House for sale near Lacs de Haute-Charente

Property & Home
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Our neighbor, a cattle farmer, is selling the house and attached barn. It’s an old, several centuries-old, stone house.

He’s asking 120k euros. 3 bedrooms, one bathroom with a bath, a lounge, and the kitchen is in progress. All new wiring, new plumbing, new paint. Roof is in very good shape.

There are a couple of caveats, but there are a lot of plusses (pluses?). Some of the plusses include: location as it’s in the quiet countryside, on a small chemin, beautiful area. Also, it’s within walking distance to the two lakes with their white sand beaches, restaurants and bars. Close, but not too close. 5G fibre, town water (you’d be the last on the line for the water).

We would be your neighbors. Is that a plus, IDK. Probably :wink:

Within walking distance to Pressignac.

It is right next to the working farm, the cattle farm. So there are outbuildings very close by, and the neighbor would access the same driveway as yours, to get to the cattle. He’s a nice, polite, young farmer.

He’s up to his eyeballs in the mortgage for the land adjacent that he bought with the house. The house comes with a little bit of land, enough for a pool and a garden, and maybe a small orchard. It’s private, but for the one side of the house where he goes by on his tractor.

I can send photos if anyone is interested.

Cheers.

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2

That sounds like a nice property for the right person.

I’m just nosy :joy::face_with_open_eyes_and_hand_over_mouth: but it might be worth adding a couple of discreet photos to pique interest ?

Of the property, of course :face_with_monocle::joy:

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Sounds great, Charente is high on my wish list and the price is right, but sadly I’m still not in a position to move yet…

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5

We live in the area - brilliant countryside, the lakes and actually quite central to a lot of goodies.

TGV station in Angouleme, RNR in Limoges, Airports in Limoges, Poitiers and Bordeaux

Myriad farmers markets, Chateaux, not much traffic and not too touristy in the summer…

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6

Our son and his wife live near Pressignac, Mary. From the information you have supplied three clear caveats stand out.

Firstly, a 3 bed house in that area is, shall we say ‘not a good buy’ at €120k - it’s overpriced compared to other properties, even ones that are in excellent condition.
Second - if you buy a house anywhere in France where the adjoining farmer, the previous owner to boot, “accesses the same driveway as yours, to get to his cattle”, you are asking for trouble! Rural Rights of Way are unbreakable. You don’t say if he has a dairy herd or beef cattle - but whichever, who wants a herd of cows driven through your garden whenever the farmer chooses! I know of an English couple who bought just such an ex-farm - and they have been trying to sell it for over 20 years now. No-one will touch it, once they know.

Thirdly - even just having barns full of cattle (dairy or beef) next door to the house, as will be the case, rule out the concept of “being in the quiet couhtryside”!

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7

You make valid points.

However, it is in fact very quiet here. And lovely.

Indeed, during certain times of the year there is a lot of farming activity.

OTOH perhaps having access to a nice polite french farmer with a tractor, who might be willing to help out with stuff, might be a plus.

It’s a place for folks who can work well with the positives of which there are many.

Perhaps, in settling in the countryside, it might be less optimal as a holiday home for retirées and more useful to folks who understand french culture and farm life, and want to interact with both French and English.

I think the farmer is wanting the higher price, seeing so many “rich” foreigners settling here to take advantage of the beauty and the récréation right outside the door. I wonder if he realizes the drawbacks from his farming activity…. He’s young, and trying hard to make a living….

Perhaps, for the right buyer, hé might be willing to negotiate regarding the access to the outbuilding barn (not the one attached to the house) as perhaps it could be easy to re-route along one of the nearby pastures.

Oh well. C’est la vie. I thought I would mention it.

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When (if) the farmer sends me the latest photos, I will post them.

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Rural rights of way are not unbreakable. In fact, he says he plans to create a different access road, and plant a hedge!

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Has the farmer had the house valued, Mary, or is it a private sale?

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I don’t know, but I will message him. Thanks for asking.

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He said it was valued prior to purchase two years ago. He is planning to have it re-evaluated.

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Good point about dairy vs beef. At present no dairy operations.

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If the farmer chooses to give up an established ROW that’s a different thing - and it should be recorded in the Préfecture accordingly. The change is then enforceable.

If, on the other hand, you as the new owner want it changed - then the Best of French Luck! . . . .

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It does happen.

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Regarding the question about being noisy due to the cows being noisy….

“Dans tout les cas il n’y aura pas plus de 15 ou 20 vaches à proximité, ça ne fera pas plus de bruit qu’aujourd’hui”

Straight from the farmer himself.

And the noise is quite minimal.

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I love cow sounds, not the smell and flies though :rofl:

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18

It’s not bad at all, really, this is a place worth a visit to really see and hear (and smell) for oneself.

In the countryside, at certain times of the year, the harvest has to come in, the cycle of the agricultural lifestyle imposes itself on everyone. And yet, we’re here, in the middle of the countryside but close to amenities and recreation. It’s an amazing juxtaposition.

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Fixed :joy:

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20

It sounds idyllic.

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Très bon point :blush:

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