Advice on Buying a House in Torre Salsa

A Trusted Agency

Imagine getting the keys to your dream home in Sicily, only to discover on handover day that you will never officially own it? Sadly this exact scenario happened to my elderly German neighbours Claus and Helga. The house that they thought they had purchased was in fact owned by some bloke who is in prison serving a very long sentence. After spending a great deal of money on lawyers the judge took pity on them and granted them permission to stay, but sadly they will never actually own the property. In true Sicilian spirit, the community has wrapped their arms around Claus & Helga helping them whenever they are here from Germany to harvest their olives.

I too fell into a trap and paid way too much for a house that I purchased when I first moved here. The best advice that I can give anyone who is thinking of buying a property in Sicily is take your time and do your research on agencies. There are also loads of community groups that have been set up by foreigners with the intention of sharing their stories and connections. I have joined some of the groups and in my next post on buying here in Sicily I will share all of those communities. After the experience of being over charged for my first house I was determined not to repeat the same mistake when I started looking for a property in Torre Salsa. This area has stated to become hugely popular and a sort after destination to buy thanks in part the Adler Spa Resort recently opening.

I purchased my house from a German couple and the agency that they used was excellent. The process was incredibly smooth, all of the paperwork was correct and there were no nasty surprises on the day when I was handed the keys. I have also had some challenges here in Sicily buying a house that needed renovating. If you can, try and look for properties that are already renovated and also if you are able to see the property with a qualified builder then that could save you a lot of money and stress. If you are keen on a particular property I would also recommend that you view it in Winter as well if you can or in the wetter months here on the island. Many foreigners buy properties in Summer only to discover that there are huge challenges with leaking roofs and damp throughout the house. Here is the agency that I purchased my house from. Check out their website as they also have loads of useful information on buying a house in Sicily. I can’t wait to share more stories from this beautiful corner of the world, along with insights on the best places to buy here.