40 Grande
property details
for a Hub House co-operative coliving project

Environment ✧ gentle agricultural, small river valleys, occasional woods

Services ✧ all: 2 good resturants, pub and some decent cafes

Access ✧ station 10mins walk: Paris/Bordeaux 3h ~€50; Limoges airport 45mins drive or train +bus/taxi

Notes ✧ tame agricultural area but this property appears to be rather good value having lots of space with 650m2+ potential and a good sheltered garden
✦ fairly presentable little town that historically was the capital of the area, and now has both a college and hospital; whilst it has declined significantly it currently has a minor net population growth which is a good sign, and has identified that it needs to improve its public spaces to reduce its 20% property inoccupancy
✦ in addition to the (Irish) pub, one of the cafes is a gathering spot for local expats and hosts quiz nights (English)
✦ the property could function as a mini-hub for dropins probably offering max 2-days/week
✦ the town has an office building where small businesses can rent offices thus presumably has some life in the restos and cafes
✦ weekly markets, with big ones and street tables in summer
✦ would be inward focussed as a great varied space to work, including outside spaces, but rarer outings and activities with more game/film nights, bbqs, fireside chats, library time, etc
✦ with the station 10mins walk Limoges is thus a bit over 1h so not too bad for occasional days out (last back 7:30pm), but at 1h10 to Poitiers (last 8:30pm) is unlikely
✦ 5mins to several large albeit plain greenspaces; also tennis
✦ 25mins dirt greenway to Magnac, and 1h15 to Chateauponsac but broken
✦ 15mins train Montmorillon (pretty but small and quiet, 9pm return), 25mins Nantiat for some hills and hikes
✦ 10mins train (9:45–1:45) +10mins bike or 10mins drive to riverside trails, horse riding, and kayak/sup (summers) on a moderately rocky bit of the river; for biking most likely one-way would be a drive, for hiking is required
✦ 30mins drive to a lake with SUP/sailing/kayak/wake/ski
✦ 50mins drive to Monts d'Ambazac for better hikes and a bikepark, also by train 1h15

Property ✧ for comparison see Saint-Leonard/#230 which is offers less but is a bit more lively and 15mins closer to Limoges, however this has much more potential
✦ usable if tired, but windows all function, even if they'd all need replacing
✦ no windows with south exposure, the streetfront is west and gets sun all afternoon on the 2nd, and part of the afternoon on the 1st some bedrooms might therefore be on this floor; half rear is obscured to south; the general lack of indoor light would be resolved by having a large orangerie, probably double-glazed and heated

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3 buildings, 2 streetfront with 3 floors plus attic, but ground streetfront is low with small windows so doors would need to be glass, and larger at rear drops to garden with no windows
✦ 190m2 of garden split lengthways on two levels with a wall, thus woudl be interesting and could easily accommodate the desireable features of a firepit, sauna and plunge-pool, not to mention a large orangerie
✦ streetfront north 50m2 *3 +attic backing onto 150m2 of wide garden =180
✦ streetfront south 100m2 *3 +attic however at rear no windows and descends (thus less usable space) to lower level 40m2 garden =350
✦ south garden annexe 30m2 *2 (north facing) =60; actually has a cadastral footprint extending another 25m2 for 15m2 of length this would make good tinyhomes, with an extension to connect to the main building, either an orangery (albeit partly blocked sun by the annexe itself), or better as a big new room with roof terrace, or half and half with the orangery split level up onto the main garden
✦ main building attics are very low at wall but suitable for pods however given the height, undesireable to add skylights, though ivy does need removing
✦ nice wooden staircase and some wood panelling