But wait, there’s more! W


A surprisingly spacious old winegrower’s property in Aude has Ruth Wood dreaming of endless possibilities


hat’s on your dream home wish list? Mine is full of


contradictions. I’d like to have nature on my doorstep, but also neighbours. I’d like a spacious home with barns, workshop, garage, gîte and decent garden yet plonked into the dense heart of a pretty village where I could stroll to amenities. Period features would be important. But also energy efficiency. I’d love to be near mountains. Ooh, and the sea! But I’m not prepared to pay a premium price tag. Lastly, I’d like a home where


I can really make my mark and yet all the hard work is done. And a pool would be nice. I can just imagine the


colour draining from estate agents’ faces as I reel off this list of demands. “Dream on!” they’d mutter under their breath, before explaining


that househunting involves compromise, even in a country as diverse as France. And yet, check out this old


winemaker’s property in Aude. It’s in a village in the renowned Corbières wine appellation area, which stretches from the foothills of the Pyrénées to the Mediterranean coast. This is an authentic Languedoc community with a grocery, bar- tabac and pizzeria, on the edge of a protected Natura 2000 site known for its birdlife. In other words, you’ve got nature and neighbours on your doorstep as well as basic amenities. And when I say ‘nature’, I mean the likes of the golden eagle, griffon vulture and Thekla’s lark in a rugged landscape dotted with pine forests, fragrant garrigue and Cathar castles. Mediterranean beaches


are a mere 35 minutes in one direction; Carcassonne 40


18 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: May/June 2024


minutes in the other, and one of the most beautiful villages in France, Lagrasse, is just down the road. But what is really surprising


about this village house is the space, which runs to a whopping 696m2


. That’s not the


plot. It’s the size of the actual property, which comprises a four-bedroom house with a large, convertible attic, a two- bedroom apartment and 500m2 of other buildings including a workshop, a garage, two large barns and other outbuildings. To find all that behind an unassuming village facade is not the sort of thing you see every day. You could drop your bags and settle straight in, but there’s also bags of potential. “Ah yes,” I hear you say, “but


imagine the heating bills!” And normally you’d be right, because this is, after all, a 19th-century home brimming


Property potential pick


with period features. It has a fabulous stone staircase and marble fireplaces and beautiful original tiled floors. It even has a pair of cupboards in the living room with dramatic peacocks painted on the doors. With such a characterful home, you’d typically see an energy performance certificate of C, D or E; yet this home achieves a very respectable B rating thanks to the brand new central heat pump and double glazing in the main house. Ok, so it ticks all the boxes on


my dream home wish list. But is there a pool? Nope. There’s a very


generous garden with three wells and space for a pool, but no actual pool. Househunting does involves compromise, you know! ■


On the market for €383,400 realestateoccitanie.com


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