Midi-Pyrénées, Tarn, Graulhet, France

Walk in up steps to entrance hall, original tiled floor, WC, wainscotted walls.
The 2 reception rooms retain their parquet flooring, fireplaces, high ceilings and plaster mouldings. The living room opens onto the rear terrace. A small reading nook or what could be a reception desk area makes good use of the generous space in the hall.
Large, modern kitchen, with all appliances.
Doors through to spacious, roofed terrace ideal for dining in almost all seasons and enjoying the view of the garden. A pool, above ground or below would be easy to supervise from this shady spot.

From kitchen, steps down to very useful basement: climate controlled wine cellar, large room currently an office, large laundry room with shower, many storage spaces. Ideal for anyone working from home, these areas are very versatile, dry, warm, with natural light. Condensing gas central heating boiler. Pellet burner for additional heating and to reduce fuel bills. Pump system for garden irrigation system fed from well. Access to garden.

From entrance hall, stairs up to 1st floor: 1 large bedroom with walk-in wardrobe; 1 parental suite with large walk-in wardrobe, large shower room/WC; family shower room/WC.
Door to stairs up to 2nd floor. The staircase here is enclosed to conserve heat downstairs. Spacious landing gives onto: 1 large bedroom with walk-in wardrobe; 1 smaller bedroom; very large attic space under eaves currently used as storage but easily remodelled to create 2 or 3 more bedrooms, a studio, gym, small apartment...

Outside, the gates at the front of the property give easy vehicular access to 3 parking spots and the side gate into the garden, plus the 12-metre deep well which is reliable for watering the plants even in a severe drought. Through the side gate, enter a neat, mature garden primarily laid to lawn with several large trees for shade in summer, olive trees, another, smaller well, a tidy drip irrigation system and, at the far end, a building currently housing a garage and a storage space. This building could be put to other uses, as it has direct access to the road that runs past the property at this end. Another double gate here gives access from the road at the rear to the second parking area.
The garden offers plenty of room for growing your own fruit and veg, and even keeping a few chickens, perhaps. A small photovoltaic solar power generation system has been installed on the garage roof. It powers a car and any surplus is sold back to EDF. You could easily adopt this system or use it as the basis for your own plans. So, although this is very much a classic French town house, it is also the ideal spot for a "good life" project in the heart of a lively town.

Please contact me for more information, more images and to book a viewing if you like what you see.

Location: Graulhet [say: Groyay] is based on a medieval centre and has a recent industrial history that has left it with a varied architecture. It is not a tourist destination, which makes property here well-priced, and yet it is in a beautiful region. Everything a family needs is here: education from pre-school to age 19, theatre, cinema, sports venues and clubs from yoga to flying, cultural and social associations, shopping, medical services, restaurants. There is a small weekly market on the square in front of the house so you don't even need to drive to the supermarket if you don't choose to. Another market in the town offers more choice still.
Further afield, we have Albi (UNESCO World Heritage Site) at 30 minutes' drive, Toulouse within 1 hour and many smaller towns and villages to explore in this area known as "Little Tuscany". The Gaillac winegrowing region is full of undiscovered gems and the countryside offers endless opportunity for leisure and sports in the mountains, fields, lakes and rivers. The regional cuisine is largely based on fresh local ingredients, traditional French dishes often with a modern twist. Think seared duck breast with a fruity sauce and enormous salad, or cassoulet (a stew of beans and mixed meats) in its home town of Castelnaudary. Or, if you are eating in, a rotisserie chicken fresh from the market with potatoes cooked in the drippings and a fresh green salad from the stall next door, all served on your shady terrace with a glass of rosé from the estate down the road.