8 Bedroom House For Sale

A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE this historic house in a delightful country town and benefit from the opportunity it offers as a home with potential income from Chambres d'Hotes, a private rental apartment and a separate house that has been used as a brocante and art gallery.

It is unusual to be able to acquire a property which was in church ownership for more than two centuries, and now provides the quality of life of country living with town surroundings.

Only the 17th century Bishop's House, a few doors away, can rival the Hotel de Montferrand for importance in the Episcopal cathedral city of Sees. Both figure on the visitor boards of this major tourist centre and it is 'a house of special note' but not listed.

Formerly known as The Chateau and situated behind high walls and hedges within this thriving town, the Hotel de Montferrand has more than 470m2.of living space and 1835m2 of land.

Built for the wealthy Montferrand family in the 18th century, it survived the French Revolution and became a convent in 1807.

Right by shops, schools, restaurants, brocantes and the full range of commercial services, this exceptional town house is only minutes from the A28 and A88 motorways and an inter-city rail station to Paris. Lovingly restored after 170 years as a serene and beautiful convent, it also offers significant development potential.

And a bonus for film enthusiasts. The town's small but famous cinema is renowned for showing the world's best films (in English and French). Even the latest Bond movies show at the same time as the London premiere, and it's only 100 metres from the house.

A Quick Tour :

High walls mean that the house is barely visible from the street on the south side. The massive, old wood doors open effortlessly or you can enter through a tiny door set into them

In the courtyard, or cour d'honneur, the original 18th century cobblestone pathways have been restored. An elegant two-sided stone staircase leads to the house's raised formal entrance.

Ground Floor:

The south hall is flanked symmetrically by a beautiful panelled salon (42 sq.m.) with a working fireplace and a fabulous living room of 40 sq.m.. Tall windows and high ceilings make both rooms bright and sunny. The lovely north hall (38 sq.m.) is distinguished by a graceful floating staircase to the next floor.

Independent apartment:

A connecting door from the salon leads to an unexpected independent apartment of 49 sq.m. The apartment, consisting of a living room, kitchen, bedroom and shower room, has its own front door and can be closed off to use quite separately from the main house.

First floor:

An L-shaped landing features a balcony built to allow the nuns to oversee everything, and takes you to the three main bedrooms: the first a luminous space of 28 sq.m.with its original panelling and en suite bathroom (11 sq.m.) and dressing room (5 sq.m.); the second a triple windowed room of 25 sq.m. and the third a bright bedroom of 20 sq.m., just across the landing from anoth otherbathroom (10 sq.m.).

Half level:

The large kitchen (34 sq.m.), reached by steps down from the north hall, has occupied its important central position at courtyard level for more than two centuries. The hub of the building, it was once permanently manned by cooks and assistants.

Flanked by a utility room (20 sq.m.) and a boiler room (22 sq.m.), it is also served by a larder, cellar, storage room and WC.

Upper floor and Two Additional Houses:

The Hotel de Montferrand has been lovingly restored to create a comfortable and manageable home. But the house also offers the potential for expansion and income earning development.

On the third floor, which is in excellent condition, you can find six more rooms covering 120 sq.m. and perfect for conversion to chambres d'hotes. Or perhaps for making into a cinema, music room, games room, office.....

And on either side of the courtyard are two houses with great potential.

The first, at around 150 sq.m., is in a very good state and ready for converting into an attractive home in its own right. There are six rooms on two floors which can be easily connected to electricity, water and gas supplies.

The second requires renovation but would reward creative design solutions, particularly for additional family accommodation.

The Grounds:

The north side of the house features the main vehicle entrance with substantial gravelled parking space, and two town gardens, one at each end of the property. Outdoor space, including the courtyard, amounts to 1835 sq.m.

More details:

Town gas and mains drainage help keep down running costs.

Taxe fonciere is around 2600 euros.

A completely new gas boiler and central heating system has been installed and the house rewired electrically. Energy consumption is at a good 'D' rating.

The house is situated next to a small 18th century park created as an equestrian dressage and riding school for the nobility, and now noted for its display of pruned and perfectly aligned lime trees.

Room Sizes:

Lower Ground Floor: Kitchen 35m2, Utility room / Kitchen 19,70m2, W.C. 5m2, Store room 12m2, Boiler room 21,80m2 with new central heating boiler, Room 18,63m2, Cave.

Ground Floor: Entrance 38,18m2, Living room 41,70m2 with feature fireplace, Office 5,73m2, Drawing room 40m2.

Appartment: Kitchen 13,80m2, Living room 16,40m2, Shower room & WC 5,05m2, Bedroom 1 13,79m2.

1st Floor: Bedroom 2 28m2 with fitted wardrobes, Shower room & WC 11,48m2, Dressing room 5,07m2, Bedroom 3 25m2, Bedroom 4 19,80m2, Landing 8,40m2, Bathroom 10,68m2.

2nd Floor: Bedroom 11,52m2 with sink, Bedroom 20m2, Bedroom 16,83m2 with sink, Bedroom 15,05m2, Bedroom 20,60m2, Bedroom 14,20m2, Corridor 19m2

The department of Orne, in Lower Normandy is bordered by the other two departments in the region, Manche and Calvados . It is located in the south of the region bordering with Mayenne, Sarthe, Eure et Loir and Eure. It is the only Normandy department without a coastline.

Orne's history was built through war, destruction and chaos but also through prosperity so don't worry it is a calm and peaceful place to live and visit now! It has rolling countryside, open meadows and boasts some of the best weekly markets in France.

Nowadays you can still see vestiges from all the troubled periods, as well as modern architecture that followed WWII. Nice property in the area is easy to find and reasonably priced.

We at Cle France specialise in Property for sale in France through our network of Agents and French Registered High Street Estate Agents. We have sold thousands of houses for sale in France over the years and have helped many find and buy their dream home in France.

We can also help you with everything to do with buying a house in France including getting a mortgage, organising currency exchange, renovation advice, property surveys, planning permission, French translation, opening a bank account and everything to do with French property sales.

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For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk