Sadly the history of this delightful small chateau is typical In France. The original owners were from Paris and modelled the chateau on a larger version in the Loire valley. Used exclusively as a holiday retreat it later fell into disrepair. After years of little or no maintenance it reached the point where the family didn’t have the resources or motivation to repair it. After a severe flood inside the house and multiple leaks from the roof, the rot began to really set in. Emergency repairs were made to the slate roof, only later to be vandalised by thieves who ripped off the flashing thinking it was lead, only to find it was zinc. They dumped it in the garden as worthless scrap.

This sad story is repeated over and over in France. The problem is that there’s a tipping point. A ruthless economic line in the sand where the cost of maintenance and repairs becomes a disincentive to both owners and prospective buyers. What happens next often creates ‘renovation traps’ for unwary foreign buyers.

The owners realising the risk of getting little or nothing for the dilapidating asset grudgingly sell at fire sale prices. This is when the temptation arrives.

Foreign buyers seeing a ‘bargain’ can be lured into a sale only to find later that the true cost of renovation and repair is shockingly more than they anticipated. Old properties always have hidden costly surprises. It’s a lesson for all prospective bargain hunters. Fire sale price almost always means hefty repair and renovation costs.

In this case the new English owner had experience in property development and portfolio ownership.

Complex slate roofs [Toiture en ardoise] are usually reserved only for houses of standing in the South of France

In the Mediterranean South of France most roofs are composed of terracotta tiles of various styles, the most common being canal tiles. Slate roofs are usually only reserved for buildings of high quality such as Maison de maître (mansions) and maison bourgeoise. Just like any specialist building method, repairs or modifications to slate roofs can be difficult to resource and usually expensive. This project was no different.

The design strategy

The client wanted the chateau fully restored and modernised, to maximise the rental capacity. Bathrooms were added, a ground floor rear space combined to create a modern kitchen and dining area. The attic was converted to two self-contained apartments incorporating some of the most complex plasterboard work we have ever undertaken.

The entire internal space was renovated with modern bathrooms. The roof was repaired. The significant work was on the facade which in parts was severely compromised. The external spaces were completely landscaped and planted in a formal style and a 13 x 6m heated concrete pool was installed.

It's a gem of a place in a stunning setting, once again restored to its rightful place as the most important private building in this small village.