Casa Vaccaro – Altavilla Milicia

€ 145.000

Altavilla Milicia - 90010 - Grotta Mazzamuto

#86755242

5 Rooms
1 Bathroom
76 m²
Ground floor

Panoramic Sea-view Villa near Palermo with Antique Furnishings and Mediterranean Garden

A semi-detached villa with the privacy of a standalone home, Casa Vaccaro offers around 65m² of interior space, two bedrooms and a 25m² outbuilding with plumbing, all set within a 2,250m² plot overflowing with citrus and fruit trees. The property sits at around 120 metres above sea level in Contrada Sperone, a quiet, well-regarded residential neighbourhood on the southern edge of Altavilla Milicia, with sea views and a distinctly countryside feel. It is sold complete with a collection of antique furniture that gives the rooms an immediate character and warmth.

Altavilla Milicia is a very typical Sicilian community of around eight thousand people, far from the tourist trail and busy all year round. The island's bustling capital city, Palermo,, is only half an hour to the west, while the beaches of the Tyrrhenian coast are barely four kilometres downhill. A car is certainly going to be useful for daily errands, but you won’t be far from anything you need.

At its modest asking price, this enormously welcoming little sea-view villa near Palermo represents strong value for a property of its size and position. It needs some targeted renovation, but the bones are sound and the outdoor spaces are exceptional. For a couple looking to buy a house in Sicily as a retreat, a base for year-round living or a rental investment, it is well worth a closer look.

The Property

The approach to Casa Vaccaro sets the tone. A driveway gate – currently manual but prepared for automation – opens onto a sprawling plot of 2,250m² planted with silver olive trees, lemons, oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, figs, pomegranates, loquats, apricots and almonds. This is beautiful garden space, a productive Mediterranean landscape, tended with evident care and which changes colour and scent with every season.

A paved terrace of around 100m² serves as the heart of the outdoor living space, shaded by a solid registered wooden canopy. From here you look out towards the sea on the horizon. A traditional wood-fired oven, currently in need of restoration, stands ready to become a centrepiece for al fresco entertaining. Beside the terrace is a 25m² outbuilding that already has water and a bathroom connection – a flexible space with clear potential as a guest annex or independent studio.

The main house covers around 65m² and is arranged simply: a welcoming living room opens through a traditional arch into a small kitchen, while the sleeping area comprises a double bedroom, a single bedroom and a bathroom. Built in 1978, the interior comes furnished with antique pieces of real quality – solid wood chests of drawers, handcrafted sideboards and details that lend the home an air of substance that is hard to replicate with new furniture. Floors and window frames are in good condition.

In the interest of transparency, some cracks are visible on the internal partition walls and on the boundary wall, requiring structural stitching by a qualified builder. The roof was waterproofed in 2008. The bathroom and general finishes would benefit from updating, ideally in a style that complements the fine period furniture already in place. Although the villa forms part of a two-family structure, separate entrances, solid perimeter walls and no shared living spaces ensure complete privacy.

The home is served by municipal networks for water, drainage and electricity. In fact, a few electrical pylons do slightly interrupt the otherwise picture-perfect landscape, which is a bit of a shame. All are positioned well beyond the minimum safety distance from the property, however, and we think that the beauty of the gardens and the sea view more than distract the gaze away from that visible infrastructure.

Surroundings

Contrada Sperone is a green, slightly elevated neighbourhood that feels thoroughly rural but not remote. A handful of small bars and convenience stores can be found within walking distance, but for anything more, the old town of Altavilla Milicia is about four kilometres away by a well-surfaced road. You'll find supermarkets, a pharmacy, a post office and of course the distinctively Sicilian mix of local shops selling fresh produce.

The beaches are one of the area’s great draws. Within four kilometres you can reach a varied stretch of the Tyrrhenian coast, from the popular Sporting beach club to quieter coves of pebble and sand. The Torre Normanna resort occupies a dramatic promontory nearby. Altavilla Milicia also has its own railway station, with hourly direct trains to Palermo Centrale in under half an hour. If you travel by car you can reach the metropolis even quicker, putting the beautiful city’s wealth of culture, food and nightlife on your doorstep whenever you want it. Along the way you will pass the important town of Bagheria, just a fifteen-minute drive to the west.

The sea-view villa near Palermo is actually in almost the perfect location from which to explore not only the north coast but the whole of the island beyond. The SS113 state road is only three kilometres from the property, linking to the coastal motorway. This puts the glamorous beach resort of Cefalù only about forty minutes to the east. The nearby A19 motorway, which cuts through the centre of the island, means that you can actually reach Sicily's second city, Catania, in two hours. The ancient temples of Agrigento and the historic port cities of Trapani and Marsala are closer still, and even the farthest corner of the region, the Val di Noto, is only three hours' drive. Palermo’s Falcone-Borsellino international airport is around 45 minutes by car.

Potential

Casa Vaccaro is a project with a clear and manageable path to a significant increase in value. We estimate that a focused budget of €25,000 to €30,000 would cover the essential work: structural stitching of the cracks, installation of modern heat pumps for year-round comfort, and a bathroom refresh. Renovating a house in Sicily is far more affordable than in most of northern Europe, and the result here would be a thoroughly comfortable home that keeps all the charm of its antique interiors.

The outbuilding is an obvious opportunity. With water and a bathroom already plumbed in, converting it into an independent guest suite would be relatively straightforward – and would immediately expand the property’s appeal and usable footprint.

Once brought up to standard, this panoramic villa near Palermo would suit a couple looking for a peaceful home surrounded by nature, with the option to grow their own fruit and enjoy the outdoor kitchen tradition that defines so much of Sicilian daily life. If you are considering establishing your tax residence on the island, the financial incentives make a property at this price point even more attractive. Alternatively, the combination of sea proximity, a large garden and private outdoor spaces gives Casa Vaccaro genuine potential as a short-term holiday rental, particularly in the warmer months.

Our team can manage the entire renovation process on your behalf, from sourcing trusted local tradespeople to handling the paperwork – as our clients will tell you, it makes all the difference when you’re buying from abroad.