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Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean, has some of the lowest asking prices on Realpoint: village houses, country homes, Baroque towns and a coastline on three seas. But what Realpoint has in Sicily is not a picture of the whole island. Most of our Sicilian listings come from one inland area in the Agrigento countryside. This guide explains what is actually for sale in Sicily on Realpoint, what different budgets buy, and what to check before you sign anything.
For an introduction to the island itself, its provinces and transport links, see our Sicily property page.
What’s on the market in Sicily
- Around half of the homes are village town houses: traditional houses in the streets of small towns, many of them needing work.
- Detached houses and villas each make up roughly one in six. Country estates, apartments and farmhouses are only a handful.
- Terraces are the most common feature, followed by parking, panoramic views and gardens. About one home in ten has a sea view, and swimming pools are rare.
- The typical home has three bedrooms.
One thing shapes all of these figures: around four in five Sicilian listings on Realpoint are in a single town, Cianciana, in the countryside of Agrigento province. That is why low-priced village houses dominate. Palermo, Catania, Taormina and the smaller islands are all part of the Sicilian market, but they have few or no listings on Realpoint so far.
What does a home in Sicily cost?
Asking prices run from a few thousand euros for a village house in need of work to several million for the largest villas. In practice:
- Half of all homes are listed between about €30,000 and €165,000.
- Nearly two thirds are under €100,000, mostly village town houses in the Agrigento countryside.
- At the top end, fewer than one in ten pass €1 million, mainly villas and estates.
A typical village town house is listed at around €40,000 and a typical detached house at around €75,000. Country estates sit higher, at around €185,000, and villas higher still, at around €480,000.
What your budget buys
- Under €50,000: village town houses, most of them in and around Cianciana and usually needing renovation. A low entry price, but budget for the work. See Sicily homes under €50,000.
- €50,000–€150,000: larger village houses, some already habitable or restored, and small country homes.
- €150,000–€500,000: country houses with land, smaller estates and some villas.
- €500,000 and above: a small number of villas and estates, some with pools and sea views. See Sicily homes with a sea view.
Where the homes are
Sicily has nine provinces, but on Realpoint one of them dominates:
- Agrigento, in the south-west, has the large majority of listings. Almost all are in Cianciana, with a few more in nearby Alessandria della Rocca.
- Ragusa, in the south-east, is a distant second: the towns of Ragusa, Modica, Scicli and Chiaramonte Gulfi, and the coast at Marina di Ragusa and Pozzallo.
- Elsewhere: only a handful of homes each in Syracuse, Palermo (including the city of Palermo), Catania, Messina and Trapani.
If you are set on another part of the island, such as the east coast or the islands, save a search and check back regularly.
Five things to check before buying in Sicily
1. Landscape and heritage protection
Some properties, particularly in historic centres and protected landscapes, come under landscape or heritage protection (vincolo paesaggistico), overseen by the heritage authority, the Soprintendenza. Works on them need its approval. Ask a local geometra what applies before you plan any changes.
2. Was every part of the building legally built?
Unauthorised building has been common in Sicily: an extra floor, a terrace closed in, an outbuilding turned into rooms. Ask for the building permits for the whole property and, where something was regularised later, the amnesty (condono) paperwork. Have your geometra check that what you are buying matches them.
3. Earthquake risk in the east
Eastern Sicily, including the provinces of Catania, Messina and Syracuse, is a high earthquake-risk area. If you are buying there, have a structural engineer inspect the building before you commit.
4. Water supply in summer
In some areas the water supply can be irregular in summer, and many homes rely on tanks or cisterns. Ask exactly how the house is supplied, how much storage it has, and how the current owners manage in the hottest months.
5. Renovation costs on cheap village houses
The very cheapest village houses usually need full renovation: roof, structure, wiring, plumbing and bathrooms. The purchase price can be a small part of the total. Get quotes from local builders before you buy, not after.
Buying costs in brief
On top of the price, allow roughly 7–15% for taxes and fees, depending on the property and your situation:
- Registration tax when buying from a private seller: 9% of the property’s cadastral (land-registry) value for a second home, or 2% if it will be your main home in Italy, plus small fixed taxes. From a builder, VAT applies instead.
- Notary: required by law for every purchase.
- Estate agent: in Italy both buyer and seller usually pay the agent. Agree the percentage in writing at the start.
- Your own surveyor and lawyer: strongly recommended, especially for older rural homes.
You will also need an Italian tax code: see our guide to getting your codice fiscale. Our article on the 7 most common mistakes foreign buyers make is worth reading before you make an offer.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Always confirm costs and rules with a notary, geometra or commercialista for your own purchase.
Frequently asked questions
Can I find a house in Sicily for under €100,000?
Yes. Nearly two thirds of the Sicilian homes on Realpoint are under €100,000, mostly village town houses in the Agrigento countryside that need some or a lot of work.
Does Realpoint have homes all over Sicily?
Not evenly. Most listings are in and around Cianciana in Agrigento province, with a smaller group in Ragusa province. Other parts of the island have only a few listings for now.
Can I find a home by the sea?
Yes, but they are a minority: about one Sicilian home in ten on Realpoint has a sea view. Look at the Ragusa coast, around Marina di Ragusa and Pozzallo.
Start your search
Browse all homes for sale in Sicily, or simply describe your ideal home in our AI search, for example “village house with a terrace near Agrigento under €50,000”.
Homes for sale in Sicily
- €2,980,000
- €1,800,000
- €2,000,000
