Pretty house

with garden

“I fell in love immediately, before stepping foot inside the house. It was the view of the snow-capped mountains, and the sense that one could reach out and touch them; and the valleys which spread out before me into the distance as far as the eye could see. I thought how living in this property would be a promise of meditation and contemplation every day.”

The current owner

Where are we?

This property sits on the outskirts of a village, with far-reaching views over the valley. It is is a short drive to the popular market towns of Lectoure, Condom, and Castera-Verduzan. The property sits in a desirable and elevated position; one of its most remarkable features being the views to the south and to the snow-capped mountains.

Tell me about the house

The property was built in the late sixties in traditional style (concrete bricks not stone). There is a pretty garden, and a vast south-facing covered terrace which provides an outdoor reception-room throughout the warmer months, against a lovely backdrop of valley and mountain.

The mood on the terrace is zen, accentuated by both the meditating Buddha, pots of flowers, and lovely tranquil views. It is easy to imagine sitting here the entire day, meditating, reading, or gazing at the view.

In the far section of the terrace, there is an outdoor kitchen with a glass-panelled wall to shield from the wind, a counter and cooking facilities for the preparation of those al-fresco dinners.

The current owner tells us : “This has been an extraordinary outdoor living-space in the warmer months for starry nights, where we have hosted parties for up to thirty guests.”

The property was built to provide single-level accommodation. The current owner has added a staircase to a small upstairs mezzanine area, but otherwise, this property enables the owners to live entirely on the ground floor.

We enter the property via glass doors into a cosy kitchen, with an informal shabby-chic décor, which is light, modern and appealing.

The kitchen opens directly onto a vast sitting-room with French-windows along the south-facing wall, which in turn open directly on the terrace, so that one can peel back the walls and bring the gardens indoors during the summertime. Both the kitchen and the reception-room are bathed in bright and cheerful light.

The current owner has recently purchased a wood-pellet stove in the reception-room, which radiates across the ground-floor, and provides economical heating to the entire property.

A small hallway leads to the master-bedroom, a second double-bedroom, and a shower-room, with a separate WC.

The garage has recently been converted into a downstairs study-area, with the addition of the only staircase in the house, which leads to a small mezzanine area above, which could provide an occasional bedroom, or storage area, as the ceiling in this area is quite low. However, despite the reduced head-height this area provides an ideal place for a teenager, or an additional guest, when the three downstairs bedrooms are full. The current owner has fitted the mezzanine area with a double bed, directly beneath a dormer (or veluxe) window, and put in a television. The floor is laid with beige- coloured parquet.

Downstairs, the new study opens directly onto the main house. The conversion from garage to habitable space has been very tastefully done. This study has two picture windows to the garden, set on each side of a modern greyish blue door. The ceramic floor tiles are a pleasant slate colour, and the staircase to the mezzanine is brushed with the same tones of greyish blue paint as we find throughout much of the property.

The second half of the original garage, has recently been converted into a third downstairs bedroom, or music/television room. The current owner uses this room as a guest bedroom, with a convertible sofa-bed, television and storage cupboards. With the same slate-grey floor tiles as the study, this room has French-doors which opens directly onto the covered terrace and views to the south.

The property has off-street parking, with a driveway from the road up to the garden, and in theory (planning permissions permitted) there would be space for the addition or a covered parking-area or a non-adjacent garage.

What might I not like?

You will require a car and a ten to fifteen minute drive to the supermarket. Shops are not accessible on foot.

There is one bathroom and WC for all three bedrooms. This is an extremely cute house, but it is of moderate size.

Currently, there is not a garage although there is off-road parking. Planning permission would be required to add a garage or a covered car-port.

What would I do if the property were mine?

I would look to add a swimming-pool to the delightful gardens. Swimming against such a dramatic view, would be an experience in itself.

The current owner said: “It was always my dream to add a swimming-land,  just below the raised terrace, above the view.”

I might also consider allocating a portion of the grand covered and converting it into a veranda to use in the winter months.

I would enjoy gardening here, adding more roses and bushes, and trailing plants. Much of the joy of this property comes from being able to pull back the glass windows, to allow Nature inside. The garden is just the right size to have fun with and to develop into a small paradise.

Key Words

One level – Views – Pyrenees – Romantic – Cosy – Sheltered – Sweet – Charming – Cute