Property Description

A Hilltop Haven and a Sea-View House in Sicily

With a footprint of 112m2, Villa Peri is a generously-proportioned detached bungalow, offering peace and seclusion at the end of a quiet road in the picturesque hills of the Madonie National Park.

Standing just above the town of Collesano, it enjoys an incredible sea view from throughout the property. Although outside the town proper, it nevertheless benefits from several urban amenities, including door-to-door refuse collection and infrastructure for mains water and gas. More on these in a little bit…

With a signature style showcasing traditional materials and a simple layout outside and in, this villa represents great value for money and an attractive proposition for an investment property, or a holiday home on this beautiful, endlessly-fascinating island.

The Property

The largest area in the house is a long living room, entered through the ornate wooden door, with a dining area at the far end. A huge open fireplace gives heat and plenty of character, while the exposed hardwood beams of the ceiling are elevated high enough as never to affect the sense of space. A pair of decorative light installations hang down in the same mahogany tone, wood keeping the space bright and adding to the ambiance.

To the right is a master bedroom, with a sea view window to the front of the house. Across the living room is a smaller guest bedroom, a bathroom with a tub, and a little cloakroom. To the rear is a beautiful kitchen, immaculately finished in locally-produced majolica tiles which explode in lively colours. The standout feature here is a classic old wood-burning stove and boiler, built into the fabric of the kitchen and which will remain as seen for the new purchaser. The same style of lighting and exposed ceiling keep the entire house feeling like a single piece of design – one which is sure to enchant anyone who steps inside.

Outside there is a couple of thousand square metres of garden and land – not laborious to maintain but large enough to give space for you and your family to enjoy the natural beauty of the area and the superb Mediterranean panorama. The paved driveway is in wonderful condition and an ample terrace is protected from direct sunlight by a sturdy tiled canopy, whose exposed beams lend the space a wonderful rustic charm. A gorgeous outdoor kitchen features a permanent barbecue and storeroom, making it the perfect space for al-fresco family meals. You won’t be able to wait to start drawing up a guest list of envious visitors and making the most of your new sea-view house in Sicily!

The situation regarding utilities is a little unusual. Although connected to the civic water main, as we mentioned before, the current owner does not in fact use this supply. There is a small natural spring which surfaces on the property, and a tank for storage. As this water is straight from the mountains and of excellent quality, he prefers to rely on this. Obviously if you wanted to reactivate the mains connection that would be no issue – a simple administrative procedure with which we would be happy to help.

There is, meanwhile, a gas pipeline which extends to the street outside. At present this has not been connected to Villa Peri, so this would require a little more work. However, we’re only talking about a small extension pipeline and some internal apparatus, and once again we’d be delighted to put you in touch with everyone you need to get this work done at a high standard but a low price.

All of the paperwork relating to construction and upkeep passed our rigorous checks with the highest credentials. A generation of ill-managed construction work has meant, sadly, that you can’t take for granted that a recently-built property in Sicily will be entirely ‘in regola’, as the locals say (a loose translation would be ‘above board’). Villa Peri, however, has been perfectly overseen and will present no legal difficulties.

Surroundings

Collesano is a small town of around five thousand inhabitants, at the western edge of the stunning Madonie National Park. A sanctuary for innumerable rare and beautiful species of animal, plant and tree, this mountainous land has been under state protection since the 1980s. New development is tightly restricted, and the nature, character and traditions of this wonderful area are certain to be preserved throughout the twenty-first century and beyond. The main route south from Collesano to Scillato is just a few hundred metres from Villa Peri’s front door.

The town itself is built on a west-facing hillside, enjoying beautiful sea views and especially vivid sunsets. It has a distinctive vibe, thanks to the many generations of local residence found in the population. However, its proximity to Palermo, Cefalù and the beach, together with the boom in smart-working, has seen an international dimension begin to arrive, with several properties in the area recently bought by families and retirees from Germany, Scandinavia and other areas of northern Europe.

It has supermarkets, pharmacies, bars and everything else you’d expect. You’ll never be wanting for traditional food, as the local greengrocer makes his door-to-door rounds in the mornings, and Filippo and his family make you more than welcome at the excellent Trattoria Carricaturi. There are good butchers, fishmongers and bakers. The town is experiencing a renaissance in the traditional craft of ceramics, and everything from symbolic ornaments to colourful majolica tiles are in production daily.

Nearby attractions include the UNESCO-protected Medieval beach town of Cefalù, a magnet for tourists in the summer. Its two kilometres of unspoilt sandy beach is overlooked by the dramatic outcrop known as the ‘Rocca’ which gives the fascinating town an unmistakeable silhouette. Further up in the Madonie, the picturesque town of Castelbuono is home to a spectacular 14^th century fortress. The bustling metropolis of Palermo, one of Italy’s fastest-growing centres for the arts and finest culinary centres, is just an hour away, and all of Sicily’s major sights, from the temples of Agrigento to the volcanic majesty of Etna and the Aeolian archipelago, are within a couple of hours’ travel.

Potential

Almost no work is needed to make Villa Peri the perfect summer home. A little paint could be applied to the interior walls, and the small bedroom has gathered a touch of humidity but other than that the place is absolutely ready to be moved into.

If you’re relocating to Sicily and see this property as a year-round home, a little more provision for the (admittedly short) Sicilian winter could be in order. The roof, whilst recently redone, is not insulated, and this will cause a certain degree of avoidable heat loss. Remember, though, that sustainable home improvements can be subsidised at a rate of up to 110% in 2022! And with its sturdy stone construction and modern glazing, you won’t need to worry about heat loss at the ground level.

One way to improve both the ecological footprint of the property and your energy bills would be to take advantage of the pitched roof (and scrupulously-completed paperwork) and install solar panelling. Once again, these are eligible for tremendous public subsidy – if you’d like to understand more about how you can save with the ‘Ecobonus’ scheme, please get in touch with us today. Our welcoming, multilingual team are waiting for your call.

We would also be delighted to share the benefit of our long experience in project management in the area, if you plan on taking on any scale of renovation work. As many of our delighted clients and new friends will testify, a bridge between international arrivals and the local language and way of thinking can make the process infinitely smoother – and cheaper.

If you like the area but this lovely sea-view house in Sicily isn’t quite what you’re looking for, check out out our directory of carefully-selected listings to discover number of other properties now available in Collesano.