In most demand right now isPiedimonte Etneo (Catania - CT), located just under 350 metres above sea level. “Its proximity to the vineyards make it particularly sought-after. It is also the closest to the motorway, the gateway to the Alcantara valley, but good properties are hard to find owing to high demand”. The Brits who bought a 1970s house with garden in the heart of Etna park in this municipality for 180,000 euros in 2022 from Buy in Sicily of Paternò have surely snapped up a bargain. “The property overlooks the whole municipality and benefits from a spectacular view of the north-east slope of the volcano and the Ionian Sea”, says Ionella Bonaventura, owner of the Buy in Sicily estate agents. “It covers about 140 square metres as well as 40 square metres of terrace, set in 2,600 hectares of orchards”. In short, the dream property everyone is looking for at the moment. Castiglione di Sicilia is also one of the most popular destinations for potential second home buyers. Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, it boasts a characteristic medieval centre nestled between Etna and the Alcantara, whose territory has been declared of “significant public importance”. As Marco Nicolosi, an associate of Novae Dimore of Ragalna explains, in this area on the eastern slope “there are palmento grape press houses or late 19th-20th century houses ripe for renovation, selling for between 1,000 and 2,000 euros per square metre”. The renovation trend seems to be leaning towards “creating contrasts between the old and the contemporary. These are houses boasting walls of lava stone that came directly from the slopes of the volcano and which was often excavated on site, the property expert explains. Basalt, the solidity of which varies depending on the depth of extraction and the magma of the lava. The greater the depth, the more resistant and difficult it is to work”. The post-pandemic period has seen a further increasein demand for holiday properties, such as old farmhouses ripe for renovation. As Natascha Jeuck of Iemme Europa explains, “This market is very popular with Americans, as well as Germans, the British, the French and other nationalities”, but supply does not always meet demand: 120-m2 to 150-m2 cottages between Taormina and Catania, with half to one hectare of land to be transformed into an organic garden, citrus grove or small vineyard. A sea view is always at the top of the priority list, while the most sought-after locations include Piedimonte Etneo, Fiumefreddo di Sicilia, Mascali and Sant’Alfio. Catania locals themselves also look in these municipalities. With regard to vineyards, supply is low and demand is high.
Published on Ville&Casali June 2023
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