I think it's okay to post this information, since it's available to anyone who can find it on the internet. C told me that the house is already under contract, and there is only one small issue to resolve before the signatures (closing) can be scheduled. She seemed optimistic that the sale will go through and she'll be able to move to Bordeaux in March.
Here's the description I found on the real estate agency's web site (my translation):
Located in a quiet hamlet in the Saint-Aignan area. Magnificent and charming 2,150 sq. ft., 18th century stone farmhouse (longère or "longhouse") with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Roof in small tiles of the region.
You will love the exposed beams and the hexagonal terra cotta floor tiles (tomettes). On the ground floor, an entry hall leading into a rotunda-shaped office space with a view onto the yard, a bedroom/workshop with a shower room, and a spacious living room with a fireplace and a cathedral ceiling. A beautiful 280 sq. ft. kitchen, also with a fireplace. A second bedroom/bathroom suite on the ground floor off the kitchen.
Upstairs, a mezzanine leading to two bedrooms as well as a large master suite. In the yard, a small outbuilding (430 sq. ft.). Garage with workshop, laundry room, and loft space. Wine cellar. All on a fenced in, fully landscaped half-acre lot.
The asking price is 205 thousand euros. That's about $230,000 U.S. and is surprisingly low in my opinion. There's a slideshow of photos showing many of the rooms here, if you can get to it, and also the description in French. It's always interesting to see what these old French houses look like inside.
In case you can't get the website, here's a photo of the living room (above), and one of the kitchen (below).
And, finally, here's one of the bathrooms.
Yesterday I posted a photo of mine showing the front of the house, facing the yard.
That is a nice house and a nice price. With 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, I'm sure it will be fine for a family or a vacation rental, or even group housing for seasonal zoo employees. It also looks as though she sold it fast, perhaps direct to the buyer without an agency, and that might enter into the low price -- money saved by not having it on the market for too long.
ReplyDeleteI know that C listed the house with the Foncia agency in Saint-Aignan, because I found it there. Today it's off the list. Anyway, don't wish seasonal zoo employees on us! Been there, done that. The ones we had down the roads had frequent and very loud parties. Anyway, don't you think the place is too nice for somebody to want to rent it out that way? Housing prices down here are pretty low, still.
DeleteOkay -- the "no agency" theory does not fit. Still, it was priced to go and not to sit there.
DeleteI wouldn't want the seasonal employees, either, and for the same reason. But with 5 bedrooms, it could go that way.
DeleteThe house is on the Foncia web site, here.
DeleteA lovely house that hopefully will have lovely, permanent year round neighbors who love cats!
ReplyDeleteYes, I hope so too. I'm really sorry C is leaving. It took us a few years to get to know her, and now she is (almost) gone.
DeleteI was surprised at the three bathrooms. It's actually one bathroom and two half-bath. Big difference!
ReplyDeleteNo, not a difference at all. It's one salle de bain, which means there is a bathtub in that one, and two salles d'eau, which means a bathroom with no tub but with a shower stall, plus a sink and maybe a toilet. In American terms, those are bathrooms. A half bath has only a toilet and a sink in it. Notice that there are two WCs in C's house. Those might also have small sinks in them, as ours do, so they qualify as half-baths. A "shower room" is not the same thing as a half-bath. one plumber who did work for us here told us that people are more and more often taking out or not putting in bathtubs, and instead installing shower stalls.
DeleteOur house on Congo Streer in SF had a bathroom (tub with shower, sink, and toilet), along with a bathroom upstairs which was actually a shower room (toilet, sink, and shower stall, but no tub).
DeleteMy mistake! I missed the deux salles d'eau and saw only the deux wc. But still, since you can't tske a bath in a salle d'eau shouldn't it be called a three-quarter-bath?
DeleteIn San Francisco, a bathroom with a shower stall, a sink, and a toilet, but no baignoire, was called, officially, a three-quarter-bath. But it was still a bathroom, as is a half-bath — as in "go to the bathroom.". Since language evolves, as you know by now, a bathroom in American English is a room with a toilet in it — be it half, three-quarters, or full (100%). Or even less than half if there's no little hand-washing sink, as is sometimes the case in France.
DeleteMy problem is what, in English, to call our salle de bain here in Saint-Aignan, which is equipped with a sink, a shower stall, a bathtub... plus... a bonus fixture... a bidet — but no toilet! Is it a ⅞-bath? Or a 1¼-bath? Any light you could shed on this conundrum would be appreciated.
LOL, Ken. It seems to me the word bain has nothing to do with the word bath in English as used by realtors where the size of the bathtub has nothing to do the appelation, since, for instance, there is no bathtub of any size to be found in a so-called half-bath.
DeleteIn French, when you take a bath, you immerge yourself into water in a baignoire not just have water running over your body. A salle de bains is a room that may contain only just a single baignoire of a standard size. In some cases, when your short of room, it might be just a baignoire sabot, the kind in which Marat was killed by Charlotte Corday!
In contrast, salle d'eau is a somewhat recent notion for a room having a shower, but devoid of a baignoire.
So, it says 18ème, and then it says "style din 18ème"... is this house, do you think, actually late 18th century, or just in that style?
ReplyDeleteBy the way, this will be a good one to show my students--I'll save the photos. I now teach poutres apparentes and that's what we have here!
I think part of the house was built in the 18th century, but wings were added on later. Did you notice that after saying this is an 18th-century house, the description lists the année de construction as 1850?
DeleteI struggled with the phrase maison de caractère. What I came up with was "charming" — maybe "stylish" would be better.
DeleteCouldn't you just use ... with (lots of) character, or even full of character or similar?
DeleteYes you could. Thanks.
DeleteA nice house, though not a good fit for one older person. I do hope you get new good neighbors.
ReplyDelete"maison de caractère"...such a broad term, perhaps a house with style, eg Tudor, Gothic, etc. Or maybe it implies traditional, non-modern. I love the house and, yes, that's a mighty reasonable price. Quite a nice kitchen too. Wish I could talk Danny into it, though it is already vendu!
ReplyDeleteWith good neighbors like you, I would have loved to buy that Maison de caractère!
ReplyDeleteMary
A roomy lovely house. I hope the new folks will be good neighbors.
ReplyDeleteThat's an extremely nice house, and in very good condition. Also, no ugly wallpaper to get rid of. I hope C. remembers to pack her hand weights (picture #16). I'd love to get hold of a house like that, and then to run all over the countryside to brocantes, fitting it up and filling it out. LOL
ReplyDeleteAh ha! A fellow brocante lover! I'd love to go with you...I think you'll like this brocanteur's website, he has a great eye:
Deletehttps://www.instagram.com/neothissen/
Oh, what a fun site. Thanks, Diogenes. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship ...
ReplyDelete