French property in Lot et Garonne - A wonderful 18th C town house in the Lot et Garonne. 6 bedrooms, pool, apartment.

When you enter the front door of this town property, you are immediately transported back to an era of grandeur and luxury.

The walls of the attractive entrance hall have been revealed to display the original stonework and the lovely tiled floor reflects the style and age of the property. Each room, with its enormous proportions, has been respectfully renovated in order to safeguard the 18th century character whilst incorporating some modern luxuries such as heating and double glazing.

The living accommodation of 600 m2 is vast and provides an area to suit every mood. There are two living rooms, one for more formal use whilst the other has a cosier feel. Both have large fireplaces. A large dining room leads through to an impressive conservatory styled space with games area, where a wall of glass enables you to take full advantage of the immaculate gardens with their well established and cleverly arranged flowering shrubs and trees.

The large internal double garage and utility room, that houses the heating equipment, can be accessed from the conservatory area. The separate apartment, which is currently let, can also be accessed via a private entrance situated at the side of the property.

A wonderful turned wood staircase leads to the first floor and four of the six bedrooms, two of which are enormous and have the added luxury of their own fireplaces. The master bedroom suite has an area with fitted wardrobes, an adjoining dressing area and his and hers shower rooms. The remaining two bedrooms on the first floor have en suite bathrooms and have been used as rooms for Bed & Breakfast.

The stairs continue to the second floor and a door to the right gives access to a useful storage space. Double doors then open to reveal a vast space which could be used to further increase the properties income potential. With two bedrooms, both with en-suite shower rooms, a kitchenette, a games/television area and a space with two further beds, this could easily be rented out as an apartment, possibly to students or as a long term let.

This amazing property has a wonderful cellar which has been renovated to reveal all of its original stonework and arches. The cellar has been divided into two separate rooms, one for Cognac and one for Wine, with an additional area for tasting perhaps!

The rear garden is yet another charming surprise. It is so peaceful for a property that is in the centre of a town and due to the mature trees and shrubs, completely private. The pool area fits very well into this environment and being covered with a retractable cover, allows you to make use of the pool in the cooler months.

I challenge you not to fall in love with this house that offers so much at such an incredible price.

Location in France

The Lot-et-Garonne has been called the Tuscany of France because of its yellow fields of sunflowers, vineyards, cypress trees and red roofed buildings.

In the south-west corner of France, midway between Toulouse and Bordeaux. 2 hours to the Atlantic coast and the Pyrenees, 3 hours to the Mediterranean. This department of the Aquitaine is a must when searching for a house for sale in France. Excellent motorway and rail links and an airport at Bergerac with Flybe and Ryanair flying to destinations across England and Scotland.

An area full of unspoilt villages and bastide towns with maisons de maître, barns and village houses for sale, rivers and the canal latéral de la Garonne (part of the canal du Midi), up which the few remaining working barges still sail.

The views are expansive and comprise rolling hills and valleys of agricultural land. Much of the produce grown is well known in France - prunes of Agen, tomatoes and strawberries of Marmande, Armagnac brandy, apples, pears, kiwis and cherries. It is also a prolific wine growing area with Duras and Buzet being the most well known.

On the foody front, the most recognisable of the region is duck in its many forms such as foie gras, magret and gésiers. You can't help passing duck farms as you travel around that sell these products directly. Quite likely next to a vineyard selling their wine. Converted farmhouses are amongst many of Leggetts' properties for sale in the Lot-et-Garonne.

There are many chateaux in the Lot-et-Garonne including Biron, Lauzun, Lamothe, Scandaillac and Nerac, to name but a few. Medieval towns many of them bastides (of which there are 20) are to be found including Castillones, Monflanquin and Villereal. Top end properties such as manoirs are for sale in the department.

It is an exhilarating area for walking with much of the department marked out for ramblers and cyclists along paths where you'll meet hardly a soul. As most villages are part of these routes, it's quite likely to find one within walking distance of your French house.

All year round are morning markets in many towns and villages. The perfect place to meet friends and family over a coffee or something stronger. This really is life unchanged for centuries. During the summer months, many of these towns hold lunchtime and evening producers' markets, where food and drink is consumed in a convivial environment.

You would expect life in the Lot-et-Garonne to be unhurried. Well, it is in the winter, when, in front of the fire, we put up our feet with a glass of wine, but the summer is quite different.

The château at Duras, for example, plays host to opera, classical concerts and the occasional rock concert. There are the producers' markets, wine fairs, antique fairs, village fetes and the "vide greniers" ? France's wonderful alternative to the car boot sale - a must for any collector. You could furnish your house in France!

Type

• Belle Demeure
• House
• Apartment
• Bed and Breakfast

Location

• Town or city

Feature

• Pool
• Mains Drainage
• Stream
• Walking distance to shops
• Garage
• private parking
• ADSL
• water on site
• electricity on site

Conditions

• Restored
• Habitable