If you’re after a historic country house with lots of land, Gascony, France, is one of the best places in the world to be looking…
If you’re not basing yourself in the countryside, you’d be looking for homes in a village or town, which could be a small townhouse or a decently sized fully detached home.
Prices here can range dramatically, thanks to the abundance of chateaux and historically important homes that come on the market. Many of these larger estates also come with significant land holdings and amenities, which drive up prices on a case-by-case, as well, sometimes into the millions. That said, you can easily find large, old homes (or small castles!) with land and pools in the 350,000 to 750,000 euro-range.
I recently put together a sampler of local properties for my Overseas Living Letter issue on Gascony.
Take a look at some current examples of what’s currently on the market around the region in that range (and check out the full site for some truly spectacular homes of 1 million and up)…
Country House In The Village
Price: 375,000 euros
House size: 230 square meters
Land area: 1,419 square meters
Beds: 3/4
Baths: 3
Price per square meter (construction): 1,630 euros
With about 230 square meters of living space, imaginatively renovated by the very best team of local artisans, producing a character-packed family home that blends modern with original. The home offers three/four bedrooms and three bathrooms, with fine reception rooms, as well as two attached outbuildings (of 47 and 55 square meters), a 13×4-meter swimming pool, and an easy-to-maintain garden.
The land measures 1,419 square meters on the edge of a lively village in the northern part of Le Gers, an easy reach to the motorway and TGV station. In a convenient setting, with great outdoor spaces, period features and fireplace, plus charming kitchen.
Village House With Garden
Price: 335,000 euros
House size: 183 square meters
Land area: 368 square meters
Beds: 4
Baths: 4
Price per square meter (construction): 1,830 euros
Charming village house on two levels located in the center of a pristine North Gers village with all shops and services one needs. Completely and recently updated using high-quality materials, with original features preserved. The fully private garden to the east and south with attached garage makes this a truly rare find.
Enchanting Domain And Guest Cottages On 12 Acres
Price: 756,000 euros
House size: 555 square meters
Land area: 5 hectares
Beds: 4
Baths: 3
Price per square meter (construction): 1,362 euros
Dated to 1815, this elegant domain atop a hill offers wonderful views over the rolling Gascon countryside and many centenarian trees of different species for privacy. Ideally suited for permanent or holiday home for a large family or several generations, having the independent guest cottages. As these are slightly set away from the main house, they could also be rented out.
The total land of over five hectares offers a large orchard, many trees planted about 30 years ago, and a parcel of old oak woodland, plus uninterrupted views to the east, south, and north.
The main house offers elegant and light reception rooms, with four bedrooms and three bathrooms and structurally in great condition, but in need of décor updating. In this main building, there is a separate caretakers/staff accommodation available.
The old winery contains two self-contained guest houses (of 72 and 78 square meters), ready to move into. Between them, there’s a large communal playroom
and storeroom, with basement garages for cars or workshop. All are perfectly renovated and can be used year-round due to its high-end central heating system. There are additional small limestone outbuildings for farm use and a 500-square-meter metal barn to store tractors.
Renovated Country House In Private Setting
Price: 550,000 euros
House size: 280 square meters
Land area: 2 hectares
Beds: 6
Baths: 2
Price per square meter (construction): 1,964 euros
Family home uniquely renovated to preserve yet modernize the old construction. With six bedrooms, two bathrooms, and fine reception rooms. It also offers a beautiful pigeonnier (pigeon house), now the pool house next to the decent size swimming pool, all on over two hectares of land and situated in the middle of Gascony’s countryside in a very quiet and private setting.
A Dream Property For Horse Lovers
Price: 495,000 euros
House size: 395 square meters
Land area: 21 hectares
Beds: 9
Baths: 5
Price per square meter (construction): 1,253 euros
This stunning classic manor with its 21 hectares of pasture and woodland, is ideal for keeping horses. Once an established horse-riding facility, it has been neglected and in need of updating, but can be easily brought back to life.
Several paddocks and abundant grassland offer a huge amount of potential for welcoming horses, with five horse stalls in the large barn complete with all necessary facilities.
The manor house offers light, bright reception rooms, five bedrooms and four bathrooms, plus another 120 square meter accommodation with four bedrooms intended for caretakers/staff. The property could welcome a large family or be used on a commercial basis. The main house needs updating but all the original 19th-century features are still present.
The Best House In Town
Price: 625,000 euros
House size: 375 square meters
Land area: 3,500 square meters
Beds: 5
Baths: 3
Price per square meter (construction): 1,666 euros
A beautifully renovated village house in a sought-after area near the larger market towns of Mirande and Marciac, both active on the summer festival circuit.
This historic Manoir, which retains a wealth of period features having belonged to one of Napoleon’s generals, now offers bright and spacious reception rooms, with five bedrooms and three bathrooms. After years of painstaking restoration, the entire property has been reworked with top-quality materials while preserving the historic atmosphere. A high-grade heating system and thermal insulation make it a perfect home for year-round living.
Outside, the rear of the property is fully private, with several terraces ideal for entertaining. The grounds, extending to over 3,500 square meters, have many centenarian cedars and other mature trees. Off-street parking through a gated archway gives access to the outbuildings.
At a few minutes’ walk, the attractive village center has several local shops, cafés, restaurants, post office, bank, pharmacy, and doctor’s practice.
Luxury Town House in Marciac
Price: 895,000 euros
House size: 900 square meters
Land area: 120 square meters
Beds: 13
Baths: 13
Price per square meter (construction): 994 euros
A substantial period property, professionally transformed into a grand residence with a metropolitan flavor. Set in a quiet corner of Marciac, famous for its international summer jazz festival and a short distance on foot to open countryside.
Set around an impressive domed reception area of 120 square meters, the property is ideal for private or corporate entertaining. With its strategic location and uniformly high standard of finish, it would also lend itself to a variety of activities including business seminars, a health and fitness spa, gallery or music academy, brasserie, or prestige restaurant with rooms. With a high level of insulation throughout.
Marciac is one of the most highly rated villages in Gascony and offers year-round amenities and entertainment. Convenient for both primary and secondary schools, cinema, and a modern concert hall with events all year round.
A Piece Of Gascon Heritage
Price: 639,000 euros
House size: 520 square meters
Land area: 13.5 hectares
Beds: 5
Baths: 4
Price per square meter (construction): 1,228 euros
A fascinating château of medieval origins with later developments and additions. Packed with period details, the building has an eccentric charm with lofty and light-filled rooms and features an impressive grand salon of 92 square meters. Privately set above a peaceful hamlet in a dominating position with panoramic views.
While the property has long been lived in on a near-permanent basis, you’ll probably want to invest in remodeling and refurbishing most of the accommodation, and the installations (electricity, bathrooms, septic tank, heating, and insulation) will need to be replaced before too long. The ground floor has light and spacious reception rooms and upstairs there are five large bedrooms plus the grand salon with its majestic fireplace. This floor adjoins a covered terrace and lawned garden, a delightful spot for al fresco entertaining at any time of year overlooking the Gascon countryside and Pyrenees mountains.
The immediate grounds have a great variety of bushes and deciduous trees and the outbuildings provide storage and the potential for further development. A dozen hectares of organic pasture and oak woods extend south along a ridge line for over 500 meters.
Comfortable Country Property In Perfect Location
Price: 675,000 euros
House size: 270 square meters
Land area: 3 hectares
Beds: 5
Baths: 3
Price per square meter (construction): 2,500 euros
Properties don’t get more rural than this one, tucked away in a secluded pastoral location in an elevated position in the rolling hills of the northern Gers, only a few kilometers from the thriving market town of Condom.
The house is nicely restored and retains many original features, but filled with modern comfort for year-round living. It is surrounded by its own land of over three hectares with mature trees and meadows, all entirely fenced. The beautiful limestone building, once a defending tower from the Middle Ages, has well-proportioned reception rooms and five bedrooms and three bathrooms. All rooms are centrally heated and additional heating is supplied by the large AGA and wood burner.
A large outbuilding of over 100 square meters on two levels can accommodate horses, cars, or be converted. Further outbuildings for cars, hobbies, or storage, as well as a high-end heated swimming pool and its pool house is the cherry on the cake.Listings courtesy of Ma Maison Immobilier.
Bonne route,
Kat Kalashian
Editor, In Focus: Europe
