“Arrive as guests, leave as friends”: Chasing the Sicilian B&B Dream

We’ve all been there lounging on a sun-drenched terrace, looking out at the sea, and thinking, “What if we just… stayed?”

For many, it remains a fleeting holiday fantasy. But for Yvonne and Fabrizio, it became a reality. They took the leap and opened a bed and breakfast in southeast Sicily. We sat down with them to find out what it really takes to find, buy, and renovate a property in a foreign country—and build a whole new life in the process.

Q: So, why Southeast Sicily?

Yvonne: We actually started looking in the north. But we quickly realised that because the beaches there face north if you want to look at the sea, the sun is behind you, and we simply prefer to see the sun and the sea all at once”

Fabrizio: Exactly. So, we shifted our focus south for the stunning sandy beaches. But specifically, the Val di Noto won us over. You have these incredible UNESCO heritage towns—Modica, Noto, Scicli. The Baroque architecture is breathtaking, and the pace of life in those traditional towns is exactly what we were searching for.

Q: How did you even begin looking for a property?

Fabrizio:  We started online—Idealista, Immobiliare, Casa.it. The usual suspects. We made a shortlist of 35 properties.

Yvonne:  Thirty-five! And we covered a huge area, from Ragusa Ibla all the way over to Noto. Fabrizo, being Italian, handled the calls and booked the viewings. He went ahead first to organise everything, and then I flew out to join him.

Fabrizio: And then we saw all 35 houses in one week.

Yvonne: It was intense. Most were with agents, but one or two came through personal introductions. You’d think it would be overwhelming, but we actually ruled things out really quickly. One place had an electric pylon right in front of the door—immediate no. Quite a few didn’t match the photos at all. You really cannot judge a property from a listing.

Fabrizio: And then there was the strangest viewing…

Yvonne: Oh yes! We walked into a house with the agent, and there was still a couple in bed! We couldn’t believe it.

Fabrizio: We went back to see three of the properties twice. And then we knew which one was ours.

Q: What were the dealbreakers—or must-haves—when choosing?

Yvonne:  The sea was non-negotiable. Either see it or be close enough that we could just pop down to the beach whenever we wanted.

Fabrizio: We also wanted to be near a town that felt alive year-round, not just in July and August. And we wanted countryside, but not isolation. Neighbours nearby, but space to breathe.

Yvonne: And practically speaking, the building had to be convertible into a B&B. We specifically wanted five bedrooms. In Italy, if you have four gust bedrooms or fewer, you don’t need to set up a formal company or get a VAT number. Five pushes you into a different category.

Fabrizio: We also wanted enough space to host our own families. Running the B&B during the summer just made sense financially, but it also justified us having this beautiful, large home.

Q: How long did the renovation take?

Yvonne: From submitting the permits to moving in? Two years.

Q: What was the hardest part?

Fabrizio:  We under-budgeted. I think that’s the honest answer.

Yvonne:  Definitely. Controlling the budget while overseeing the construction was a real challenge. And being present every single day was vital. I don’t think we could have done it if we weren’t here, on-site, checking everything. Things slip through the cracks otherwise.

Q: What do you love most about running a B&B?

Yvonne: The guests. Without question. I love when the house is full. Hearing laughter by the pool, people relaxing and enjoying themselves—it gives you such a deep sense of satisfaction.

Fabrizio:  And I love that we do it together. We have very different skills, but we work as a team. There’s something really special about building something side by side and sharing the success of it.

Yvonne: We’ve genuinely become friends with so many of our guests. Some have taken us out to dinner. They even bring us gifts. They arrive as guests and leave as friends.

Fabrizio: And now we’re starting to get repeat visitors. That’s the best compliment. It reassures us that we’re doing something right.

Q: And the least favourite part?

Yvonne: The seven-day week. You’re always on. But the trade-off is complete autonomy. We’ve learned to block off time for ourselves—to be holidaymakers in our own home. You have to be intentional about it, but it’s possible.

Q: Has anything surprised you?

Yvonne:  Neither of us came from hospitality. So to have created this whole new life—and a successful business—at this stage in our lives? We never expected it.

Fabrizio: Also, the community. I thought making friends would be hard. But there’s a great network of expats here, and locals have been so welcoming. We have a lovely mix of international and Italian friends now. It happened much more naturally than I expected.

Q: Finally—any advice for someone dreaming of doing the same?

Yvonne: If we hadn’t planned to open a B&B, we would never have looked at a property this size. That’s the magic of it. You get to live in this beautiful, large home all year round, and you only share it for half the year.

Fabrizio:  It’s the perfect setup if you want the flexibility of running your own business but also genuinely enjoy hosting.

Yvonne:  It’s an amazing opportunity, it given us whole new way of living if you love people and you want to create something beautiful?  Go for it?

If you are thinking about moving to Sicily and looking at buying a bed and breakfast, take a look at Farfalla Blu the home that Yvonne and Fabrizio have lovingly restored. Now listed for sale €995,000

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