LOCATION Angoulême is famous for many


things including the annual car race and comic-book festival


Property tye


Longère Charentaise Particular to this region, this is a stone- built ‘long’ house whose elongated ground-floor windows traditionally have eight panes, while the upper windows have four. Inside, all the rooms are laid out in a line, while the exterior features wooden shutters. Valued as part of the local heritage, you can find restored examples from €150,000 up to €595,000.


Maison Saintongeaise Dating primarily from 1860 to 1910, these properties are built around an inner courtyard, oſten accessed by large patio doors off a spacious and sociable living area. The exterior is generally whitewashed and typically features a vine climbing across the facade. You can find modest, village examples from €185,000, but grander, manor-like versions with more land will cost around €875,000.


Farmhouse As it’s such an agricultural area, Poitou- Charentes boasts a plentiful supply of farmhouses. Those with less land, suited to modern living, can be found for as little as €75,000 ready to move into, but you can also find sprawling properties with 11,000m2


of land and several outbuildings for €157,500.


Châteaux Here, you can buy an historic French château complete with turret and original features for as little as €225,000, or a vast 60-acre (25,000m2


) estate near Niort with


turreted entrance, pool, woodland and six-bedroom renovated château for €998,400. If you find yourself falling for one, check that its listed status does not restrict your plans.


WHAT THE AGENTS SAY…


Having lived and worked in Poitou- Charentes for 20 years,


property agent Christophe Guay shares his knowledge of the local market. “Top of the list for our househunting clients is a classic Charentaise longère built from local stone with cosy beams and plenty of character, although a lot of clients now


opt for properties within walking distance of a bakery or bar. There’s a lot to be said for being able to pop out for a baguette or a quick apèro before dinner. “Despite the changes


brought by Covid and Brexit, British people haven’t been put off looking for a new life in France, there’s still a lot of interest: it helps that there are local experts who can guide newcomers through the


paperwork required to make the move to France, so the process is less daunting than people think. “Today, our buyers are a real


mix of British, Belgian, French, Dutch and even American househunters, so we work a lot by email. Thanks to technology, we can even offer video tours of properties for sale. “There are so many beautiful,


undiscovered places in our region. The picturesque


villages of Verteuil-sur- Charente and Nanteuil-en- Vallée are always very popular, but there are lots of hidden gems off the beaten track in villages between Civray and Champagne-Mouton, perfect for a spot of trout fishing, quiet corners of paradise for birdwatchers and meadows bursting with wild orchids and sunflowers during the hot summer months.” tic-ruffec.com


4 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 202327


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