Possibly the deal of the decade, a small hamlet in rural France has been put on the market for the price of a typical one-bedroom flat in London, namely £275,000.

The price for Courbefy in the Limousin, made up of 19 buildings, including houses and a village hall, as well as a swimming pool, stables and tennis courts, was drastically reduced to this figure after failing to attract any interest at £700,000. It was put on the market after the current owner went bankrupt and will remain in the hands of bank Credit Agricole if it doesn’t sell.

Courbefy was once home to more than 200 people but became deserted after a downturn in the farming industry. At one time there were plans to convert it into a holiday home, but these never materialised and the buildings have been left to fall into disrepair.

Expat Alexis Goldberg, author of FranceBuyingGuide.com and its Facebook page, commented: “Despite its popularity and high standard of living, property in rural France has remained relatively affordable throughout the years. This, though, is exceptional and has come about through economic circumstances. And while it appears a bargain on the surface, you have to wonder how much it would cost bringing it all back to life and then maintaining it! I’ve been renovating one – albeit large – village house in the Languedoc for a year or so now – I’d hate to times what I’ve spent by 19!”

For details property in the Limousin, or any properties for sale in France, visit the French listings on Rightmove Overseas. One way to save money when buying in France, or moving there, is to use a currency specialist when transferring your pounds into euros to complete the purchase of your property. For more information on this, contact Smart Currency Exchange.

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in France, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘France Property Buying Guide’