Property Description

Spacious countryside villa with seaside views and incredible value for money

Located at the foot of the breathtaking Madonie, Villa Monte is an incredibly spacious 210 m² villa with up to 5 bedrooms, two bathrooms, sunset and sunrise views, and plenty of space for a swimming pool.

At €480,000, this property presents fantastic value for money compared to other houses you will find in such a sought-after area, as the now agricultural area cannot be used to build further housing.

Located just 10 to 15 minutes from the peaceful coastal town of Cefalù, and one hour from the hustle and bustle of the Sicilian Capital, Palermo, it strikes the perfect balance between being a peaceful countryside retreat and being well connected to surrounding towns and cities. Sold unfurnished, Villa Monte presents a fantastic opportunity to create a bespoke home in the Sicilian sun tailored to your unique vision for it.

With a beautiful white porch wrapping around the villa, and a terrace offering south-facing views of the sunrise and sunset, you’ll have no shortage of places to sunbathe with a view of the sea to the west.

Plumbing and electrics have already been installed, and the house is now waiting for heating systems and air conditioning to complete the house. Apart from this, the house has preparations for the installation of solar panels

The Property

With properties in this area typically fetching between €4,000 to €5,000 per square meter, the 210 m² Villa Monte is a remarkable find at €520,000, translating to less than €2,500 per square meter. This value becomes even more enticing when considering the expansive 1,250 m² total land that the property occupies.

Villa Monte boasts plenty of generously proportioned rooms strategically positioned to maximize space and light. Upon entering through the front door, a sweeping view of the main living area greets you, easily accessible via stairs leading downwards in front of you. This large living space features transparent double doors that invite in natural light from the west.

As you look out over the living space from the railing, to the left you’ll find a door straight ahead opens onto the terrace, while around the corner there is a fully equipped bathroom, complete with a toilet, bidet, shower, and sink. Continuing along, the next two rooms have transparent doors facing east, inviting the morning sunshine, and offer versatility as potential bedrooms or alternative living spaces with direct access from the property’s entrance.

Adjacent, a slightly smaller room grants access to a sizable terrace, ideal for conversion into another bedroom, or a fantastic dining area boasting views of the sunset-kissed hills, offering the option for al fresco dining. Following the stairs down to the bottom floor, this large living space has double doors opening onto the back porch of the property. This back porch is open to nature as it has no railings or anything to obstruct the view of the hills below.

From the living room, an archway will take you to a potential kitchen/dining area with a window and double doors to an open part of the back porch, and a sliding glass door brings you from the main living space to a versatile room with four more adjoining rooms.

The first of these is a well-appointed, beautifully decorated, and spacious bathroom with a bathtub and a shower occupying a cosy alcove. The second room is rather small and could be used as a storage room to keep the rest of the house clutter-free, and the third and fourth rooms are bedroom-sized and open onto a passageway illuminated by light filtering through an overhead grate down onto a long Japanese rock garden.

Given the seclusion of the rooms adjoining to this passageway, one of the rooms could perhaps become a peaceful private study or a children’s bedroom for added safety and security. Wrapping around this floor, the passageway leads to a snug nook, offering further storage potential.

Surroundings

Villa Monte is nestled in the Madonie Regional Natural Park in northern Sicily on Via Monte; however, it is by no means disconnected from the surrounding towns. A road leading down through the countryside will take you to the enchanting coastal town of Cefalù. It takes 5 to 10 minutes to drive to Cefalù from the house, or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can reach the town with an 80-minute downhill walk in nature through the Madonie.

Cefalù is an unspoiled coastal retreat renowned for its natural beauty and charm, away from the hustle and bustle of tourist crowds. This medieval town is home to a beautiful Duomo for architecture lovers, a long beach to sunbathe on, and the Rock of Cefalù for those looking for a relaxing countryside hike to some more beautiful views.

If you’re looking for a quieter atmosphere than Cefalù, a trip in the opposite direction will take you to Lascari (10 minutes by car), or any number of coastal towns such as Mazzaforno (10 minutes) and Capo (15 minutes).

For those craving the excitement and convenience of city life, just an hour’s drive from home is Palermo, Sicily’s vibrant capital packed with history and culture. From magnificent theatres to its awe-inspiring cathedral, and a mouth-watering array of world-famous street food, Palermo offers an enticing blend of tradition and modernity, ensuring an enriching urban experience.

Potential

The potential of Villa Monte cannot be overstated. It is a beautifully laid out house in an area that was up until recently was buildable land, but as of 2023 has become farming land. This means that other properties cannot be built around this one and detract from its value. Having the reassurance that other houses won’t be built around this one notably increases the value of such a house.

There are some improvements that need to be made to Villa Monte specifically. The house already has a water and electricity supply, an Imhoff tank, and underwent high level restructuring as recently as March 2024. It does not yet have an air conditioning unit, radiators, gas heating, Solar thermal or Solar PV, but the preparations have been laid and are just waiting for installation.

Installation of Air conditioning, Radiators, and gas heating are projected to cost around 10,000€. Solar panels, whether Thermal or PV, would be another 10,000 but this is up to personal preference, much like the installation of a swimming pool which would be another 20,000€ if you were to decide to build one.

When thinking about the potential of this house, it’s important to consider the fact that this house is sold unfurnished. Some see having to furnish a house as a drawback, without realising that it presents a fantastic opportunity to make your house your own. An unfurnished house doesn’t burden you with disposing of furniture that may be old or of poor quality, rather, it presents you with an opportunity to create a bespoke home with good-quality furniture that suits your budget, preferences, and vision for the design of the house.

Finally, moving to Sicily entails various benefits. While the island’s relaxed lifestyle is perfect for over-65s, it’s also becoming increasingly attractive to digital nomads and entrepreneurs due to favourable tax incentives under the inpatriate tax scheme, potentially reducing tax liability by 90% to thank you for choosing ‘la dolce vita’ under the sun.

If you are interested in Villa Monte, but don’t know how to get started, our team will be happy to help you every step of the way