Property Description

Three-Bedroom Seafront Home in Sicily’s Casteldaccia Beach District, with Panoramic Roof Terrace; Recently Renovated and Fully Furnished

With a seafront location and spectacular views from its lively outdoor spaces, Casa Patti is a beautiful three-bedroom family home 150m from the sea. Found in the town of Casteldaccia, 15km to the east of Sicily’s capital city, Palermo, it stands on a beautiful stretch of coastline, just a few buildings along from one of Italy’s most famous and noble wineries.

It is presented in excellent condition, having been renovated internally eight years ago, and redecorated externally just two years ago. You couldn’t find a more simple or convenient way to move to Sicily, as the vendors are offering all fixtures and furniture (all bought within the past couple of years) included in the asking price. That makes the offer extremely good value for a seafront home in Sicily.

Facing North-east, it overlooks the Gulf of Termini Imerese, with the best views on offer from that panoramic sea view roof terrace.

The Property

From the quiet state road which runs directly along the coastline, a little private driveway leads inland, at the end of which we find Casa Patti. It is in fact the first floor of a two-storey building, with the ground floor owned by the brother of the vendor. This is a real bonus, guaranteeing you not only a friendly welcome but the expertise of someone who knows the home inside and out if you have any minor issues after the purchase.

Casa Patti does have some ground level space, too, with a large covered courtyard and an outdoor shower – perfect to wash off the sea water on your way back from the beach. The building is in great condition, a lovely mix of fresh plaster and exposed stone trim. A marble staircase up to the front door on the first floor.

This brings you straight into a kitchen-living room split in two by a breakfast bar. With warm tones and comfortable furniture it is an immediately welcoming space of over 30m2. A broad brick archway separating the two areas and large clay floor tiles and lovely finishing touches. In the living room, a long dresser with cupboards and a TV stand runs the whole length of one wall, and you will also find a dining table and chairs. There is an air conditioning unit on the wall in the kitchen area.

The space is very bright, thanks to three metre ceilings and French windows which lead directly onto the veranda, where you’ll find another table and chairs. You can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner every day with a sea view, and the shade afforded by an adjustable awning. This veranda runs the entire width of property, and curves around the side where you will find an outdoor sink. The tree-filled gardens of your neighbours afford the space a good level of privacy.

The kitchen is long and spacious with a little bit of sea view through the window. There is room for a breakfast table, alongside plenty of storage, work surfaces and modern appliances that include an Electrolux oven, a gas hob with large efficient extractor fan and a fridge freezer.

Three double bedrooms all come with comfy wooden beds and huge wardrobes. Two face the sea, one overlooks gardens to the north-west. The master is especially nice, about 16m2 plus a walk-in wardrobe, long and thin but with sunlight from two sides thanks to a dual exposition to the north-west and north-east. The latter has French windows onto the deep covered veranda.

Two very large bathrooms are tiled in yellow and green respectively, each with a box shower and a large sink.

Upstairs on the roof, the big open terrace is the full size of the property, with incredible views and an outdoor kitchen with a wood burning oven. You’ll love the 360 degree view of surrounding hills, rooftops and sea.

The window frames in the hall and one bedroom are double glazed. Those in the other 2 bedrooms are single glazed. All of them have mosquito nets.

Casa Patti benefits from a private water supply via its own well, but is also connected to the municipal water supply as a backup. Five tanks of 1,000 litres apiece can each be found on the roof, giving a reserve of 5,000 litres of water that will last a family more than a week. It is also connected to the municipal sewage system. Hot water comes from an electric boiler, while the kitchen is gas powered, through a cylinder which can easily be replaced when it runs out. Both gates onto the property are automatic with an intercom system.

Surroundings

The small town of Casteldaccia is just a four minute drive away, 20 minutes on foot. Home to about 10k people it has a good choice of supermarkets, restaurants and bars. The site of an important aristocratic settlement of the past, the district still displays several prominent relics of its history in the form of coastal watchtowers, a medieval castle at the centre of the town, and ancient wine cellars.

The Duca di Salaparuta winery is actually just a couple of doors down from Casa Patti. Founded in 1843, by the nobleman Eduardo Alliata as the Corvo wine cellar, this remarkable structure is now home to over 110 barrels and about 1800 barriques of all sizes. It is open to the public for guided tours – sure to be a hit with visitors!

This road is also home to some of the best known Lidi, or beach clubs, in the district. Lido Rihab, Palm Beach and the Magà Solarium are all within a few hundred metres’ walk. However, there is an even better option open to you – a private access to the sea at the end of your road. Although rocky, this little piece of coastline is well sheltered by sea defences which guarantee calm waves and a good water temperature all year round. Elsewhere the beach is a mix of sand and shingle.

You’ll also find a good choice of restaurants and bars, as well as a tobacconist’s within a minute or two of the property.

Although the railway line passes behind the house, it is not a particularly busy stretch of track, and noise is only an issue for the few seconds in which the train passes directly by. The train station is just 15 minutes away on foot, and from there you can be in the centre of Palermo within 20 minutes. Alternatively, head east along the coast to Termini Imerese, the fabulous beach of Cefalù and the foothills of the Madonie Park, and eventually to Messina on Sicily’s east coast.

Up the headland to the north are the rocky outcrop of Capo Zafferano and the nature reserve of Monte Catalfano. Both are clearly visible from the veranda and roof terrace of this scenic seafront home in Sicily.

Potential

Essentially all the furniture you could need is already in place. Perhaps you might want to invest in a sofa for the living room.

Casa Patti is currently not equipped with a heating system. The quickest and most cost-effective fix would be to install two-way air conditioners, but at present there is only one unit, in the kitchen-living room. However, during the renovations the owners smartly ensured that all the connections were put in place throughout the rest of the property – what’s known here as the predisposition for A/C units. So all you would need to do is buy and install the units. For the time being, all the rooms have ceiling fans of excellent quality.

You should be aware that some renovations to the house have been made without obtaining the correct planning permission. The roof terrace and the extension to the terrace on the first floor are the obvious culprits, though you will also notice that some of the internal spaces have been redistributed since the plans were registered. These changes can be authorised retrospectively, assuming you want to keep them, but the owners are listing the property it in its present condition. If you would like to speak to a lawyer who specialises in the field, we would be happy to put you in touch with a trusted expert.

If you are interested in second unit downstairs, there is a possibility of the vendor’s brother being prepared to part with that property for a good offer, though it is not currently on the market.

With all that roof space, it seems a shame not to have any solar panels. As a further incentive, the Italian Bonus system offers tax credits for green home improvements of this kind.