Edwardian villa with 12 gites for sale France

Spa town – Edwardian villa with 12 rental units

June 29, 2018

Cevennes foothills
Spa town – Edwardian villa with 12 rental units
excellent turnover – repeat business
30 minutes Béziers and Med beaches
€495,000 * ref: 241

* 8 x 2-room appartments
* 4 studio flats
* separate owner’s (or manager’s) accommodation
* Mediterranean garden (easy to manage)

* Oil-fired central-heating thoughout
* 30 minutes Béziers and Mediterranean beaches

The Mediterranean coast from Montpellier to Perpignan is flat and sandy and the housing is recent, favouring concrete over stone. But retreat inland 30 minutes or so and you are in the real Mediterranean hinterland: a region of vineyards, olive groves and maquis-covered hillsides. The villages are small and tight-knit and as one approaches the Cevennes there are a number of spa towns.

Lamalou-les-Bains is not only a renowned treatment centre for rheumatology and neurological problems but it’s also a base for tourists, hikers and cyclists keen on exploring the wild Cevennes mountains, the vineyards and the villages in the region.

The spa ‘season’ runs from February to December which means that demand for short-term accommodation is practically year round.

The turn-of-the-century villa is located in the spa town itself but on the upper slopes in a calm residential area. It has been extended over the years and now has a one-storey annex out the back with space for a number of easy-access flats to complement the units in the main villa. This house has three stories (served by lift) with a mixture of two-room apartments and cosy studio flats. Some have been adapted for severely-handicapped guests (on the ground floor) and they all easily accessible.

All the 12 rental units have been scrupulously maintained and decorated. They are sold fully-furnished and equipped: ready to let. A feature of the business is the amount of repeat bookings: guests come back year after year for their annual ‘cure’ at the spa and regularly ask for the same apartment. The simple garden – alive with Mediterranean shrubbery and trees – is an important feature that allows guests to eat outdoors and enjoy the peaceful surroundings and views of the maquis-covered hills.

Our opinion:

Everyone is attracted by the Mediterranean coast … but the Languedoc is not the Riviera. The coast has been poorly developped with concrete blocks and tacky breeze-block ‘houses’. One has to move inland to find properties with some charm and authenticity. Lamalou-les-Bains is just that: a spa town built around the end of the 19th century with a number of striking Edwardian public buildings (the baths for examples) and private villas. This business is an excellent way of generating a steady income stream while enjoying life in a warm and sunny part of the Mediterranean basin. It is currently run by just one person: a couple could hope to boost earnings by concentrating more on the tourist side of things. Great value at this price.

* agency fees included reference n°: 241

more information or to arrange a viewing – email

Limoux area – gite business in rural setting

June 28, 2018

Limoux – South Carcassonne
Thriving gite business
Farmhouse and three gites
Country location: vines, maquis, mountain
€600,000 * – ref 207 – direct sale by owner

The area around Limoux, south of Carcassonne, is dramatic, broken country of vine-covered hillsides, steep maquis-covered gorges and glimpses of the snow-capped Pyrenees as backdrop. The region is peppered with hilltop mediaeval villages, spa towns, castles and monasteries replete with history, intrigue and mystery. In short: the perfect place for an exhilarating lifestyle change!

The property for sale is located in the countryside – a few minutes from a tiny hilltop village – in its own 2 hectare estate. It comprises a traditional stone-built farmhouse, three independent gites, a large pool and a mix of maquis, woodland and gardens. It has been run as a successful gite business for the past 12 or so years and has no problem attracting guests from all over the world from April through to October.

The different buildings:

* the farmhouse is a south-facing two-storey building with a large cellar/garage space. Two double bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen and vast living/dining room. There’s a covered terrace with views over the countryside and the local castle. But it’s the attic and cellar space which will interest potential buyers as there is room here for another three or four bedrooms. Heat pump ensures lowcost central-heating.

* Gite 1 is in a separate building over 70 metres from the main house. It boasts two double bedrooms, a recently-refurbished shower room, living area and fully-equipped kitchen. Underfloor heating. Private terrace with barbecue.

* Gite 2 is away above the other dwellings and the pool, on the edge of the untamed mountainside, with views over the valley. it is a generous one-bedroom gite with open-plan, split-level lounge and kitchen. Again, it has its own private terrace.

* Gite 3 is a studio which is really part of the main farmhouse but with a completely separate entrance. There’s one double room, shower-room and – on the mezzanine floor – a neat little living/dining space with integrated kitchen.

A pool is obviously the centre of attraction in this region as temperatures reach the mid-thirties throughout the summer. And this pool provides all the space necessary for all-day lounging, swimming or just contemplating the 1000 year-old chateau on the hill.

For adventurous types there is a ruin on the land: not very accessible but a ruin nonetheless … and it’s marked on the Cadastre (land registry) so may be built upon.

Shopping is done in Limoux (7 minutes), airport is in Carcassonne (direct links to London, Dublin, Brussels, M’Chester …), seaside at Gruissan (60 mins) and skiing at Mont d’Olmes (60 mins). And all around you have the Limoux vineyards: sparkling whites (Limoux AOC), rustic rosés and some excellent reds are now being made in the region.

Our opinion:

Very much a ‘lifestyle’ property with its dinky little stone-built cottages and farmhouse, big pool and views of castles and mountains, this property has all the ingredients to please the most demanding buyers. The house and gites have all been renovated and finished to a high standard, there’s a nice pool, plenty of space and a list of happy customers. That’s for the buyers who don’t want to do any DIY or work on the place.

But for ambitious buyers, the challenge would be to get the cellar/garage space sorted out, use the attic space, build on the ruin … and double the income.

Whatever your inclination, this is a genuine business well worth viewing.

* no agency fees – direct sale similar business in the region

more information or to arrange a viewing – http://www.aude-gites.com/ – Ariane Duncan – email

Château for sale – Tarn/South Aveyron – 4 gites

June 28, 2018

Château for sale – Tarn/South Aveyron
chateau – 4 gites – 2 pools – 2 hectares land
25 minutes Albi – near Viaur gorge
€980,000 * ref: 186

This is a lifestyle property plus thriving gite business for sale just 25 minutes north of Albi in the Aveyron. The main building – 1000m² of living space – comprises a family home with 5 bedrooms and four high quality gites with between 2 and 4 bedrooms. It forms a square with an interior courtyard. The chateau faces south affording uninterrupted views over the Viaur valley into the Tarn. There are two hectares of gardens, vegetable patch, orchard and mature woodland … and two pools.

There are many things one could do with this property as it lends itself to both gite and guest house activities. The present owners prefer to concentrate on letting the four gites throughout the summer months but there is scope to let out some of the rooms (in the main house as well as in the gites) as B&B rooms in the low season.

Here’s a run-down on the various buildings:

The main chateau. This is a fine, south-facing stone-built house that has been totally renovated and refurbished. Downstairs are the main reception rooms: a vast dining room (pictured below), big fully-equipped kitchen, lounge and one bedroom/utility room with ensuite bathroom.

Upstairs there are three spacious ensuite bedrooms as well as a games room/lounge or extra bedroom. Upstairs again (second floor) are two more bedrooms with a bathroom and former ‘kitchen’. There is oil-fired central heating throughout … and a number of open fires, inserts and wood-burners making use of the abundant wood on the estate.

Gites 1 and 2: These are duplexes in the East wing of the chateau. Each has a spacious living/dining section with fully-eqipped kitchen on the ground floor and two bedrooms and bathroom upstairs. Each gite has a private garden with terrace in front of the house.

Gites 3 and 4: In the west wing of the complex, these gites are bigger than the other two. Gite 3 (170m²) has 3 bedrooms while gite 4 (190m²) has four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Again, these two gites have been finished and furnished to a very high standard and need no more work whatsoever. All these gites are centrally-heated. These gites in the west wing have access to an above-ground pool (32m²) adjacent to their terraces.

The chateau is on the edge of a tiny hamlet with a handful of houses. But these are more or less invisible as the facade faces south, away from the hamlet, over-looking the gardens, pool area and woodland. There is a fine vegetable garden and greenhouse, a pond with bridge and water features and the pool which is accompanied by a wooden chalet housing a summer-kitchen for outdoor catering events. The hectare or so of woods has been left wild except for narrow pathways which guide guests through this charming area of greenery and shade.

Finally, one of the barn roofs has been fitted with solar panels which produce between €3k and 4k of electricity per year. Tax free.

Our opinion:

There are quite a few chateaux for sale in the Aveyron – a wild and empty département – but few are as well located as this one. In the Rouergue region, close to one of France’s most beautiful villages (Sauveterre-de-Rouergue) and only 25 mins north of France’s most recent UNESCO World Heritage site, Albi. Above all it is a beautiful place to live: the chateau has been refurbished by professionals and exudes comfort and well-being. The gites are full of charm. We would exploit the guest house angle a bit more: the rooms in the main house could easily be let for €150 – €185 per night to discerning clients who would be only too happy to pay €50 more for a table d’hôte served in the grand dining-room. Some people might be tempted by the idea of a boutique hotel … but upmarket guest houses are much easier to run and comply with the regulations.

* agency fees included reference n°: 186

more information or to arrange a viewing – email

Similar property in the same region

Gascony – upmarket guest house 25 minutes Toulouse airport

May 28, 2018

luxury Guest House
5 bedroomed former convent plus 2 separate apartments
conference room, pool, gardens and outhouses
€645,000 – ref 188

The rolling countryside of Gascony and the Gers département start at the western edge of the Toulouse urban area. Within minutes one is in rich farmland dotted with tiny villages, each with views southward to the snow-capped Pyrenees.

This property is located in one of these villages, just 30 minutes or so from Toulouse’s airport at Blagnac. It is a former convent, dating back to the 14th century, built of local stone. The village itself is a gem of little houses, some half-timbered, with a remarkable market hall and an imposing 14th century church. The village is a ‘bastide’ or ‘new town’, built in 1284 on the site of the original Roman settlement.

Now a reputable guest house with five en-suite bedrooms decorated and fitted out with taste and discretion, this property is for sale as a going-concern. But there is much more for sale than the 5 B&B rooms: there is also the 4-bedroom owner’s private quarters and an independent 1 bedroom gite, extensive dining rooms, kitchens, 2 living rooms, an office and a vast reception/seminar room (looks like a former ballroom .. but this was a convent). And that’s just what’s in the convent building (728m²): outside there’s a modest garden with pool and solarium and another – unexploited – building on two floors with unlimited potential.

Our opinion:
Not only is this a well-finished conversion job which has transformed an old building into a beautiful guest house but it is also a tremendous business opportunity because of its proximity to Toulouse and the aerospace complex at Blagnac… where Airbus have their headquarters. Discreet, upmarket accommodation like this is highly-prized by visiting executives and potential Airbus customers.

The seminar space is an added extra which should be promoted. For buyers wanting expansion potential, there is the 200m² building out back which could be converted into an independent 4 bedroom gite or proprietor’s house.

Finally, the incredibly efficient wood-pellet central-heating sytem makes this property excellent value for money.

What’s for sale?
– A 14th century former convent in a bastide village near Toulouse:
* a large stone house with a guest area comprising 5 ensuite B&B bedrooms, an office, large living/dining area with open fireplace, spacious fully-equipped kitchen with separate veg prep/wash-up and sitting for 8, storage room, seminar hall, second sitting room/library.
* outside terrace
* garden with lawn and trees
* 3×6 metre pool
* solarium
* boilerhouse with wood-pellet-fired boiler and storage for 20 tons of pellets
* conference room with bar facilities
* 4-bedroomed private owner’s flat with separate entrance. 2 bathrooms, dressing rooms and very large living room
* 1-bedroom gite (holiday flat) with kitchen/dining area, bathroom etc. 2 other bedrooms also on the second floor.
* large garage/workshop on two floors with separate entrance. For renovation/conversion to more accommodation

* agency fees included reference n°: 188

more information or to arrange a viewing – email

Gite business – Lot/Dordogne border

May 27, 2018

Lot: Gite business with house and 2 gites, 2 pools

7 hectares of land

€462,000* (ref: 112)

This is a tried and tested gite business in the Lot sold as a going concern. It ticks most of the boxes where lifestyle buyers are concerned:

* in one of France’s most unspoilt area- on the Lot/Dordogne border
* plenty of land – over 7 hectares of meadow and woodland
* near – but not in – a village. The beautiful little village of Peyrilles.
* 2 pools, one for each gite. Child-secure and in perfect condition.
* 2 gites: one large independent 4-bedroom/3 bathroom affair and one small, cosy 2-person accommodation.
* comfortable 2-bedroom house for the owners
* 3 septic tanks

Although this is a well-known business with repeat clients already booked for 2015, the owners are happy with letting the two gites for a maximum of 10-12 weeks in the summer. They do not want – or need – to expand the season; The potential is there however for extending the season into late October, Christmas holidays and starting again at Easter.

There are two main buildings: the main house which is on three levels – the small gite occupies half of the lower level and the owner’s quarters the other two floors. The big gite is in a separate cottage, again on two levels. (See plans in the photo section below).

The owners have fashioned an extremely comfortable home out of their section of the main house: living-room with wood-burning stove, dining room with a self-contained kitchen off it. Upstairs there are two double rooms. The stove heats the whole house with added electric storage heaters for back-up. There is ample wood on the estate to last a lifetime.

The big gite is a converted barn that has kept a lot of the charm of the original building. It has a vast living area plus kitchen, one bedroom and bathrooms on the ground floor and three bedrooms on the first floor. Four bedrooms and three bathrooms plus a private pool and private terrace means that guests are totally independent … and this results in higher tarifs than normal gites.

The small gite is even more popular: two-person gites are much in demand – especially out of season – and this one with its private terrace and private pool could probably be let out for over half the year …. if one so wanted.

The grounds are a mixture of well-kept lawns and shrubbery … and a wild bit of forest with views over the valley. In between there is a big field suitable for keeping a horse or two. Small stables at the end of the field.

Peyrilles, the local village has its own café-restaurant and a lively social life with mediaeval pageants being a speciality. There’s a primary school.

Our opinion:
There are no surprises here. A well-maintained, well-run gite business in a country setting on a fair bit of land. It could be run as is – exploiting the summer months and doing other things the rest of the year – or it could be developed in a number of ways. ‘Camping à la ferme’ is a possibility as are discreet wood chalets placed in the forest. The local mayor is all for development but the project must be watertight. The price has now been reduced to a very reasonable level: you won’t find better value in the region.

* 3% agency fees included reference n°: 112

more information or to arrange a viewing – EMAIL

Dordogne – entire hamlet with 6 gites and manor house

May 25, 2018

Dordogne: hamlet with 6 gites, farmhouse and out-buildings
Between Monpazier and Belvès
€985,000 * (ref: 070)

What used to be a thriving hamlet with three or four working farms has been transformed into a very special holiday gite complex. The old Perigord stone houses have been converted into comfortable self-catering holiday dwellings – nothing fancy: just good well-equipped rural accommodation.

There are 6 gites in al as well as the owner’s house and barn. Lying to one side of the estate is a very large stone property dating back to the 16th century which has now begun to be renovated. The new roof is on (all the timber has been replaced) and the interior remains to be finished. The communal pool area lies in the centre of all these buildings: a superb 18 metre heated pool and a smaller paddling pool.

Pool with pool bar

Of course this hamlet is secluded; that’s the whole point! Surrounded by forest and pasture there is total peace and tranquility. But the local village – Belvès – is only 10 minutes away with St Cyprien and the Dordogne river another 15. To the south the bijou village of Monpazier is a twenty minute spin.

There are 6 gites in all: some are based in the old farmhouse with its low beams and wide fireplaces, others are more modern with central heating and sophisticated kitchens. They range in size from a spacious 8-person, 3 bed, 2 bath affair to a simple studio with bathroom for 2 people.

Apart from the gites there is the owner’s accommodation: a house with 3 bedrooms, kitchen, living-room, 2 bathrooms. They have a barn too with 150m² of storage room. Then there is the events room: a large purpose-built hall with space for 120 people, long tables, fireplace and a professional kitchen (fully equipped and with regulation personnel shower and wc). This facility is highly appreciated by groups who can book out the whole complex and use the hall for seminars, weddings, family reunions – whatever.

There is another communal building for all the guests: a sort of café/summer kitchen where they can buy drinks, watch TV or just play cards and get to know each other.

Finally, there is the ‘old’ manor house: probably the first building on the site in the early 16th century, this fine stone Dordogne mansion covers 200m² of suface on the ground floor. There are three floors. The roof has been completely renewed: timber, beams, tiles, guttering. It remains a work in progress…

Our opinion:
There is always a demand for a ‘get-away-from-it-all’ retreat in a secluded part of the Dordogne … and this is it. It’s at the end of the road and no one is going to bother you. We would keep the business ticking over as is while we renovate the old ‘mansion’. This is the place for the owners to live! Wonderful house slightly apart from the rest of the hamlet. This would then free up another gite. The events room could then be used for serious, out of season activities.

What’s for sale?

– a 2 hectare estate in central Dordogne south of Belvès
– 1 x 8-person gites
– 3 x 6-person gites
– 1 x 5-person gite
– 1 x 2/4 person gite

– owner’s house: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, large living/dining area, kitchen, central heating, private terrace and patio
– events hall with professional kitchen
– 18 metre pool – heated and fully secured. Paddling pool
– Summer kitchen/café area for bathers
– outhouses: over 350m² of solid outbuildings which could be converted
– workshop
– car park for over 20 vehicles
– play area with sandpit, swings, slide,
– septic tanks

Please contact us for further information and pictures. The property can be visited by appointment only.

* 3% agency fees included reference n°: 070

more information or to arrange a viewing – EMAIL

Entire Hamlet for sale Tarn Valley

May 25, 2018

Entire hamlet: 4 houses – 2 barns – 6 acres land
no near neighbours – Tarn river valley – secluded location
€350,000 * ref: 176 – direct sale by owner

A rare and beautiful property just a few miles from the Tarn river in the Aveyron département: secluded, yes, but still less than an hour from Albi, 90 minutes from Toulouse and the Med coast. It is a real hamlet – with its own name – and comprises 4 houses, two barns, 2.5 hectares of land and a stream.

As a lifestyle property this has it all. As a gite or B&B business … there is still a bit of work to be done. It is not a going-concern and is being sold simply as a hamlet with loads of potential.

Here’s a run-down on the various buildings:

The main farmhouse. Originally a Vigneron’s house (the valley was full of vines in the past) the basement floor is a vast wine cellar with vaulted roof and thick stone walls. The first floor (or ground floor from the street-side) has two very large reception rooms, a big farm kitchen, a maze of pantries and back kitchens as well as a bathroom and toilet. Upstairs there are 8 double bedrooms and a wash room. On the third floor – the roofspace – is a vast loft area with more than enough headroom to convert into living space. There is oil-fired central heating with a big boiler in the basement and radiators on the kitchen/reception floor.

Gite 1: This is a small two-storey cottage with a fine terrace out front, south-facing and over-looking the valley. Walls and roof in good shape but the interior needs total renovation.

Gite 2 is a much bigger building. It’s really just a shell with good roof but everything to do inside.

Gite 3 is a small house with living space above a cow byre. As yet unrenovated.

The big barn opposite the main house is a beauty. Made of the same red stone typical of southern Aveyron, it has a most unusual roof with stone vaulting giving it a vaguely ecclesiastical look … as well as a fabulous space for any amount of activities. The basement covers the same surface area and is used for animals.

The second, open barn – more a hangar – is used as a garage and storage for hay, farm machinery etc.

The 6 acres of land stretch away in front of the hamlet to a stream below and northwards, behind the hamlet to a wood. Most is meadow which a local farmer cuts for hay. Land is cheap around here and extra woodland, for instance, could be bought fairly easily. There is an extensive vegetable garden and orchard beside the main house and a spring-fed water reserve.

There is a road which runs right through the hamlet. Only one other farm uses this road so its more a link to the outside world than a nuisance. The whole hamlet is within the Parc Naturel des Grands Causses.

Our opinion:
There are hamlets and hamlets but this one ticks a lot of the boxes for hamlet lovers: no near neighbours, land all around it, 4 or 5 separate dwellings, barns to renovate/convert, veg garden and orchard … OK, there is renovation work to be done although the current owners live quite comfortably in the big house. It’s the sort of property that could be done up bit by bit. First, get the main house running as a B&B (there are 8 bedrooms and a loft!) then get gite 1 sorted out before moving on to the others. The big, vaulted barn could quickly become an events room/gym/hall for meetings, activities or wine-tasting. It’s secluded but not far off the beaten track: The Roquefort caves and the Millau viaduct, the lakes at Villefranche-de-Panat and the hiking region to the south are all within easy reach.

The property can be visited by appointment only.

* no agency fees – direct sale by owner – reference n°: 176

Contact the owner for more information or to arrange a viewing – email

Spa town – Edwardian villa with 12 rental units

Cevennes foothills

Spa town – Edwardian villa with 12 rental units

excellent turnover – repeat business

30 minutes Béziers and Med beaches

€495,000 * ref: 241

more information or to arrange a viewing – email

Limoux area – gite business in rural setting

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Limoux – South Carcassonne

Thriving gite business

Farmhouse and three gites

Country location: vines, maquis, mountain

€600,000 * – ref 207 – direct sale by owner

more information or to arrange a viewing – http://www.aude-gites.com/ – Ariane Duncan – email

Château for sale – Tarn/South Aveyron – 4 gites

Château for sale – Tarn/South Aveyron

chateau – 4 gites – 2 pools – 2 hectares land

25 minutes Albi – near Viaur gorge

€980,000 * ref: 186

more information or to arrange a viewing – email

Gascony – upmarket guest house 25 minutes Toulouse airport

Gite business – Lot/Dordogne border

Lot: Gite business with house and 2 gites, 2 pools

7 hectares of land

€462,000* (ref: 112)

Dordogne – entire hamlet with 6 gites and manor house

Dordogne: hamlet with 6 gites, farmhouse and out-buildings Between Monpazier and Belvès €985,000 * (ref: 070)

Entire Hamlet for sale Tarn Valley

Entire hamlet: 4 houses – 2 barns – 6 acres land no near neighbours – Tarn river valley – secluded location €350,000 * ref: 176 – direct sale by owner

Dordogne: hamlet with 6 gites, farmhouse and out-buildings
Between Monpazier and Belvès
€985,000 * (ref: 070)

Entire hamlet: 4 houses – 2 barns – 6 acres land
no near neighbours – Tarn river valley – secluded location
€350,000 * ref: 176 – direct sale by owner