Property Description

Large Four-storey Property to Renovate in Sicily’s Best-value Village, the Hilltop Haven of Gratteri

An enticing restoration project that’s steeped in traditional Sicilian history, Casa Matteo is a four-storey home offering over 150m2 of living space that’s on the market at an incredible asking price. In the scenic hilltop village of Gratteri, it offers views of the Tyrrhenian Sea and proximity to the beach without sacrificing the fresh air and calmness of country life.

It’s hard to speak in the traditional realtor’s terms of numbers of bedrooms and bathrooms, because what you have at the moment is really just the shell of a building, but a couple of features will certainly survive any remodelling – the sea-view balconies to the front, and the top floor kitchen, with its evocative built-in bread oven. Besides this there are three medium-sized rooms and one double-size one joined by an archway.

We think in the end it’s probably going to be a two-bedroom home, with plenty of space for family life and entertaining in a sunny and impressive third floor living room-diner, but you and your team of architects and technicians might well want to take things in another direction.

Any designer would be thrilled to work with the raw materials on offer here. The thick stone walls of this historic property are only covered with a thin layer of lime plaster, and the lower staircase is made from the extremely rare Billiemi stone that was used in the streets and monuments of Palermo’s old town. The internal doors are in antique hardwood and there are some great terracotta floor tiles.

Of course, if you’re able to handle the work of buying a property to renovate in Sicily yourself then you could be getting a sensational bargain. The opportunity to rebuild your very own home in the sun would be a mouthwatering prospect for someone who enjoys carpentry, interior design or just adventure.

The Property

Facing north-west, the terraced townhouse faces onto the quiet, cobbled via Pozzarello in the very centre of Gratteri. At the rear it overlooks the next street, although the slope of the village means that the back of the ground floor is underground.

A narrow entrance hall brings you straight up a short flight of steps to the raised ground floor, which offers a single front room with a window overlooking the street. About 5m x 3m, it showcases the exposed timbers of the ceiling, which is low, at 220cm, but certainly adds character. The masonry of the walls is mostly on display, some sections masked by the last remnants of some falling plaster. You’ll probably want to smooth over some of it but a few exposed sections would give a great visual connection to the home’s history.

The first floor has a large room of about 25m2 running towards a pair of French windows. The windows lead you out onto the first of two balconies, enclosed by some lovely wrought iron railings. We’re already at the height of the upper floor of the house opposite, so there’s a beautiful sense of space. You can even see a tiny sliver of sea in the distance. This spaciousness continues indoors, where the ceiling is now over three metres. A storerooms to the rear is in a very raw state but offers over 10m2 of space with a small window. It might make a perfect bathroom. The ceiling here is in bamboo.

Climbing another narrow flight of stairs you reach the second floor, where two big spaces are joined through a wide arch, giving you a huge space of well over 40m2. The statement space bursts with potential, thanks to the flow of light and air as well as the size.

At the front is another balcony, now above the height of the opposite homes, giving an unobstructed view of the turquoise sea seven kilometres away and 650m downhill. This, and the great cloudless sky above, perfectly compliment the curved roof tiles of the houses over the road. The mountainous shoreline is in full view as far as Monte Catalfano and the Mongerbino Peninsula on the horizon, 40km away. Two other windows on this side have been closed up – if you could reopen them you would have a stellar view as well as more natural light. To the rear the window is now well above the level of the parallel via delle Scuole.

One final staircase, in wood, leads you up to a final surprise on the top floor. The kitchen is large, around 20m2, and the built-in bread oven and other traditional stone fixtures immediately draw your eye. A window overlooks via delle Scuole to the south. The ceiling has been redone in neat planks of light wood, which is slightly incongruous with the rest of the home but could be covered or darkened. There is storage space under the eaves.

Surroundings

Everything you need in Gratteri is right on your doorstep. In fact the whole village is completely walkable, certainly if you don’t mind some steps or slopes, but Casa Matteo is especially central. There’s a grocery store 80 metres away and a bakery, pharmacy and butcher’s shop within a similar distance, then the village also has a couple of small bars and a pizzeria.

In total you’ll have about 800 neighbours, several of whom have bought properties through us here. You can read a full profile of the village we identified in 2020 as offering some of the best value for money real estate in all of Sicily.

You’re surrounded in all directions by the beautiful natural park of the Madonie, with mountain peaks over 2000m. It’s a paradise for lovers of the outdoors, and also foodies who will delight in the local specialities on offer in its welcoming towns and villages.

For more infrastructure you can head downhill to Lascari, 20 minutes to the north. You’ll find supermarkets, train station and the lovely Settefratti beach. Tourist hotspot Cefalù is only 25 minutes away, with a hospital, good schools, lots of summer activities for all the family and Sicily’s #1 Italian language school (we may be a little biased on this one!).

The island’s vibrant capital Palermo is 70 minutes away, and its airport reachable in an hour and a half. An alternative, the even larger airport in Catania, is just two hours away.

Potential

Obviously there is a large restoration project to take on here. You might want to start with our guide to renovating a home in Sicily. If you like the sound of the challenge but want the security of collaborating with people who have worked in this sector for many years, our project management  service may be of interest.

Pretty much everything will need some attention with the exception of the walls, which were built to last, and the new roof. The only thing you might consider at that level, if your budget allows, would be to create a terrace, which would offer an absolutely sensational sea view.

The first staircase is rock solid (literally as well as metaphorically), but the subsequent flights will need strengthening, as will some of the floors. Needless to say the windows, electrics, plumbing and fascia will all need attention.However, we believe that an investment of about €90,000 over the purchase price, so a total spend barely into six figures, would land you a stunning home in a scenic and peaceful spot, decorated exactly to your taste and built to last for future generations. That’s great value for a property to renovate in Sicily.