Property Description

Stunningly Renovated Six-bedroom Luxury Villa in Sicily’s South, with Sea Views Around the Corner from the Scala dei Turchi and the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento

This stunning luxury villa in Sicily’s southern province of Agrigento sleeps up to twelve people in incredible style. Divided into five separate suites and a guest house, it is currently operated as a top-end Bed and Breakfast, but would make a perfect purchase for a client who wants to relocate to the Mediterranean with one eye on being able to offer unforgettable hospitality to family and friends.

In the hands of the current owners since 2005, Casa Balata has undergone a complete transformation, over the past decade in particular. What was once an uninhabitable ruin has been rebuilt almost from scratch, with only the front wall intact from the original construction. Beautiful, consummately considered design work and judicious reuse of many original materials has preserved the unmistakeable Sicilian character of the place without sacrificing any modern standard of comfort.

The biodesign swimming pool measures 90m2, and has been created without the use of concrete to perfectly blend with the surrounding landscape and exist in harmony with the surrounding nature of the expansive 5,000m2 estate.

An instant highlight of our Prestige Collection, Casa Balata is offered for sale inclusive of all fittings and most of the furniture, save for some personal effects which are detailed below.

The Property

A network of stone and brick pathways wind between immaculately cultivated shrubs and trees to a network of terraces and viewpoints that surround the home on all sides. Everything has been laid out to lead the eye down over olive groves and meadows to the Mediterranean Sea on the horizon.

The imposing double-width entrance of the main building leads you into a magical living room, over 30m2 in size. Historic masonry and brickwork is showcased on the feature wall and above the arch top windows, and the rest of the finishings are simple in fine grain plaster and large polished floor tiles.

To the rear, through a wide archway in the stone wall, is the dining room, six metres by four with a cheery decorative pattern in traditional, locally produced floor tiles. A pair of glazed doors brighten the space and connect it to the rear patio, where you and your visitors can enjoy any meal in the open air or under the shade of the ample fixed wooden canopy.

The dining room also connects to a professional-grade kitchen, with stainless steel worktops and fridge-freezer, a triple-width oven and all the storage space you could possibly need in the walk-in pantry. Simply equipping this space to such a high standard would cost a fortune, but all of the contents are included in the offer. Whether you are cooking for the family or bringing in professional chefs to prepare an unforgettable dinner, there is all the space and equipment you need to produce restaurant quality food.

The trio of spacious bedroom suites on this floor are fluid and beautifully realised, each with a WC, wardrobe and dressing area, and a bathtub or shower artfully integrated into the main body of the room. One has a deep bath, another a walk-through shower and the third a romantic corner hot tub. Floors are in rustic tile patterns.

The open staircase leads up to a library under the exposed timbers of the fully insulated roof, from which you can step onto the deep terrace that overlooks the swimming pool. Each end has been partially screened off to allow privacy to the occupants of each of the upper suites, both of which connect directly onto it.

One of these is a fourth guest suite, with a four-poster bed and a cubicle shower in the colourful bathroom. The second is a larger unit, used as a private apartment by the current owners of the villa. This has a living room with an office space as well as a deep couch, then a bedroom with an enormous amount of built-in wardrobe space, and lastly a bathroom with a walk-in tub that also serves as a shower. The floors in these upper rooms, other than the tiled bathrooms, are in a luxurious parquet.

Across the rear patio, the guest house is a lovely stone cottage on two floors, with a bedroom suite upstairs, above a cosy living room. The furnishings and fixtures are very much in keeping with the main villa, including a rustic dining table, comfortable double bed and the modern cubicle shower in the en-suite bathroom. The wooden roof is made with exposed bamboo canes, in the historic style of the region. A Juliet balcony in the bedroom gives a spectacular sea view.

Both buildings are decorated in a bright, colourful and welcoming style, with Moroccan and Mediterranean influences. Handcrafted furniture and restored antiques have been used to great effect, complimenting the reconstruction work that features load-bearing stone walls and a wooden roof with exposed beams.

The gardens are richly planted with Mediterranean flora, including a number of examples of the prized Chamaerops Humilis (dwarf palm). Olive trees, pomegranates, pyracantha, viburnum and dragon trees offer shade and enormous character to the landscape. Closer to the ground you’ll find succulents like agaves, aloes and ornamental cacti.

There are all manner of herbs which will enrich your cooking, including rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme. Other aromatics include mugwort, marjoram, hyssop and lavender. Numerous ornamental flowers add colour and beauty.

The biodesign pool has a maximum length of 15 m. It is enriched by a process of salt hydrolysis, and maintained by an automatic cleaning robot. Ecologically responsible and aesthetically marvellous, it makes a fitting addition to this lovely luxury villa in Sicily.

The technical features of the property as equally impressive. Air conditioning comes from electric fan coils which can provide hot or cool air throughout the home. This temperature is then preserved by superb insulation and double-glazed wooden windows which are sympathetic to the style of the villa but extremely efficient.

Power is mostly drawn from photovoltaic panels with a quartet of storage batteries which can deliver up to 20 kW. This is augmented by a gas boiler, the tank for which is discretely and safely hidden underground. There is a charging station for electric vehicles.

Drinking water is drawn from the municipal mains, with a vast 35,000 litre cistern offering comprehensive insurance against any period of low supply. Three additional tanks of 20,000 litres each are connected to the irrigation system to keep the grounds looking colourful and thriving.

Everything you see in our virtual tour and photography is included in the asking price, other than the following: paintings, musical instruments (both the piano and percussion), small antiques including the radio and television and a few specific pieces of furniture including the table and desk in the private first floor living room. Please feel free to ask if you would like any further clarification.

Surroundings

Casa Balata lies less than two kilometres to the north of the small town of Realmonte, home to about 4,000 residents. This is where you and your guests will be able to find everything you need on a day-to-day basis. There are restaurants and bars, three or four different supermarkets and a very convivial atmosphere.

English is spoken in many establishments, as the famous Scala dei Turchi cliffs a couple of kilometres further south bring a regular flow of tourism to the area. Four kilometres to the west is Siculana, a similar size and slightly less international in character.

The historic temples of Agrigento are a twenty minute drive east. They lie just to the south of the modern city, the provincial capital and location of the nearest hospital, railway station and many larger leisure facilities.

The nearest airport is in Sicily’s cultural jewel Palermo, a little under two hours drive north. Two other options are only slightly further away in Catania and Trapani, giving you excellent options when you need to travel internationally.

Potential

The cadastral category currently given to Casa Balata is D/10, which permits it to be used as tourist accommodation. If you would like to change this to residential, we can put you in touch with exactly the professionals you need to make sure everything is submitted perfectly.

If you would like to continue operating the boutique B&B, you will find everything you need in place. Casa Balata enjoys an outstanding 9.6 rating on Booking.com and does regular business on many other prominent portals. If you would like to explore this option, we are uniquely positioned to offer guidance and professional support through our sister company Solemar Sicilia, which has been marketing and managing high end vacation accommodation across the island for many years.

You won’t need to invest anything beyond the purchase price in the building or grounds of this gorgeous luxury villa in Sicily, both of which have been beautifully maintained.