Casetta Chiara – Sant’ Agata Di Militello

• 3 Rooms

• 1 Bathroom

• 84 m²

• Ground floor

Casetta Chiara – Charming Stone Cottage with Dazzling Panorama in the Lower Nebrodi Park, Ready to Renovate Into a Dream Sea-view Sicilian Holiday Home

From the lush green hillside that overlooks the small seafront town of Sant'Agata di Militello, Casetta Chiara offers incredible panoramic views. On a north-facing hillside, close to close to 500 metres above sea level and with the water's edge just three kilometres away, it is perfectly positioned to overlook the Tyrrhenian Sea. The volcanic drama of the Aeolian Islands are clearly visible on the horizon.

The cottage stands on a quiet country lane in the Contrada San Basilio area, a few moment's drive outside Sant'Agata. A small handful of neighbouring houses have been built nearby, but long stretches of country road unfold through light woodland and open meadows. These are the lower climes of the Nebrodi Natural Park, the largest untouched area of natural beauty in Sicily and one of the easiest places on the island to disconnect from all the intensity of life.

At the moment Casetta Chiara is more storehouse than family home, and it will clearly need to be renovated to reach its potential. New electrics and plumbing will be a priority, as well as all the fixtures and finishes. However, all the character of its sturdy stones and that sensational location mean that when the dust has settled the buyer will have a fabulous sea-view Sicilian holiday home for a remarkably low price tag.

The Property

A driveway climbs from the lane up to the front garden, a terraced plot with plenty of rustic charm and the view opening up further with every step. The cottage itself is built from solid local masonry, keeping the rooms cool in summer and cosy through the winter. A traditional Sicilian bread has been built directly into the north wall. This would be a spectacular spot for a bit of heritage-style cooking. There is more than enough room on the terrace that flanks the building to enjoy what the fruits of your labour al fresco, too.

Inside, the larger of the two rooms, on the right as you enter, would work well as a kitchen and living room. It has a dual aspect and will be considerably brighter once the shutters come off the west-facing window. Next door, the smaller room would make a great bedroom, with French windows opening straight onto the garden. To step outside through those first thing in the morning would be a blissful start to any day in your sea-view Sicilian holiday home. Another door off the living room leads through to the space that will become the bathroom.

The original floor tiles run throughout the house, worn but intact, and the exposed timber beams across the ceiling are in good condition, having recently been replaced. You'll certainly want to keep them on display once the rest of the work is finished, and it's fantastic to have one of the bigger renovation jobs already ricked off the list.

Behind the house, light woodland gives the cottage a sense of seclusion and adds to its character, while the terraced plot at the front, around 400 square metres in total, leaves room for a vegetable patch, a corner for animals if you'd like them, or simply space to enjoy the ornamental planting and that one-in-a-million view.

Surroundings

Despite its picturesque coastal location, Sant'Agata di Militello, a short way downhill from the cottage, is very much a year-round town rather than a tourist resort, and a great spot in which to experience life on the island. It's one of the main service centres for this stretch of the Nebrodi coast, complete with a hospital, a sizeable shopping district and its own train station. Day to day shopping, cafes and restaurants are all close by, along with bigger supermarkets for a full stock-up.

Climbing at your back, the Nebrodi Natural Park develops into an effortlessly beautiful mountain range of clay peaks and limestone cliffs, running far inland. One of the quietest parts of the island, it is home to numerous protected and reintroduced species of wildlife including golden eagles and griffon vultures in the higher hills. The small communities that dot its landscapes still rely on farming, cheese-making and other traditional trades rather than tourism. Needless to say, this is golden territory for hiking, biking and trekking. Mount Etna rises around 30 kilometres to the south, within range for a day trip into the rather different landscape of Catania and eastern Sicily.

The coast is laid out before you, and Cefalù, with its cathedral and famous beach, is under an hour's drive away along the main road that follows it. To the east, Messina, gateway to the Italian peninsula, is around 80 minutes by car, and Milazzo, approximately an hour along the way, is the main port for ferries to the Aeolian Islands. Sicily's two main international airports, Palermo and Catania, are roughly equidistant from the property.

Potential

As mentioned above, Casetta Chiara needs a full renovation. Allow around 40,000 euros to put in the electrics, connect up to the mains water and add a septic tank, a modest sum by the standards of restoring a stone property in Sicily, and arguably far better value than the well-publicised but often impractical promise of the island's one-euro house schemes. We think your final expenditure will be significantly lower and the journey more enjoyable.

There would be scope to add an additional floor if you wanted more space, but we feel that the charm of this purchase lies in keeping things simple and timeless. It will make a perfect sea-view Sicilian holiday home. Whatever you would like to do with it, you will have the option of delegating all of the logistics to our popular project management service, which has helped many past clients with renovation work on every possible scale.

When you're not using Casetta Chiara yourself it may even be possible to recoup some of your investment, or at least cover your running costs, though some short-term leasing. This is not an intensely visited area – a fact which contributes a good deal to its appeal – but with good presentation and smart pricing you would certainly be able to attract some guests. Our sister company, rental management specialists Solemar Sicilia, would be the perfect source of advice on this.