ABOUT
ME
My Journey to Sicily!
While I had been to Italy several times during my lifetime, I came to Sicily for the first time in the winter of 2018 when I decided to reroute a business trip in London. Arguably not the best time of year to visit, but I had been to London many times and thought it would be a good opportunity to come to Sicily as it is less than a 2 hour flight.
I made plans to circumvent the island, and I did. Starting in Palermo, I went counterclockwise around the island to Castellammare del Golfo, Scopello, Erice, Trapani, Marsala, Mt. Etna, Catania, and Taormina. The scenery was breathtaking, the people were welcoming, and I even fell in love.
Her name is Castellammare del Golfo.
There is a saying about Sicily that you will cry twice when you are here. Once when you arrive, and again when you leave. For me, I couldn't stop thinking about how I felt while I was here and could not wait to return. I flew back three weeks later to find my forever home, and the next couple of years were very exciting trying to navigate the language, local customs, remodeling an historic apartment, finding materials and decorations, and just getting the utilities set up.
Admittedly, there were a lot of frustrations, mistakes, and blown money along the way, but there are many good reasons why I choose to stay here. The good far outweighs the frustrations and they are only mistakes if you do not learn from them. But as I spent more time here, I got to know many people who love Sicily, but are afraid to make any kind of commitment to purchase a property here. The language barrier aside, there are misconceptions about owning a property here, from taxes to maintenance to Italian law, etc. Like anything else, it's difficult to figure out on your own, but if you have someone who has been through the process (several times) and someone who can guide you through the process, that would make the decision easier.
After speaking to many people and consulting with my partners, that is how we came up with Sicily Made Simple. We thought it best to provide as much information up front as possible, answer those frequently asked questions (here), and hopefully give our clients and friends enough information to help them decide their next move, whether it is to visit Sicily or buy a property here.
Sicily is waiting...why are you?
-Dan