Huis te koop - Gratteri (Italië)

Casa Pinuccia - GratteriWith sea views and timeless charm, Casa Pinuccia would be perfect for a buyer who wants the thrill of restoring an old home in Sicily.THREE-storey home with bedroom,living room and kitchen Casa Pinuccia's layout is simple, with a 15m2 living room on the ground floor, a bedroom of the same size on the first floor and a kitchen and dining room on the second. Tucked away under the first staircase is a ground floor bathroom with a miniature tub and shower attachment. The living room opens straight onto the street through double doors which also let plenty of light into the cosy space.The first floor bedroom has the bonus of a sea-view balcony, and the dining room upstairs has the same. The room is only a little smaller than those below, despite the presence of the kitchen. We would actually love to see this floor opened up and turned into a single kitchen-diner. Doing this you could even put in a sofa and a couple of bookcases and allow yourselves to use the ground floor as a second bedroom. It would do justice to the sensational view from the balcony.A renovation challenge with a characterful coreThere is no getting away from the fact that a lot of work is going to be needed, not least on the wooden ceilings which have suffered from water damage. Beyond this Casa Pinuccia will need new windows, electrical wiring and plumbing to bring it up to modern safety codes. Additionally the fascia needs to be refreshed, and the elderly air conditioners replaced – we would suggest with two-way heat pumps.On the plus side of the ledger, the staircase was redone in concrete in the 1980s, finished with some lovely Sicilian marble and remains in great condition. The bathroom is from a similar era but the simple decoration has aged well and everything still works efficiently. The roof is also holiding up well. You'll love the decorative floor tiles throughout the home, and the fixed wood oven built right into the kitchen wall is a must-keep.Amazing hilltop location in sicily's favourite natural parkThe position of Casa Pinuccia is a huge selling point. Everything that surrounds Gratteri is beautiful green hillside, which stretches up to the towering peaks of the upper Madonie and down to the pristine Tyrrhenian Sea below. Although you could enjoy a different route around the fields, woodland and mountainsides of the region every day for a year, you'll also adore the fact that the nearest sandy beach is just 20 minutes away by car. The spectacular seafront of Norman Cefalu is only five minutes beyond that. And Palermo reachable in not much over an hour.For a full description of the property please visit our website Meer weten?

Casa Matteo - GratteriIn the small village of Gratteri, seven kilometres inland and 650m above sea level in the heart of the Madonie Natural Park, Casa Matteo is a must-see for buyers interested in renovating an historic .Magnificent views of the sea and mountainsThe steep terrain and the height of this terraced palazzo building combine to offer unobstructed sea views from the second and third floors. The former even has a balcony that offers you the chance to enjoy the fabulous coastal panorama in the open air.At the moment, the top floor kitchen only has a small window facing north towards the Tyrrhenian Sea, but we think that even a mid-budget renovation project would be able to create a terrace on this level that would give you a bird's eye view of an enormous swathe of northern Sicily.To the rear, Casa Matteo has a view of the surrounding village from the upper floors, which is as charming as the front is dramatic and memorable.Four storeys and over 150M2 of living spaceThe home is divided into six rooms, which could be configured in a variety of ways. Most of these are over 15m2, and the largest space, a second floor pair of rooms connected through a broad archway, offers over 40m2, plus the sea-view balcony at the front.We imagine the finished home with two bedrooms on the lower levels, a beautiful living room-cum-diner on the second floor and an unforgettable kitchen with full-wall glazing opening onto a roof terrace at the top of the property.A renovation challenge that offers a rich rewardAs you'll see from our virtual tour and photography, it is obviously going to be necessary to dedicate time and budget to the historic home. The exact budget will depend on your needs and tastes, as well as how much of the work you're in a position to take care of yourself. We estimate that the final investment will need to be in the region of €110,000 – really, a bargain for the chance to own a piece of Sicilian heritage that's been remodelled to your exact taste.Some features that we think it would be a shame not to incorporate into the final design include a staircase made from the rare and exceptionally durable Billiemi stone, two floors' worth of clay tiles and the antique bread oven which has been built into the kitchen. Take a tour and let your imagination start to work on this fascinating restoration project!For a full description of the property please visit our website Meer weten?