of radiators, although at present there is no air conditioning in place. This might be something you would want to add, but those 650 metres of altitude are a blessing in this regard – the fresh breeze does much to alleviate the intensity of even the muggiest days of Sicily’s intense summers.

The electrical and plumbing installations are all in good condition, and the property is connected to the municipal infrastructure for power, water and sewage. The only issue of which the buyer will need to be cautious is a little humidity on the ground floor, which could be resolved for a modest expense.

Lastly, the most exciting possibility: that roof-top terrace. If you were willing to invest about €30,000 – €40,000 you would completely revolutionise the upper half of the house. We would also suggest moving the kitchen-diner upstairs from the ground floor. What you would lose on a master bedroom which is currently almost too big, you would gain on a beautiful open-plan family space which leads straight up to a roof garden that would be ideal for outdoor dining under the warm Mediterranean sun or the twinkling canopy of the stars.

If you are interested in making this kind of alteration to turn Casa Francesca into your dream sea-view house in Sicily (and we certainly recommend the idea!) please do speak to our Property in Sicily team about the after-sale services we can offer to help you along the way.

We believe that the process of buying a house doesn’t end when the paperwork is completed, but rather when it begins to feel truly like a home for its new inhabitants. This philosophy has seen us accrue numerous years of experience as project managers, helping clients who have bought real estate in Sicily with everything from cosmetic alterations to ambitious full-scale renovations of their new purchases.

Whether you are dreaming of a grand restoration project or just looking for a hand getting up and running with the basics in Sicily, you can find out more about our extensive range of post-sale service packages with a single click.