Property Description

Maison Emiliano: Buy a Holiday Home in a fantastic Sicilian Village

Maison Emiliano, in the beautiful hilltop town of Gratteri, is a traditional Sicilian home built on three floors. Recently refurbished and remodelled, the contemporary practicality meshes beautifully with some traditional design touches which reveal the building’s history. If you’re looking for a holiday home near Cefalù you’ll definitely need to read on…

Within a short drive of the famous beach resort and Sicily’s magnificent north coast, this compact house could perhaps make a year-round home for one person, but we think it has much bigger potential as a holiday property. With friendly neighbours (although Gratteri retains an unmistakably Sicilian identity, we could put you in touch with four or five other Northern Europeans who we’ve helped move down to the town) and a strong sense of community, we think you’d be visiting as often as you possibly could!

The Property

This terraced town house consists of a ground floor bedroom, a first floor reception room and a second floor kitchen and terrace. The bedroom has an en-suite shower room, and there is an additional toilet on the top floor.

The terrace is a real difference-maker, an addition during the recent remodelling which has added light and fresh air to the top floor. All of the work was undertaken by a very well-known local architect (we could put you in touch if you needed) for the current owner. A cosy spot to soak up the sunshine and a source of fresh air for the entire building, the fact that this terrace is only separated from the kitchen by a French window makes it the ideal spot to enjoy a continental breakfast or dine under the stars.

Everything is in good condition, with full service history on both electrical and plumbing installations. They’re all very recent. The remodelling makes a feature of the structure’s long history, with impressive old timbers on display in the exposed ceilings and the old masonry partially revealed in a feature wall on the first floor. On the other hand, modern touches like the neat and stylish hardwood staircase, a creation of the architect, and the energy efficient double glazing mean that you won’t want for comfort or habitability. The owner did superb work with what was basically a skeleton of a property at the time of the last sale, making it ready to become an amazing holiday home in the Madonie Parc.

Surroundings

Standing in a side street in the small town of Gratteri in the Madonie Park, Maison Emiliano is a beautifully quiet escape from the world. With a population of about a thousand residents, Gratteri is every inch the traditional Sicilian community, with small convenience stores, bars and eateries and a neighbourhood feel. It is very safe and peaceful.

The real bonus is the location. Just an hour’s drive from Sicily’s capital Palermo, it is within easy reach of all the infrastructure of a thriving metropolitan city, including the international airport, cultural sites and several large shopping centres. However, in the green hills of the Madonie it couldn’t feel further removed from urban life. Here, about 600m above sea level, the rolling hills are a green patchwork of with woodland and pasture.

In the hills and mountains around Gratteri, a wealth of opportunities for trekking, nature walks and outdoor sports abound. You can even ski on the highest slopes in the winter! Down at sea level the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cefalù waits, with miles of golden sand and a stunning Medieval Old Town. The closest beach is the less dramatic – but much less busy – strip of sand at Lascari, a larger town which has all the supermarkets and restaurants you’ll need. The drive is only a quarter of an hour.

This is territory where you need a car – public transport exists, but is very infrequent. However, with so many beautiful views and villages to explore, you’ll make great use of it!

Potential

Aside from the obvious need for furnishings, this house is ready to go and no major maintenance work should be necessary for some time. However, some possible additions which a buyer might consider include air conditioning, and/or a heating system (there is space for a wood or pellet-burning stove to be added if you want to keep the rustic feel of the property).

The position and proximity to the coast make this a strong investment opportunity as a holiday home, and if you’re not going to be spending enough time in Sicily to make managing that a practical option, Property in Sicily has an experienced team of vacation property managers who would be very happy to manage the house in your absence. Talk to us about our after-sale packages and the tourism climate in Sicily.

The current owner invested a total of about € 90,000 in Maison Emiliano, between the cost of purchase and refurbishment. This is a very typical amount to spend buying and renovating a holiday home near Cefalù. However, his life has taken him in another direction and for personal reasons he is motivated for a quick sale. At this asking price it’s an opportunity for the right buyer to secure superb value. We think it would be almost impossible to find a better deal – not even the legendary ‘One Euro Houses‘ will cost less than this in the long run, by the time you’ve zipped them up and got them ready to live in.

The ideal purchaser would be someone who can move quickly on this, wants the convenience of a refurbished property but the freedom to decorate and furnish it in their own style.