Beautiful Maison De Maitre with Large Outbuildings on a Total of 1.4 Hectares

Property Description

Nouveau Début is a substantial, rendered stone house of imposing appearance built in the early part of the nineteenth century in the style known as "Maison de Maitre" and a selection of stone outbuildings situated on the Southern edge of a small village with a population of 140 on the D27 some six kilometres from the RN10 and the town of Ruffec which has all services. The house is believed to have been the Maire's home in the early part of the twentieth century. The property is approached from the South by a 50m. private, hedged drive and from the West across a small yard. It was built as a house, it is not a conversion and it requires no renovation work. It provides more than enough space and facilities for a large family and it provides ideal, equestrian facilities.The South-facing house and the outbuildings are clustered around an enclosed, gravelled courtyard which is large enough to turn a car without reversing. There are views across the adjoining countryside which is criss-crossed with tracks ideal for dog walking, cycling and horse riding.To the left of the house is an open barn which has the traditional Charentaise entrance arch with double wooden gates and a pedestrian door, with under cover parking space for two or three cars. Above is a pigeonnaire with access via a staircase and to the front is a double poultry house.Attached to the above barn is another building which at the front has a large workshop, a small storage shed and a long, two-storey barn which faces the house across the courtyard with ample storage space and scope for development if desired. On the opposite side of this barn are two, garage-sized areas with separate sliding doors. Electricity and water is provided.To the right of the house is a large barn which has two full-size and one small loose box. It has double, wooden doors and a rear door. Electricity and lighting is provided. There is also ample space for the storage of hay and straw and at least 20 cu.m. of firewood. Between this building and the two-storey barn is the front double metal gateway outside of which is a further, small detached barn with scope for development.The main house roof is of decorative tiles and the remainder of the buildings have the traditional Charentaise half-round tiles. All the roofs are in good order.There is a large, mature garden which is securely walled and fenced primarily of lawn with a separate area for poultry and an access gate to the paddock of over one hectare with a steel-framed field shelter which is on the opposite side of the quiet lane. The garden contains a number of established trees including fig, pear, peach and plum. There are also a number of grapevines. In the corner of the garden adjacent to the left of the house is a sheltered, gravelled patio area with a large, built-in barbecue with a tiled roof. There are two outside water taps, one outside the summer kitchen and the other near the patio. Both the front and back doors have outside lights and the front of the house has a high-mounted flood lamp which illuminates the courtyard.The ground floor of the house comprises a good-sized hall with tiled floor, exposed stone wall feature and a straight, wooden staircase to the first floor and two radiators, a large, double aspect living room with an open, stone fireplace, double doors to the kitchen and tiled floor and two radiators, a large dining room with fireplace, double doors to the study and wooden floor and a radiator, a large summer kitchen with tiled floor, two sinks and a sliding door accessing the courtyard.At the back of the ground floor is a good-sized fitted kitchen with tiled floor, a gas and electric hob under an extractor hood, an electric fan oven, a microwave oven, double sink and a radiator. There is good storage space and room for a table and six chairs and a door to the patio area.There is also a large utility/storage room, a separate toilet, a good sized bathroom with sink, bath with shower, bidet and radiator and a study/boiler room. In the hall opposite the bathroom is a cloakroom area.The first floor comprises four double bedrooms, one with double aspect, a large bathroom with sink, bath, toilet, bidet and radiator and a large, walk-in storage room accessed from the bathroom.All windows on the front of the house have integrated, folding shutters with a summer facility for providing shade whilst allowing in light. All other windows have either shutters and/or security bars.The house is heated by a Chapée Edena gas boiler supplied from a one tonne, above ground butane gas tank adjacent to the front gates. Water heating is provided by two electric tank heaters (chauffe eau), one in the utility/storage room and the other in the summer kitchen which operate on off-peak electricity. Mains water is metered and drainage is into a septic tank (fosse septique).The house is just 6kms. from the RN10 autoroute which links to the A10 at Poitiers. It is two hours from Bordeaux and La Rochelle, 40mins. from Angouleme and 1hr. from Poitiers TGV stations with trains to Paris and Bordeaux and 1hr. from Poiters and 1hr. 25mins. from Limoges airports with flights to the UK and other European destinations. For the adventurous sun-seeking, motorist, Barcelona, Spain is a 7hr. drive away.Large rooms and some interior updating would be required.