FreddyBee

I am British, hoping to retire to Sicily in about one year from now. I read and speak Italian, though my vocabulary needs improvement. I will have about 2,500 Euros per month income, so am expecting to pay about 600-900 euros per month in rent. I am alone (with a dog), so only need one bedroom, or two at the most if I allow for visitors. I want a true long-term rental, not a vacation home -- I won't ever be returning to the UK. I love history and historic places, and I enjoy the sea. My inclination, based on reading alone, is to go somewhere in the Siracusa-Noto-Modica-Ragusa curve. Is my idea realistic? Can anyone suggest the equivalent of an estate agent who deals in permanent rentals, since all the references I find on-line are to vacation rentals? Thanks in advance for any advice or connections.

modicasa

With an income of 2000 a month you will live very well in Sicily. Obviously it depends what you want to rent, but more than 600 a month will be difficult to pay. A villa with garden will cost you 600 a month. Everything depends what you want. Estate agents who deal in long term rentals - ie 4+4s are few and far between because they bring no income for agents and are time consuming. So you will have to be 'boots on the ground' Your problem in the south east is that most owners have decided that they can rent out a house for August for the same money that tehy would get all year round so have opted for holiday rentals which dont bring the problems of ousting a renter if need be.
Your idea is realistic, but it will take a bit of time to find what you are looking for. Drop me a line if you want and Ill see if I can help, but I dont really handle rentals.

philat98

What about buying something? There are 1000s of houses for sale.

This is a nice villa at Ispica. They might reduce the price a bit too.

Villa in vendita a Modica, Via Sacro Cuore - 29012203 - Casa.it

dg6162

hi we are in a similar situation - went on a househunting trip in April and after 3 weeks nearly came away empty-handed. Modicasa has good advice! he was very helpful to me in explaining the different rental contracts.
Long-term tenancy agreements are available, usually for completely unfurnished places meaning there isn't even a kitchen sink so be prepared. However you should be able to find a nice place in the Siracusa area for 600Euros or even less plus condo fees plus utilities etc.- I would avoid Noto and Avola - usually rents are beach or country homes this time of year. Most people who rent out around there do it just a few months during high season. They would give you a "transitorio" contract but check whether this is good enough for residence papers without which you cannot do anything.

A long term rent for residents is typically (4+2 or 3+2 years) meaning the rents are fixed for the period of tenancy, renewable at the end of the contract. If you haven't been to Ortigia or Siracusa before I suggest you take a place for a month in the mid or low season and check it out. Shop for ads on flats on immobiliare.it or subito.it - well in advance so as to form an impression of where you think you might want to live. We passed up a beautiful house with a beautiful view for 750E because it was too small. It may be still available.

lindanoto

You really have to be here for some time to make an informed decision. It is easy enough to rent short term in several different areas before having to commit to one spot without having any knowledge of the area. Many people come with expectations that are unrealistic.
They think they want to be were all the action is then are miserable when the constant noise, traffic and lack of outdoor space becomes a day to day reality. Many come wanting the rural lifestyle then are left feeling isolated or totally underestimating that we do have colder weather sometimes and a heat source would have been a good idea. Come explore first and save yourself the experience of highly subjective online advice or preconceived notions.

dg6162

I think that sounds like pretty good advice! Take the time to explore and see what is right for you.

FreddyBee

Thank you to each of you who has commented. I don't have an emotional commitment to any particular part of Sicily: I love history (I specialized in mediaeval Italian history as a student at Oxford), I like older places rather than modern, I would like to be in reach of the sea, I need access to public transport, at least to begin with, and I love shopping in local food markets and in bookstores. I think these factors all suggest a town of at least modest size, not too deeply buried in the interior. (I do have a friend in Enna). You all seem to suggest that short-term lets would be the best way to start; but I don't want to pay holiday rental rates which can be very high. Could I get my 'boots on the ground' by renting short-term out of season? What if I were to do my house-hunting October-March? Could I get a decent 6-month rental in a central location such as Catania or Siracusa then? What is the best site to use to search for a 6-month winter let?

Margaret M

No harm in looking at the holiday rental sites, find something you fancy, and approach the owners to see if they would be amenable to a much reduced rate for a longer term winter rental. If you don't ask you don't get.

FreddyBee

Thank you. A great idea!

FreddyBee

For Modicasa: You tell me that the idea is definitely realistic, but that it is difficult to find permanent, non-vacation rentals without having 'boots on the ground.' Someone else (Margaret M) supported my thought that I might find an out-of-season property to rent, say for six months October-March, at a 'normal' monthly rent, which would give me time to scout the island and the rental market in order to locate a permanent home. Do you think this is possible and, if so, could you perhaps suggest a source (on-line or not) for such an off-season rental? I should add that I am not wedded to any particular part of Sicily. I should be happy to live anywhere with some local history and charm. If you say Agrigento or Messina, I will happily look at either!

Margaret M

As a holiday home owner myself, albeit not in Sicily, I would certainly consider it. I think even more so, those owners who are not nearby would like the idea of someone looking after their property over the winter.

lindanoto

Try the house sitting sites like Trustedhousesitters. You can save a lot of money with a working housesit. Usually no cost at all in exchange for cat/ dog sitting.We use them when we go away for months but you have to like pets as most homeowners willing to do this have animals

modicasa

You may well find an out odf season longer term rent, but bear in mind that many holiday homes dont have heating. As you will taking a let with bills, it can work out very expensive. There are also plenty of foreign owners who come down for the winter and would be prepared to let their houses for the summer - so everything is possible. Everthing depends where you would want to be - sea, town, or country..

MrsTeapot

Its so difficult. I've been planning ahead for the future and it all seems a minefield of choices/conundrums. I do know from frequent visits/stays to Italian areas some are not what I expected, so the old addage of 'stay there first before committing to anything is worth considering. From what I've read its definitely worth visiting areas (as a tourist) and asking in all the bars if anyone knows of anyone who wants to rent their property. Also, I read a book recently by an american woman. (I'll try and find the details) who went to Italy to live for a year and found all sorts of pitfalls that she hadn't even considered with regards to renting. She wrote it because there wasn't anything out there for her to read when she was considering renting for a year in Italy. I thought I'd researched everything I'd need to consider, but she brought up some good points I hadn't thought of; so worth reading it for any tips.

Also consider being in a smaller town (with access to the things you require nearby) if you like the idea of living in a community with Italian (nosy) neighbours. I think you can be more anonymous in a big town. However, whether you can bear being gossiped about in a smaller community is another thing. You have to have a thick skin. Also I once had a funny situation on an Italian only 'campsite'. I kept 'surreptitiously' leaving the one and only key inside a different shoe each day, outside my 'chalet' door, for others staying with me to gain access, but one of the 'diagonally opposite neighbours' didn't know I could understand some Italian and would shout out to any neighbours listening several chalets down the 'road': "She's putting the key in the Blue shoe today by the mop" So stay in small community and a large city and see how you feel about both situations/being more anonymous versus being discussed but also included in a community.

Sometimes its the small things that can please you - for me seeing in a small town/big village an older woman who daily sent down her wicker basket on a rope/pulley from a front 2nd floor balcony for people to put a newspaper/bread in for her, was fascinating. Also reading a blog (possibly Modicasa's?) about being frowned upon if you hang out your laundry with the colours not at all co-ordinated! Who'd have thought of that one?

I'll try and look up the book for you - if I remember correctly she eventually discovered she preferred Sicily and rented there in the end

With regards to public transport Sicily is well known for not being too good on public transport. I prefer public transport to braving driving there. I tend to look at google maps - if you zoom in you can see the double lined train tracks and see where the train lines go to/from in each area you are considering. In Summer you get buses that take you to the coast but not sure if you can take your dog on the bus or not, or even to the beach in the Summer? I've yet to discover if there are 'dog beaches' in Italy like there are in the UK.

*Update: The book is called Move To Italy by L.J Stone. Just seen she includes websites she found handy including rental ones. Hope this helps.

Sancho

You sound like the sort of person who'd enjoy Thus Spake Bellavista. Have you read it ?