Large Renovated Stone Longère, Central France, Rural Exposition, Exciting Potential as a Home/Work Base/ Business Enter…

Property Description

Large Renovated Stone Longère, Central France, Rural Exposition, Exciting Potential as a Home/Work Base/ Business Enterprise.

Summary
The property is a typical French longère , stone- built pre 1937. This means a farm house with its barn attached, all in length, hence ‘long’ ! The house itself was actually two houses but has been renovated into one, giving interesting changes of levels and rooms that part in all directions! The roof was completely renewed in 2012. The property is on mains electricity and receives fibre Internet services. It has exciting potential either as a large family home, or to use as a 'work from home' base , with it’s downstairs office space , or to develop as a B+B , gîte, small events business.

Location
This attractive longère is situated on the edge of a hamlet, 1.5 miles (2.5k ) from the main village. A rural area, but only 9 mins drive to St Eloy les Mines (schools, shops, banks, medical centres etc) and 14mins to Commentry. The city of Montluçon is 25 mins away (hospitals, private clinics, university etc. The ‘Combrailles' ( a tourist name given to the region - (like ‘The Dales’ or ‘Lake District’ )has rivers, lakes, valleys, gorges, chateaux, mountains ,volcanoes and forests. Whilst it is a walkers' paradise,(we are situated on the walker’s route GR 463), you’ll also find all the usual sports amenities, swimming pools, tennis courts, pétanque, fishing, cycling, yoga, dancing, etc within reach of a short drive. The village of La Celle itself is a very active community with a strong ‘entertainments’ committee.

Access
Motorways going Nth to Paris, Sth to Montpellier or Bordeaux, Est to Switzerland and Wst to Limoges/Poitiers are just 20 and 35 mins away at Montmarault, Combronde and Montluçon. - the benefit of being in Central France. Picking up the A71/79 at Montmarault we can be in Geneva, Switzerland in less than 4 hours driving. There are small airports at Clermont Ferrand, ( 1hr 15 ) and at Limoges ( 2hrs). Trains run from both Montlucon and Clermont Ferrand, which is also a central station for long distances coaches to all parts of Europe: Flixbus, Blablacar etc.

Interior
The front door enters into a small ‘sas’ with the downstairs shower room/toilet to the right. The sas gives onto the the main living space, for us: a dining room (3.80 x 4.24 ), with it’s italian ceramic wood-stove (8.5kw); an archway to the fully fitted kitchen (3.45 x3.50) with extra wide granite work surfaces; to the right a lounge /reception room (3.90 x 4.40). The kitchen hood is vented to the outside.
Leading out of the dining room, to the left, is the utility room (3.75 x 3.00) and our inside workshop/office space. Between these two areas is the original bread oven, which we kept as it forms part of the cultural heritage of this region. Not in use at present; it is possible to renovate.
Stairs going up out of the kitchen bring you to a large open landing with it’s cathedral ceiling. Very spacious, it is an office space, library and photo gallery for us (3.70 X 5.10 , height 3.65 ).
Leading off this 1st floor space is: the large shower room 2.90 x 2.70, and 2 huge bedrooms, each approx 4m x 8m. Another staircase leads to the 2nd floor and a 3rd bedroom of approx 4 X 8. These 3 extra large bedrooms have each been created by bringing two rooms together, because we like space and light, but could easily be redivided to give up to 6 regular sized bedrooms each measuring approx 4m X 4m.
One of these two big bedrooms on the first floor is, at present, a large tv/computer lounge; it has under-floor heating, a wood pellet stove and 8 built-in storage cupboards. It could make a great space for a young adult or a ‘granny- annex’.
Heating systems vary from space to space, with the wood stoves, underfloor heating and hot/cold airconditioners in several rooms. We tend to heat the space we use as we need it whilst the ceramic stove gives a general all round heating. There are two electric water heaters serving the kitchen and bathrooms.

Exterior
The full glass kitchen door leads out onto a large semi-circular patio and pergola ( so choose your sun or your shade!). Another door leads to a storage room called the ‘équerie’ (horse stable) 3.10m X 4.15m, which in turn leads into the barn .
The barn measures 12.20m x 8m, the high steel doors and concreted entrance can house a camper-van/ vehicle and the raised wooden floor, 8x8m was totally replaced in 2014. The barn offers many possiblilities for developement. For us it has been a barn-dance, ceiliidh, music festival space and a play/ fitness area – over to you for future ideas! Under the barn is a workshop measuring 8m x 8m, where much of our renovation work was brought to life, and a vaulted cave (cellar) 8.0m x 3.50m. In the cave, we have water-storage facilities for watering the garden during the summer months. Water is pumped up and stored from the overflow of the garden well and rainwater.
Going outside, in the front garden there is an independant garage, to the side of the house there are wood storage facilities and raised vegetable beds. The long back garden has two outbuildings 10.60 x 3,20m and a carport, 4.30 x3,20m, which, for us, houses our garden machinery. We have a large variety of fruit trees, apple, plum, cherry, pear, fig, kaki, kiwi, walnut apricot , peach and grapes. Fruit bushes : yellow and red raspberry, josta berry, black and red-currants, goji berries and blueberries. We had a very fertile vegetable garden 13 X 13m and strawberry patch 2X 13 m .There is easily enough garden left to build a swimming pool if wanted! Mature flower borders and rose arches complete the picture.

Additional Details
The property is on mainswater and a septic tank which eventually will have to be brought up to european norms. The roof was totally replaced in 2012. When we bought the property in 2014, it was classified as B in the energy ratings, but changes in the norms may well alter this, despite having doubled the insulation in walls and ceilings. The energy rating is category C - which is excellent for an old stone property and reflects the quality of insulation and renovation done .