Villa in Caprese Michelangelo

A charming little natural-stone cottage in perfect condition.

This gem is situated in a small ‘frazione’ – a hamlet – within the municipality of Caprese Michelangelo, where – indeed – Michelangelo was born. The cottage is detached on all four sides and stands in an idyllic cul-de-sac amongst other rustic and well-maintained cottages, surrounded by beautiful natural scenery. The rear of the property overlooks the deep and wide garden, offering a magnificent unobstructed view across the hills. It is connected to the public mains for water, gas and electricity, as well as the municipal sewerage system. There is a good, fast internet connection.

From the front door, you enter directly into the living room with a fireplace and a closed stove, and a semi-open kitchen fitted with a dishwasher, fridge-freezer, built-in 4-burner gas hob, and an extractor hood venting to the outside. The open fireplace works perfectly; for heating, you can also use the small stove or the radiators fitted throughout the house, with the exception of the cantina (see below). The floor of the kitchen/living room is tiled with typical Tuscan floor tiles. From the living room, double doors lead to the glazed balcony, which spans the entire width of the façade. Some of the aluminium windows (double-glazed) on the balcony can be slid open.

From the living room, with its characteristic wooden ceiling beams and terracotta ceiling tiles, a spiral staircase leads to the top floor, where there is a double bedroom with a large fitted wardrobe, a small room (suitable only for a cot if used as a bedroom) and the bathroom. The landing and both bedrooms feature a lacquered parquet floor in excellent condition. The recently renovated, classic bathroom has a bath with an integrated shower (with a folding screen on the bath rim), a toilet, a bidet and a washbasin. The floor is tiled with glazed ceramic floor tiles in a classic Tuscan terracotta colour.

Access to the large garden is from the outside: via the stone staircase at the front leading to the terrace on the ground floor. This staircase is jointly owned with the neighbours, who, incidentally, have not used it to date. The steps lead to a spacious tiled terrace, the rear section of which also features a stone pizza oven and barbecue. A small step also leads to a small terrace at the side of the cottage, where the shade of the house provides cool respite in the height of summer. From this tiled terrace, a flight of steps leads down to the garden, past another terrace (lawn), on which the outdoor shower is currently situated. A small stream runs along the far end of the garden. The plot on which the cottage stands includes part of the land on the other side of the stream. At the back of the garden is a small shed, where garden tools can be stored.

Beneath the living room is the ‘cantina’, a storage room with two small windows which currently houses the washing machine, with a washbasin next to it, and the central heating system. It therefore has electricity and water supply and drainage. The floor is plain concrete and the walls are unfinished. The door to the cantina opens onto the tiled terrace. This space could relatively easily be converted into a fully-fledged room, possibly with a small bathroom. A glass-panelled door could be fitted behind the solid wooden ‘front door’ to let daylight into the room.

The property is currently let out as a holiday home for part of the year via a well-known, internationally operating rental website. Arrangements have therefore already been made for its maintenance and cleaning, which the next owner can take over if they wish. In the hamlet of Caprese Michelangelo, you can do your shopping; there is also a cash machine and a few places to eat and drink. A shop selling everything from food to household goods and DIY supplies is a 5-minute walk from the alleyway.

The house is ready to move into and is being offered, including the contents, for €117,500 (costs, duties and taxes payable by the buyer). In the event of a sale agreement, the seller’s estate agent and solicitor will be engaged. Both work efficiently and meticulously, and virtually all staff involved speak and write fluent English.