Limousin, Haute-Vienne, Magnac-Laval, France

In a class of its own, this sparkling jewel is perfect for remote workers, retirees, holiday makers, and anyone else in search of peace, quiet, low expenses, minimal maintenance, a small carbon footprint, and really good value for money, all without sacrificing anything in terms of quality, comfort, convenience, and easy pedestrian access to everything.

Located midway between the shops and restaurants of the town square, and the stone-arched bridge over the rushing river Brame, this beautifully restored and renovated house is all ready for you to move into and enjoy.

The meticulously restored façade features louvered steel shutters and the brick-and-tile cornice typical of southern France. The clay tile roof and the solid zinc gutters and downspouts are brand new. The walls have just been coated with a durable, ochre-tinted, water repelling finish that offers long lasting protection for the 70 centimetre thick stone walls.

The solid mahogany door with its steel security grille and inlaid brass decoration gives step-free access to the entry with its tough, antique tile floor, exquisitely laid to resemble an oriental carpet. But not a rectangular one : already in the entry, this house begins to reveal its characterful, quirkily shaped rooms.

Hang your coat, put away your hat, and change into your slippers in the street-level entry thanks to the ingeniously designed hooks and shelves that provide generous storage and eliminate clutter without seeming to take up any space at all.

Then make your way up a partial flight of broad oak stairs to the bright indoor living area with its hand hewn beams and rich oak floors. A built-in unit offers generous storage and display space with a special cupboard for your wireless router that has an electrical outlet and fibre optic connection inside. The television connections are also high up on the wall where the TV is likely to be mounted, thus avoiding unsightly wire clutter. There's even a ceiling-height electrical outlet to power a projector for watching movies on the white wall on the other side of the room.

Electrical outlets with USB plugs line the periphery of the room, along with two and three way light switches so you never have to double back to turn off a light. You can even change the mood of the rooms by changing the colour of the LED ceiling lights, or by dimming them, from the wall switch or by remote control.

In a quiet moment, you can sit by the front window and admire the roses blooming on the façade of the restored house across the little square. Put your drink on the window sill while you enjoy the view. It's made of easy-clean, indestructible Corian, like all of the window sills and counter tops in the house.

From the indoor living space, proceed to the bright, open concept kitchen with its large island that offers generous seating for four and counter top electrical outlets. The major appliances, all brand new, were chosen with energy efficiency in mind, including the induction cooktop and the well insulated self-cleaning oven. Under the island is a niche for either a dishwasher or a washing machine, and the refrigerator niche is an extra 10 cm wide for better air flow and enhanced energy efficiency.

The kitchen cupboards, professionally made to order, take full advantage of all available space. Their beautiful design, quality materials and tough finishes guarantee decades of pleasure and convenience for all who use them.

When the weather is fine, step through either of the french doors that mark the subtle transition from the indoor living space to the outdoor one. The wide terrace, with its newly restored granite walls, can accommodate larger groups to enjoy an outdoor meal, or just to just sit and relax. The electrical outlets, water tap, LED lighting, and smooth, weed-free floor make this very private terrace convenient to use and easy to maintain.

Up several steps from the terrace is the little garden with its sunny and shady areas, its excellent gardening soil, and the windowless wall of the neighbouring house that protects it from the north wind and prying eyes. Beyond the fence at the back of the garden is an extensive, privately owned green space where you will rarely hear anything but birdsong.

Back in the house, check out the big bonus this house has to offer : the clean, dry, well lit and well ventilated basement. The first thing you see at the bottom of the concrete stairs with their sturdy, stainless steel handrail is the brand new electrical service, breaker panel and fibre-optic internet connection. Then there is all that space with a big window facing the morning sun. Hobby room ? Games room ? Home office ? Or just lots and lots of storage ? It will be easy to use for any purpose owing to its bright lighting and numerous electrical outlets.

Next, climb the solid oak stairs to the bedroom floor. The outer world melts away as you sink into the rich, brand new, naturally stain-resistant pure wool carpet. Even the smaller bedroom is big enough for queen size bed if you want to use it as a guest room. Or why not a home office, or just a cozy sitting room ? The window has a charming view over the terrace and garden, and the sill is made of indestructible Corian, like all the others in the house.

The well laid out, brand new bathroom offers a generously dimensioned, top quality glass shower stall, convenient clothes hooks, a self programming towel warmer, a spacious sink counter, storage cupboards, and a niche with all the hookups for a washing machine or washer dryer.

Finally, the inner sanctum : the spacious but cozy, six-sided main bedroom. Open the window and listen to the soothing sound of the waterfall in the river Brame, just below the tree-tops you can see behind the houses on the other side of the square. This bedroom offers at least two possibilities for placing a bed of any size, with plenty of room left over for a reading nook or additional storage furniture to supplement the wall closet that's bigger than it looks. USB, internet and audio-visual outlets line the walls to make any furniture arrangement work without wire clutter.

Energy efficiency was top of mind throughout the renovation of this house. Smart, programmable, maintenance-free dry inertia electric radiators with ceramic cores and motion detectors were chosen for the heating system. They save energy and reduce heating costs by storing heat at off-peak times, and by putting heat where you are, not up under the ceiling like ordinary radiators do. Therefore, in addition to great economy, they offer maximum comfort, too. Not to mention that they are guaranteed for life by Rothelec, their high-end manufacturer.

Hot water is supplied by a maintenance-free Atlantic semi-instantaneous water heater that combines the energy savings of an instantaneous water heater with the reliable performance of a traditional hot water tank. It's also smart and programmable.

However, what most distinguishes this house from others that might look as pretty, but don't really perform, is the German-made heat recovery ventilation system that provides fresh, filtered, dust and pollen free air to every room in the house 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, all while reducing the already modest energy bill by another 1/3 or so. The built-in heat exchanger transfers about 90% of the already paid for energy in the outgoing air to the incoming air. So while the air in the house is constantly renewed, the energy gets used again and again.

Of course the brand new, air tight windows and doors, and the right kinds of insulation professionally installed in the right places, all ensure that the energy you pay for stays where you want it---inside the house.

Throughout the renovation, the concern for energy efficiency extended even to the smallest details : the high efficiency appliances, the LED lighting, and the careful placement of the water heater to minimize energy loss through the supply pipes.

Another big evergy saving not immediately obvious is the thick stone walls that keep the house cool in summer, and the basement carved out of the bedrock that ensures you will always have a cool place to go, even in the worst of heat waves---all without energy-intensive air conditioning.