Property Description

Two-bedroom Apartment in Sicily’s Charming Fishing Village of Porticello; 20 mins from Central Palermo. A Perfect Holiday Home also Great for Year-Round Living

Appartamento Assunta is a smart, first floor flat on the edges of the scenic fishing village of Porticello. A two-bedroom apartment in Sicily’s north, it’s just a few hundred metres from the sea.

Located 16 kilometres to the east of Sicily’s largest city, Palermo, it is enticingly located for lovers of the world class art, food and music that the city has to offer, but also perfectly positioned to give you quiet and relaxed life. The sea is just a few hundred metres away from you, while at your back rise the slopes of Monte Catalfano, a green natural park topped by the famous archaeological site of Solunto.

It’s a perfect spot for overseas buyers who want to feel immersed in a typical Sicilian community, but one which has a warm and welcoming international community. Our own office is just a five minute walk away, so we can offer every possible kind of assistance not just in buying the property but also getting settled in after the purchase is complete and making the place feel like home.

The south-facing apartment is bright and sunny, with 95m2 of internal space, plus a little terrace, two balconies and a garage. Housed in a modern building, it’s in great condition and very well presented. You’ll find it at the end of a gated cul-de-sac with an empty lot opposite, so you get a sense of space and absolutely no passing traffic.

About 40m above sea level, it catches a fresh breeze that keeps things comfortable even in the heat of the Sicilian summer, but there are also a pair of air conditioning units which have been installed, as well as central heating for the winter.

The Property

The shared entrance and staircase have been very well-kept and are modern and user friendly. At the top of the first staircase you enter into the apartment, finding yourself in a large living room measuring about 25m2. French windows open onto a covered terrace, and one of the air conditioning units is mounted near the ceiling. Warm yellow walls and ceramic tile flooring create a very pleasant and welcoming space.

Outside, the terrace has a great view of the hillside, with olive trees, cacti and green grass. Along with the pair of balconies it faces south, meaning that the whole property is very warm and catches a lot of direct sunshine throughout the best of the day.

A long rectangular kitchen has been fitted with an L-shaped suite of cupboards, sink and worktops. There’s space for an oven, gas hobs, an extractor fan and a double sink. A little upbeat colour is added by the orange accents in the doors and tiled backsplash. As well as the French windows onto the balcony there is a smaller window overlooking the terrace.

An internal corridor leads from the living room to the bedrooms. There a pair of these, well-sized, each big enough for a double bed and other furniture. Both have south-facing French windows onto a wide balcony which is shared between the two of them. The larger of the two has an air conditioning unit.

Completing the apartment are a warm, fully tiled bathroom with a tub and a long narrow storeroom.

The plumbing and electrical systems are in very good condition, as are the windows, which are double-glazed with external wooden blackout shutters. The central heating system feeds radiators in all rooms, including the bathroom.

Surroundings

The little gated community is found directly off the main road that bounds the western edge of Porticello. It’s named via Giovanni Falcone, in homage to one of the judges from nearby Palermo who led Sicily’s twentieth century fight against the mafia. Incidentally the city’s airport, which you can reach by car in just 45 minutes, also bears his name.

The small village is very walkable, with the market, seafront and all kinds of shops and services less than ten minutes from your front door. You will find everything you need on a day-to-day basis in this friendly little community. If you need to look further afield, nearby Santa Flavia has a couple of supermarkets and a train station, which you can get to on foot in just 15 minutes. It will take you into Palermo in twenty more.

The line also passes through Bagheria, a small city famous for its Baroque villas and some excellent restaurants and other nightlife. The centre of Bagheria is just a ten minute drive away, and here you’ll find bigger shops, schools and a hospital.

The town is on a peninsula, and as you would expect from this there are lovely beaches to be found in almost every direction. Sant’Elia is a small hamlet half a kilometre to the north with a very nice cove. Continuing around the headland, the rocky coastline of Mongerbino is great to explore on foot, by bike or ideally in a boat, and to the south Casteldaccia offers a great sandy strip.

We’ve created a full guide to the area of Bagheria, including Porticello, Monte Catalfano and the Mongerbino coastline, which you should definitely check out if you’d like to know more about the region.

Potential

No major renovation work is needed on this smart little apartment. The only issue would be a little damp which has arisen due to the house having been unoccupied for some time. We would be happy to recommend you a trustworthy contractor in the area to address this for a very fair price.

Speaking of price, we think the price being asked is very reasonable for a two-bedroom apartment in Sicily, especially one that is modern and so well located.

If you aren’t planning a permanent relocation to Sicily, you can certainly expect to generate passive income by offering it as a tourist rental. The lovely location, scenic views and outdoor spaces will make it an appealing offer if you find the right price. We would be delighted to put you in touch with our sister company, Solemar Sicilia, who manage vacation properties and could take care of all the work involved in making your investment work for you while other commitments keep you elsewhere.