Former Wine-Maker's Stone House

Property Description

Summary
If you're looking for a well-priced historic home that has retained its historic character in Southern France, then this could be the property for you!

This 400 year old stone property was formerly a wine-maker's property, and is still full of its history! From the original wine press in the living room, to the animal trough in the dining room, it has kept a lot of its original charm. Spread over 3 floors, this substantial property has 5 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, an additional toilet and a garage and some outside space to benefit from the mild climate year-round in this part of Southern France!

Location
The property is located in charming lively village with a mix of permanent houses and some holiday properties. The village has a school, creche / day-care and has an active social calendar with multiple village events being organized throughout the year! There are no shops in the village itself, but two independent wineries and if you get caught short for your daily baguette, there is now a baguette vending machine. The nearest shops, boulangeries, banks, pharmacies and supermarkets are just a 5-10 minute drive away in nearby Couiza / Esperaza. For those who love to walk, it's also possible to walk through the vineyards and back hills into Esperaza in about 45 mins where there is a large outdoor weekly food market, as well as restaurants and other amenities.

The village is surrounded by vineyards and there are many pretty walking routes from the doorstep of the house. In 20 mins, you can be walking through vineyards with views of the Pyrenees mountains!

Access
The property is located in a lively area in the department of Aude in Occitanie that is popular with visitors and tourists year-round and is very much active and alive throughout the year with permanent residents. The nearest international airports are Carcassonne (45 mins) and Toulouse (1 hour 30 mins). The Mediterranean sea is just 1.5 hours away and Spain is just 2 hours away! This area benefits from a mild year-round climate and is well suited to anybody who is looking to experience real France!

Interior
The ground level of the property certainly has the "wow factor" with a double height mezzanine area that opens up as soon as you walk into the house! The main lounge area with the large original wine press has a large seating area as well as a bar area and leads onto the long dining room which currently includes two long dining tables seating at least 16 people. The ground floor also has the property's original "wine cave" which provides useful additional storage space!

On the same floor, there is a kitchen which leads onto the garage, currently used as storage. The ground floor also has a large laundry room area and separate toilet as well as a very spacious bedroom that could also be used as an art studio, workshop, music room or similar.

Up a flight of historic wooden stairs, the first floor has a large mezzanine area that is currently used as a further lounge / living space overlooking the living room. On this floor, there are two additional bedrooms, bathrooms, and another separate lounge area all featuring wooden floors, exposed wood beams and stone walls.

On the second floor, there are two more bedrooms with another lounge area between them as well as another full bathroom. In addition there is an extra storage area just off the bathroom.

Exterior
Outside, there is a terrace at the front of the house, and a small terrace and garden area at the back of the house which borders a small stream (mostly dry except in winter).

Additional Details
At the property, currently there is no fixed form of heating, which is why there is no Dpe rating listed. We live there year round, and use portable gas fires in the winter months. Diagnostics will be updated, but as for any old property the electricity will not be "au norme" although the property was re-wired before we bought it, and there are no termites, asbestos, or lead.

We are moving as our project has changed, and we don't need a house this big. It would work really well as a chambres d'hotes, or table d'hotes / B&B / bed and breakfast. Would also work well for someone who wanted a gallery space, or studio for art or yoga or wanted to run retreats. We live there year round, but would also make a great holiday home, and there are other houses in the village that are regularly rented short term on Airbnb when not in use.

We have lots more information on the property including videos so get in touch if you'd like more info. Please note, we would of course want to confirm that any interested buyer is serious and has the financing in place to move forward with an offer that is fully financed. Real estate agents / agencies, please don't contact us except if you have buyers that are working with you on a mandat de recherche basis.