Property Description

Affordable One-bedroom Property to Renovate in Sicily’s Sensational Madonie Natural Park

A three-storey corner terrace house in the cobbled, pedestrian-only side streets of the oldest part of an ancient fortified town, Casa Lipi is a mid-level renovation project available for a very low asking price. When all the work has been done, you could own a charming little one bedroom home in the Madonie Natural Park for barely more than €50,000.

Gratteri is a storied and scenic hilltop community, 650m above sea level with some fabulous birds-eye views of the lower slopes of the park and the Tyrrhenian Sea just seven kilometres to the north. With the beautiful beaches of Lascari, Campofelice di Roccella and the more famous Cefalù all within a picturesque half hour drive downhill, you have all the advantages of a seaside holiday home for an investment that would barely buy you a storeroom in a more touristic spot.

We wrote several years ago about how we think this kind of investment is better value than the much-publicised Sicilian houses for a Euro promotions, and highlighted Gratteri as a spot that offered particularly good value for money in a full guide to the municipality. But let’s take you inside this particular example of great value property to renovate in Sicily.

The Property

Casa Lipi was last given a makeover about 40 years ago, with the frame of the original stone building being strengthened in reinforced concrete. In the past it was actually was united with its neighbour to the left-hand side, but two homes were created for an unusual family reason.

The grandfather of the vendor had actually married twice, which was almost unheard-of at the time. He needed to provide a home for his first wife and his new family, so he divided the house into two and they lived next door to each other. This explains why the first two floors of the building are much smaller than the top one, which extends over the property next door.

The ground floor, indeed, is little more than a utility room and bathroom. The former doubles as an entrance hall, with a big sink and boiler. The bathroom is small and simple, but in working order, with a mini tub and shower attachment, but no window or extractor fan.

A well-maintained staircase in marble and polished granite takes you up to the second floor, where a small bedroom is lit by a street-front window. The top floor is completely different, spacious and bright, with two good-sized rooms and a balcony. The kitchen has a dual exposition and although you are not above the level of the neighbouring houses, the views do take in a bit of the mountainous hills which flank and overlook the village.

The large living room is long, an effect accentuated by the sloping wooden beam roof that leads down to a balcony. Again, you are level with the neighbouring houses but the position, looking straight down a nearby street, gives a sense of openness. Also the height of the smaller mountains around Gratteri means that you can still see out to their green and rocky slopes on three sides.

The antique wooden window frames are in a fair condition, only single glazed and not well insulated. The rest of the exterior of the home is absolutely fine. In similar vein, the electrical and plumbing systems do work without problems, but dating from the 1980s renovation work could certainly be upgraded. Water heating comes from the electric boiler next to the front door, but there is currently no other heating system or air conditioning present.

Surroundings

Gratteri bursts with character, and while the same could be said for so many of the villages of the Madonie Park, what we feel makes it stand out is its unbeatable views. In fact the best one in town, the ‘belvedere’, is just 10 seconds from your front door. The ruins of the medieval castle are only a few steps further away.

The old stone houses are linked by cobbled streets, much of it pedestrianised. While you can only reach the front door on foot, the nearest parking spot is only 50 metres away. It’s a really popular spot for people who want to buy an affordable second home – we actually sold the house opposite Casa Lapi in 2022.

The stunning seafront of Cefalù can be reached in no more than half an hour by car. The quieter Settefratti beach is even closer than that. While there are only small shops in Gratteri itself, 20 minutes will get you to bigger supermarkets and homeware stores at Lascari.

Sicily’s thrilling capital city Palermo is only an hour away, where you will also find the closest airport. The central position on the north coast means that most of Sicily is within 100km, including the dramatic Mount Etna, the second city Catania and the ancient temples of Agrigento.

If you prefer to explore on foot, you will find some great trails in the Madonie, including one which starts just next to the house, taking you across country to the Abbey of San Giorgio.

Potential

A property in this state is obviously something of a blank canvas. Depending on your budget and how you plan to use Casa Lapi, you might want to design a full renovation, or alternatively to spend only what’s necessary to be able to spend some time here in comfort, and see where you are at that stage.

The good news is that, thanks to the work done in the 1980s, the place is structurally sound. We would suggest that the priority be the windows, to help keep your energy costs down. Around €8-10,000 will get you some really efficient glazing that will retain heat in winter and keep it out in the summer.

A similar sum, possibly up to €12,000, will be needed at some point to update the wiring and plumbing system. It would certainly make sense to kill both birds with one stone and only have to open the walls up once. That would allow you to bring everything into line with current building codes, and importantly under warranty. You might even want to look at putting a photovoltaic cell on the roof. This could qualify for subsidies under the Italian national Bonus scheme for eco-friendly home improvements.

On the subject of generating heat, it would definitely be worthwhile adding a few heat pump air conditioning units, which are the simplest solution to provide two-way temperature control. That, at a cost of around €5,000, would guarantee a comfortable visit to your new home at any time of the year.

There is a small loft space adjacent to the kitchen, which could perhaps be better used if you could sort out the problem of getting into it. And while we’re on the top floor, we think that a skylight in that long living room would really bring natural light into the whole space.

Whatever scale of work you’re considering, remember that you have the option of our after-sale project management service, guaranteeing you the perfect mediation between trusted local professionals and your international standards. Many of our happiest clients have been the ones who took this path when buying a property to renovate in Sicily.