Stone Property in Dominant Positionclose to Saint-Clar
Farmhouse with contemporary interior
This stone property sits on a ridge overlooking the valley toward the North of Saint Clar. From its elevated position there is a sense of privacy enhanced by the surrounding woods and fields.
- Saint-Clar
All measurements are approximate
EPC - Energy Consumption
kWh/m².year
GHG - CO₂ Emissions
kg CO₂/m².year
The garden, flanked by a stone wall on one side, and comprises a long strip of lawned garden with numerous trees and bushes, overlooking the valley to the other side.
There is a pleasing sense of privacy to this property which feels as if it has been tucked away in a quiet spot, where few people venture, and yet it is conveniently close to St Clar.
The white stone walls and shutters lend a bright attractive feel to the outside of the farmhouse which has an attractive and traditional aspect from the garden, blended with a more urban feel internally with polished cement floors throughout.
The property is currently empty of all furniture so we were able to visit the bare bones of its interior and project onto a blank canvass.
We enter the house into a large reception-room with stone walls and small square windows at the top. This is a light room, its contemporary feel enhanced by the polish cement floor. In the fireplace there is a black wood-burning stove. High above our heads the original and impressive oak beams criss-cross the ceiling with their giant form.
This main reception-room opens out onto a second room, which might be used as a study or dining-room and which shares the same lovely view over the valley as the main reception-room.
At the end of the house, on the same ground-floor level, there is a double bedroom with an ensuite shower room, with a walk-in shower. This is a sunny room with a far-reaching view across the valley.
Behind the main reception-room lies the kitchen. With very basic units, an electric oven, a white tiled work-surface and space for the dish-washer. The kitchen has the same polished concrete floor as the main reception-room.
There is a large cupboard with a glass-fronted door for storage.
A small inner hallway behind the kitchen leads firstly to a downstairs cloakroom/WC and a storage cupboard, then to a half-landing where there is a bedroom with a wash-basin, a WC, a shower and a cupboard. The sink unit occupies a central position which would merit some re-thinking if this room were to be used as a single bedroom. If not it might perhaps be used solely as an additional downstairs bathroom or laundry room.
A set of wooden stairs leads to a mezzanine which offers a sweeping view over the main reception-room and the exposed oak beams supporting the roof.
The mezzanine has an ensuite shower-room with a sink, and a separate WC. The room is harmonious in style with the rest of the property with the same polished cement floor.
To the rear of the property lie the 3rd and 4th bedrooms, both with ensuite bathrooms.
The first bedroom is accessible via a small stone staircase with only a few steps up and sits on a half-level between the ground floor and the first floor. This room has a more recent bathroom with black and white tiles around the bath-tub, a sink and a WC.
The second wooden staircase to the rear of the property leads to the final bedroom at the top under the eaves. This room has smaller windows at the top of the house and has an 80s style bathroom and suite which would merit refurbishment.
Here at Bliss
This property sits in a lovely position and has an interesting garden which runs along the edge of a stone wall to the rear and opens onto far-reaching views across the valley to the front. The garden reveals itself in stages, almost as a series of interconnecting rooms, the trees serving as walls between each room. This is not a square garden which can be viewed at a single glance but a garden in a long strip with ample enough width not to feel narrow, and which would be interesting to design with various different bowers and seating areas. Each time we thought we had reached the end, the garden unfurled a little further before us. This will greatly appeal to lovers of « Secret Garden » type exteriors.
The house is currently empty and as such, with its cement floors and stone walls throughout, it presents itself as a blank canvas.
We particularly enjoyed the space and height of the main reception-room, opening as it does onto the dining-room and the main downstairs master bedroom. These rooms have particularly lovely views and provide single-level living for the owners of the property with guest rooms upstairs or to the rear.
There is undoubtedly work required to the bathrooms and the kitchen which are simple and functional but which most buyers will wish to refurbish. The house has been priced accordingly, in the knowledge that even if these works are to be carried out in time, the house is perfectly habitable and functional today, and can only grow more beautiful with the finishing touches required.
Having been successfully rented for many years, this property would benefit from the love and attention of a new full-time owner.
The property is appealing from the outside, which makes any work inside worthwhile, with its pretty stone façade and attractive views, and is built in the style of so the traditional Gascon home which will appeal to lovers of period properties in the south-west of France.
The property is located in a popular tourist area close to the lively market town of St Clar, within easy driving distance of Toulouse international airport.
To whom might this property appeal ?
This property will appeal to a variety of buyers.
Although utterly private, other houses though not visible are within easy reach, so the property will appeal to someone seeking a sense of isolation with the security of knowing there are other dwellings nearby.
The house is both spacious and compact in so far as the first section of the property may be used almost as a ground- floor appartment (reception-room, dining-room, ensuite bedroom, kitchen) so the house would work for a single person or a couple, with the possibility of being opened up to guests or family in the summer.
The separate entrance hall to the rear would allow for the property to be used in two separate halves, perhaps with a gite at the back.
Were the property to be used in its entirety it provides 2 reception rooms, 4 good sized double ensuite bedrooms and a fifth bedroom which could be used as a single ensuite room or a downstairs laundry/family bathroom.
What would I do if this property were mine…
I would refit a country style kitchen perhaps with a Aga or large stove. I would continue the philosophy of having a wood-burner for heat and add an additional wood-chip burner which would be cost-effective and efficient in a home which for the most part is open-plan in design. I would refurbish the top bathroom and modernise the others.
I would create a large laundry room in the single downstairs bedroom.
It would be a good idea to live in the property for a year before doing anything major to see how best to make use of what is a surprisingly spacious property.
The cement floors will appeal to lovers of the modern home. I might consider using the floors as a base for a good quality oak parquet in some of the bedrooms, keeping the cement floors on the ground-floor garden level.
Large carpets and oriental rugs would look good here – so I might have to take a trip to the Lectoure antique market, only a 15 minute drive away.
I would create a pool in one of the rear garden sections, perhaps at the very end. This would be a sheltered spot and attractive with the stone wall running to one side.
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