Types of real estate & property (part 1)
***Important Information***
In Sicily, the way the apartments are measured is according to the rooms. In counting the rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, laundries and gangways are not included. For the apartments that were built after 1960, 3 rooms correspond to about square metres 75.00, 4 rooms to about square metres 100, 5 rooms to square metres 125. As for the apartments built before 1960, one can’t automatically work out the square meters according to the rooms.
Sicily continues to be a very popular destination for people to buy property and the biggest problem often is finding out what types of property are available both in terms of design and materials used.
Property by Materials Used
Properties around Mt. Etna often feature hand cut lava stone that has been used for decades, while real estate in the Iblei Mountains, showcase white dry stonewalls. In many of the hill towns, the houses have solid walls and steep roofs because of the snow, while in the Valle di Noto, the buildings have honey shaded stone structures 
that feature beautiful stone carvings.
Type by Business and Residential
Commercial Property is often a very popular source of investment in Sicily including from the UK and U.S. and investment opportunities have included shopping malls, shops, beach areas and restaurants. More about commercial property.
In terms of residential property though, the main types tend to be:
- Villas and Cottages (by the sea and in the countryside).
- Apartments (in the city centre or in villages by the seaside/on the mountains).
- Apartment Complexes by the coast.
The villas and cottages in Sicily are typically available near the coast or in the countryside, while the apartment complexes in Sicily are condominiums, which mean that a lot of the facilities are shared. In addition to the three types of real estate, there are many other types of properties that are available. These include farmers huts, medieval houses, seafront homes, Masseria or large farmhouses, Borgo’s or hamlets, Caselli or small houses in lemon or orange groves, castles, island retreats and wine warehouses that have been converted into residential properties.
back to Buying Guides.
