Property Description

Buy a B&B in Sicily! Popular Guest House with Four Apartments; Two More to Renovate in Old Town of Caltanissetta

Casa Stefania is a chance to buy not only a family-sized apartment in the heartland of Sicily, but a fully functioning business. The palazzo, in the historic streets of Caltanissetta’s old town, is a thriving guest-house, with three rental apartments in excellent condition, another one to renovate, and a luxurious split level loft apartment on the top floors for the owners to live in after moving to Sicily.

The first apartment is on the first floor, two more are on the second floor and the residence is on the third and fourth. All of these plus a lobby at street level are connected by a working elevator, making the place accessible and convenient.

The whole building is in excellent condition, following a two-year renovation which took place a decade ago. The owners have lived here and run the business themselves, and taken great care with the property. The restoration work was sensitive to the building’s nineteenth century history, with traditional floor tiles in decorative patterns, wrought iron balcony railings, decorative light fittings, ornate stone doorways and coved ceilings retained, blending antique charm with modern comfort.

The guest flats are sold exactly as seen, fully furnished and ready to be rented out, the owner’s flat will be sold partially furnished. Some of the more expensive furniture in the master flat upstairs is not included in the asking price, but the vendor has signalled that they would be open to offers on anything you would particularly like to retain.

In short, this is a going concern and a great chance to buy a B&B in Sicily, invest in the region’s tourist economy and move here with a purpose, running your own business and representing your new community.

The Property

The guest apartments each have two rooms and a bathroom, offering a living area with an equipped kitchen, a bedroom with a comfortable bed and wardrobe, and a bathroom. These all have shower cubicles and modern fixtures, especially the sinks which have been recently upgraded with stylish ceramics and storage units.

A street to the side of the building climbs a flight of stairs, and this allows for a second entrance onto the first floor. On the second floor there is a landing separating the two flats. On the first and third floors the elevator actually arrives directly into the apartments, although of course access to these requires a security check.

The owner’s flat is a really beautiful space which would command a significant asking price in its own right. Split between the third and fourth floors, the living room actually has a double height ceiling with a skylight, as well as dual exposition with full-length windows on two sides. All this means that it is absolutely flooded with light and warmth, almost like a solarium.

Three bedrooms are distributed between the two levels, with the loft one currently used as a home office. Two have en-suite bathrooms, and there is a third family bathroom. The kitchen is a chef’s paradise, modern and luxurious – in fact, all of the fittings here are extremely elegant and you can immediately sense that no expense has been spared. A trio of small terraces offer great views over the surrounding rooftops to the countryside around Caltanissetta.

This apartment is fitted with fancoils which can heat and cool the space efficiently and quickly. The guest flats have traditional air conditioning. Energy retention is excellent thanks to the building’s sturdy construction and double-glazed windows with wooden frames.

Water is heated by electric boilers, and while the building is of course connected to the municipal supply it also has a reserve tank that can hold more than 20,000 litres. Fibre optic cables are in place to deliver high speed internet, and you can also get 450 megabits per second on a 5g mobile phone.

The premises is protected by a security system with four cameras and a video intercom.

Surroundings

The end terrace property is found right in the heart of Caltanissetta, on the corner of via XX Settembre and via Danese. It is just five minutes’ walk from the city’s cathedral and main Centrale railway station. The residential neighbourhood has that slight faded glamour which is common to so many similar districts in southern Italy, with some peeling plaster here and rusting ironwork there, but somehow this only gives it more of a sense of character.

The street is reasonably quiet, by the standards of a Sicilian city, but comes to life on festival days as processions pass by carrying candles, effigies and instruments. It is just 300 metres from the ‘afoglia’ market, where fresh fruit, vegetables and other local produce can be bought every morning. Caltanissetta is one of the cheapest places to live in all of Italy, and you will be astonished by how much good-quality food you can purchase with twenty or thirty Euro.

The city dates back to the fifth century BC, when it was founded by the Carthaginians. Since then, like so much of the island, it passed through the hands of many different rulers and civilisations, each of whom left their footprints in its museums and monuments. 600M above sea level it enjoys great views of the surrounding countryside and a cooling breeze which is very welcome in the dry summers. Home to around 60,000 people, it has all of the amenities you would expect for retail, health, education, sport and leisure.

The beaches of Gela and Agrigento, 40 minutes to the south, are wonderful – deep, sandy and framed by beautiful cliffs. The iconic Turkish Steps can be reached in less than an hour, as can the beautiful unspoilt Cala Paradiso outside Licata. The famous Norman beach town of Cefalù is 60 kilometres to the north and the green hills of the Madonie Natural Park begin just half that distance away.

The nearest airport is at Catania, just over an hour’s drive to the east.

Potential

Casa Stefania is in great condition, and there would be no need to spend any extra money on any of the three rental apartments or the private one.

Besides these completed spaces, there are two other parts of the property which will be of significant interest to a buyer who is prepared to renovate them. A large storeroom on the ground floor is found next to the lobby with the lift. It would make an impressive reception or a practical parking space for bicycles and motor scooters.

At the side of the building is another flat, which could conceivably be divided into two units. Developing this would bring the total number of rental apartments to five.

If you are interested in even more expansion, the owners have an additional building just 30 meters away away. A huge space, it has three floors of 100m2 apiece. It would need significant investment but the vendor is prepared to include it in the sale for just an extra €50,000.

If you are attracted by the idea of redeveloping some of these additional areas, you might be interested on our project management service. Some testimonials from satisfied former clients and partners can be seen here.

As romantic as it sounds to buy a B&B in Sicily for the price of a small apartment in many northern European cities, we understand that the challenge of running a business in a new country can be a daunting one. We would be very happy to help you make contact with all the financial consultants, lawyers and business advisors you need to make your venture a successful one. Our sister company, the boutique language school Solemar Academy, offers Italian lessons online as well as in person in Cefalù.