We have been searching for an isolated property in the south of Creuse for nearly 12 months now. Short story: We moved to Charente in 2014 having bought a full renovation and soon decided that the Department was not for us!! Renovation in 18 months; sold house in two weeks to Brits (who else?) Since we knew the house was sold (June 2016) we have been searching for an isolated house with land in 23 (Creuse). We love this department, but after nearly twelve months of searching we are still no closer to finding what we want?
By isolated, I mean a house that is situated down a long track/chemin with no near neighbours and in a VERY quiet and tranquil spot away from roads and neighbouring houses. The more remote the better is our motto!! Creuse is officially the second least densely populated department in all of France after Lozere, yet can we find an isolated renovation project? Let’s just say we are finding it extremely difficult! We have now viewed 35 plus houses and only one or two have been close (but not quite right). Are we looking in the wrong department?
We have lived in very remote areas of Scotland and Wales in the UK yet here in deepest. darkest rural Limousin, it seems nigh on impossible to find a secluded house without immediate (within 500 metres) neighbours? This seems crazy to me as the UK is so densely populated compared to France, yet bizarrely it appears to have more remote areas. I can think of most of Northern Scotland, Mid Wales and parts of Northumberland that are much more remote than deepest rural France.
I do not think we are being particularly fussy but we just want a place that does not have immediate neighbours and has a nice amount (2 hectares or so ) of surrounding land? How hard can it be? Do you have an isolated house and if so where are you in France? Should we be paying a massive premium for this type of house? Would be interested to hear people’s experiences. We are not after a renovated house, but rather a ruin that is cheap, but with massive potential!!
I am sorry to read you’re still searching. I’d ask the same question as Mark, a little more bluntly may be: what is your budget ?
You’ll find remote places mostly in Center and West France, as well as in mountaineous areas like the Vosges, where settlements are dispersed.
Hi Jane/Mark We really have our hearts set on Creuse and it always comes out as the cheapest Department in France to buy property. We have spent nearly 12 months exploring Creuse and are quite familiar with the south of the Department. If we were to consider another area we would have to spend months exploring and researching that region to find out if it would be somewhere we would want to live. We made the mistake of moving to Charente after only two visits and we really find it too hot and dry here and too busy!! It’s all relative of course, and many, many British love the Charente. Creuse is France’s second least densely populated Department and they actually have rain, which is a bonus for us as growers. I just wish the French people in the Creuse were more motivated to selling of the countless ruined houses with land you see across the Department! Seems most are not even up for sale!
I have exactly that for sale right on the border of the creuse. We have our own 600m drive no near neighbours and a great view. We are completely isolated and private yet only a couple of minutes from the village and ten minutes from a good town. It is our little paradise with fantastic wildlife.
However I suspect it will be more than you are looking to pay as we have nearly 20 hectares of organic farmland a very large almost renovated farmhouse and very large barns. But if you want to know more please feel free to get in touch it really is a fabulous place to live.
By the way I agree I have been looking for similar but smaller properties to this in other areas and have found nothing remotely comparable.
I am currently selling a beautiful stone barn with outbuildings on 7.5 hectares of parkland in a beautiful part of north dordogne if your interested? It’s very quiet area and beautiful home and land.
Hi There. Thanks for responding to my thread. Unfortunately it is too hot for us in Dordogne in high summer. This is why we are leaving Charente. We want to live up in the hills at a decent altitude so we have cooler nights and cold winters!
Hi Mark. Thanks for keeping an eye out for us. We are moving over to the
edge of the Haute Vienne near Nedde to rent a place. So from this weekend
we will be much closer to Creuse.
No worries at all Paul, it is north dordogne with plenty of cool winters, but yes it is warm in summer Just new to the site and trying to find my way around​:+1:
Just new to the site and trying to find my way around​:+1: