Salt air drifts up the hillside in Tusa, Sicily, and settles over a little stone terrace where, on a clear day, you can watch the Mediterranean stretch out in every shade of blue. Step onto either of the two private balconies of this house and that view just opens up in front of you, uninterrupted, with the rooftops of the historic centro storico (historic center) tumbling down toward the water. This is the kind of moment that makes you stop scrolling through listings and start imagining your actual life here, coffee in hand, watching the light change over the sea every single morning.
We keep coming back to Tusa because it is full of these ancient stone homes, and this one is a particularly good example of what makes the town special. It is not overly restored, it is not stripped of its character, and it is not going to demand years of your life to make livable. We walked through this one, called Casa Costanza, and we think a lot of you have been waiting for exactly this kind of project.
Finding Casa Costanza in Tusa
This tour came together during a busy week for us. We had just been up in Caronia signing paperwork with power of attorney for two more of our viewers, closing on two more purchases on your behalf.
So while we were in the area, we made time to show you Casa Costanza, a stone house listed at just €33,000, negotiable.
We are representing the buyers on this one, which is how we work with most of our clients looking at these wholesale deals in Sicily.
Touring the House
Casa Costanza sits on just two habitable levels, which is a big deal for a lot of our viewers. If stairs are becoming a concern, or you just do not want to manage a multi-story renovation, this layout keeps things simple.
There is a cantina (cellar, or in this case a ground-floor storage space) below as well, though it is not currently connected to the two main floors above.
The Entry Level and Its Bones, Tile, and Immediate View
Walking in, you land in a small bathroom with a window, though the frosted glass keeps it private from the street.
The floors throughout this level still have their original painted ceramic tiles, likely made in nearby Santo Stefano di Camastra, a town famous for its ceramics.
There is a closet for storage, and what was previously used as a bedroom with an attached bathroom. This is also where you find the first balcony, looking straight out toward a fully restored stone house across the street and, beyond it, the Mediterranean itself.
The Top Floor’s Artist Studio and Forno a Legna
Head up to the top floor and you find a wall that was added in recent years to section off part of the space into what has been the current owner’s art studio.
We would suggest taking that wall out. Behind it sits the original kitchen, complete with a forno a legna (wood-burning oven) that is the real deal and can be modernized while staying fully functional.
Open up that dividing wall and this floor becomes one long, L-shaped space with room for a kitchen, dining area, and sitting room all together, under open beam ceilings.
The Second Balcony Where the Sea View Steals the Show
Step out onto the upper balcony and this is where the view really gets you. It is wide open, unobstructed, and looks out over the rooftops of Tusa straight to the water.
On a hazy day it can look softer and more muted, but on a clear day that Mediterranean blue is unmistakable. This is the spot where you will end up having your morning coffee or your evening glass of wine, every single day, for the rest of your life here.
Just outside this balcony is where firewood for the oven below has traditionally been stored, tucked under the stairs.
The Magazzino Below, Once a Stable for the Mule
Down at street level, with its own separate entrance, is the magazzino (storeroom), a space that was once used as a stall for a mule or goat.
The original rock floor is still intact throughout, and the stone walls here are honestly some of the most striking in the whole house.
Knock out a few flimsy partitions and this room has real potential to become a wine cellar, creative studio, or extra living space, with natural light coming in through both a window and the door.
What the Renovation Actually Involves
This is genuinely a manageable project, not a formidable one. The upstairs walls need attention, some partitions should move, and the bathroom will need a proper redo with a shower tucked into the corner.
The stairs need covering, ideally in stone with painted ceramic risers, which can be custom made inexpensively in nearby Santo Stefano.
The wood roof structure may need a geometra (surveyor) and a muratore (builder) to come assess it, though there are no visible signs of leaking right now.
On the exterior, the facade mixes brick and exposed stone. Our advice is to plaster over the brick sections for uniformity, but leave a section of the original stone exposed as a feature, since it is such a beautiful sample of the old wall underneath.
Property Highlights of Casa Costanza
- Location: the historic hilltop village of Tusa, Sicily, with sweeping Mediterranean views
- Interior size: 75 square meters (about 800 square feet) across two habitable floors, plus a separate ground-floor cantina
- Layout: 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, and an open kitchen, dining, and sitting area
- Two private balconies with unobstructed sea views
- Original wood-burning forno a legna in the upstairs kitchen
- A street-level magazzino with exposed stone walls and its own entrance, ideal as a wine cellar or studio
- Authentic rugged stone exterior with straight, plastered interior walls upstairs
- Watch the full property tour
- Featured in Episode 52
- Asking price: €33,000
Please note: our property tours stay online long after filming, and homes like this tend to sell quickly, so this one may no longer be available. If it has already sold, we can still help you find something similar. Tell us your dream, and we’ll help make it real.
Your Sea View Stone House in Tusa
Casa Costanza is exactly the kind of house we love showing you. It has real, authentic character, a manageable two-story layout, and a sea view that genuinely stops you in your tracks.
At €33,000, it is an accessible entry point into owning property in Sicily, whether you are thinking about a holiday home, a retirement plan, or a project to make entirely your own.
The work here is doable. Some wall reconfiguration, a bathroom redo, some plaster and stonework on the facade, and you have a home with two balconies looking straight out over Tusa to the Mediterranean.
Houses like this do not sit on the market long. If this one speaks to you, we would love to help you make it yours.
