Character 5 bedroom House for sale in Bidache, Aquitaine
Set in wooded grounds of 1,305m2, this traditional-style village farmhouse incorporates a garage on the far side of the building which is large enough for 2 cars. A door from the garage opens directly into the dining area next to the kitchen, which is very practical for unloading shopping. The walled garden, which encloses the farmhouse on three sides, has ample flat land for an in-ground swimming pool...
Set in wooded grounds of 1,305m2, this traditional-style village farmhouse incorporates a garage on the far side of the building which is large enough for 2 cars. A door from the garage opens directly into the dining area next to the kitchen, which is very practical for unloading shopping. The walled garden, which encloses the farmhouse on three sides, has ample flat land for an in-ground swimming pool (permission required), a summer kitchen, a children's play area and a boules pitch.
From the garden, the arched front door of the farmhouse opens into a vast open-plan reception room (eskatz) with a wonderful oak staircase, a formal sitting area, a formal dining area and an informal summer sitting area at the far end of the room. 2 stunning stained glass panels separate the formal and informal areas of the room. The informal summer sitting area also has sliding glazed doors out to the garden. To the left of the reception room is a cosy winter sitting room with a Bidache stone floor, a traditional stone sink (used as a bookcase) and a super open fireplace. Adjoining this room is a study/office, which could be used as a fifth bedroom, nursery, television room, games room. From the study/office, a door opens into a master bedroom, which is also accessible from the informal sitting area. To the right of the reception room is another bedroom, a bathroom with a bath and an Italian-style shower, and a separate WC. There is also a kitchen on this side of the house, which has sliding glazed doors out to a small dining terrace. Adjoining the kitchen is an informal dining area with a door into the garage, where there is the heat pump, a laundry area and a wooden staircase up to an unconverted mezzanine.
The magnificent Louis XIII style oak staircase in the main reception room leads up to a superb gallery, which overlooks the ground floor. The gallery is currently used as a library and has 2 built-in cupboards for storage.
Set around the gallery, the first-floor rooms comprise of a master bedroom with built-in wardrobes, a loft-style bedroom, a large bathroom and unconverted loft space of about 50m2, ideal for creating a B&B bedroom suite with a shower room, an office, a games room and a home cinema.
This lovely property is located in a small, peaceful village in the beautiful Bearn in south west France. The village has a primary school - and there is a boulangerie just a 10 minute cycle ride away.
The nearby town of Bidache (a 10 minute drive) has a good choice of shops and local amenities - and there is a golf course at Salies de Bearn, which is also a 10 minute drive. Beach resorts on the Cote Basque and the Landes are about 40 minutes; ski resorts in the Pyrenees are 80 - 90 minutes.
FARMHOUSE (271m2):
Ground floor: an arched entrance door, which opens into a vast open-plan reception room (eskatz) with a formal sitting area, a formal dining area and an informal sitting area with sliding glazed doors out to the garden (76m2); winter sitting room with an open fireplace (22m2); study/office/fifth bedroom accessible from the winter sitting room and the ground floor master bedroom (14m2); kitchen (28m2) with an adjoining informal dining area (which has a door into the garage) and sliding doors out to a small dining terrace; master bedroom (20m2); second bedroom (12m2); bathroom with a bath and an Italian-style shower (13m2); separate WC (2.2m2); garage (32m2) with a wooden staircase up to a mezzanine level.
First floor: gallery (36m2) with a library/sitting area and built-in storage cupboards; master bedroom (25m2); attic-style bedroom suite (21m2); adjoining bathroom with a bath and WC (15m2); unconverted attic area (about 50m2), which could be converted into more living space. NB: please note that some of first-floor rooms have sloping ceilings.
GROUNDS:
The farmhouse is set in grounds of 1,305m2 with a delightful walled garden planted with mature trees and shrubs; 2 small outbuildings of about 15m2 (currently used for storing garden furniture); well; small dining terrace next to the kitchen; ample flat land for installing a swimming pool; children's play area; boules piste.
POTENTIAL:
In excellent condition, this splendid Basco-Bearnaise farmhouse can be moved into straight away. With 271m2 of living space, it is perfect for a fantastic family home or a luxurious holiday home and with 5 bedrooms to choose from, there is plenty of room to accommodate friends and family when they come to visit.
For families with children, there is a primary school in the village; for older children there are college-lycees in Bidache (Pays-Basque), Salies-de-Bearn and Orthez (Bearn) and Peyrehorade (Landes). Bayonne is about 35 minutes away; Biarritz airport is 40 minutes away.
For anyone who works from home or who would need an office/consulting room, the property has several rooms which could be suitable.
With the addition of some en-suite shower rooms, this super farmhouse has great potential for creating B&B accommodation. Tourists visit the Pays-Basque all year round, with many hoping to find upmarket B&B accommodation.
Not only are there 5 existing bedrooms, the 50m2 of unconverted attic space on the first floor would be ideal for converting into a B&B bedroom suite and adjoining bathroom. A further bedroom could perhaps be created on the mezzanine in the large garage/utility room.
Other features include: double glazing. Telephone + ADSL + fibre available. Electricity heating: geothermal heat pump (water-water) + cast iron radiators + open fireplace. Mains water. Septic tank (needs updating). Well.
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This Farmhouse is located in Bidache in France
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Buying a Property in France
1. Signing the Agreement (Compris)
On finding a property you wish to purchase you will need to negotiate the terms, price and conditions of the sale with the owner.
The next step, once you are in agreement, is to sign the preliminary contract (Compromis de Vente). This is a legal document and after ten days will be binding on both parties. Rules change frequently in France and it is best to consult with your notary about when this period starts. Generally the compris will be signed in France with the Agent.
Variants can be included in the compris, for example an Acte (clause) can be added if the name or names to go on the title deed have not been finalised. If a mortgage will be required to purchase the property, the details for this, including the name of the mortgage company, must be on the compris.
2. Paying the Deposit
Generally the deposit will be 10% of the agreed purchase price. This will normally be paid to the notaire. There are exceptions to this, if the agent holds a carte professionelle, is bonded and fully registered then you may pay them, but do not hand over the deposit to anyone else. If for some reason the purchase does not go through, for example, if you write to the notaire and the agent that you do not wish to go continue with the purchase before the contract is binding (within seven days of signing the compris), then your deposit would be repaid. This would also apply if a condition had not been met, or the mayor or S.A.F.E.R. (a government agency that has the right of first purchase on most rural property that comes onto the market in France) could oblige the purchaser to give way. If you decide after the seven days 'cooling off' period that you do not wish to complete the purchase and pull out of the sale you would lose your deposit. If however the vendor pulls out of the sale then you will receive your deposit back plus the same amount from the vendor.
3. On Completion
Generally it will take around two or three months to complete the purchase.
During this time the balance of the purchase money must be paid into the account of the notaire, this must be done well ahead of the completion date. The notaire will prepare the documents, check that the deed of sale (Acte de Vente) is in order and have the legal title ready to be signed over. It is possible to have someone sign on your behalf if you give them power of attorney. An interpreter may be of use at this point if your French is not very good and many Notaires will suggest (or insist) that an interpreter is with you.