Croix
property details
for a Hub House co-operative coliving project

Environment ✧ scrub tree hills and vineyards at bottom of mountain near coast; beach 35mins drive

Services ✧ village by minibus/20mins walk; supermarket 10mins walk

Access ✧ station 5mins walk: 20mins Perpignan (last 8pm), +Barcelona 1h30 / Paris 5h; airport 25mins drive

Notes ✧ this location is badly affected by drought
✦ the village itself is unprepossessing with a dreary public square though there's a very cool bike/veggie/coffee shop, a few good restos (inc. vietnamese), supermarkets and a small weekly market; really comes into its own by offering good access to varied surroundings in 30mins or less from the beach to gorges

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there's a passable small park in the village, a much nicer riverside spot for a stroll is 15mins with walks continuing from there but they really start 20-30mins away on lanes, there's a good circuit of the little gorges otherwise very barren and dry hills, the south hills are slightly greener scrub woods but 35mins on lanes thus requiring a dropoff, only 10mins bike and climbing 450m somewhat gradually
✦ tennis 10mins walk, buggy driving at door, climbing, horse riding, all near
✦ 30mins walk to the impressive natural formations of Les Orgues
✦ few of the surrounding villages are interesting and just in passing
✦ better countryside with hikes to climb Canigou up the valley 30mins drive / 45mins bus
✦ kitesurfing 30mins drive
✦ a few more interesting villages, abbeys, chateaus etc in around 30–40mins
✦ 40mins drive (1h bus) to secret hot springs and hikes up a gorge leading to a remote lake overnighting in a hut
✦ watersports (reliable watershed) for rafting/kayaking 1h
✦ 50mins drive to much nicer coast at Argeles/Collioure
✦ 1h drive to skiing (train also but slow)

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the little town of Prades at the bottom of Canigou is 20mins train and the fort-village of Villefranche 25mins where the narrow guage railway climbs to the top of the mountains, a day trip in itself
✦ whilst Perpignan station is super convenient, it's a further 15mins walk into the centre, still reasonable; changes for beach trains are however absurd
✦ super easy access via Perpignan for flights from to Barcelona and other regional airports (Perpignan, Montpellier, Carcassonne, Beziers) and also TGVs from Paris, London and northern Europe

Property ✧ down from 220k
✦ good size though not big enough to be a mini-hub
✦ renovation commenced with many windows (wood framed!) and facades redone albeit apparently some time ago without gutter pipes fully placed despite being new…
✦ needs "significant works" but sounds most like complete refit and finishing including plumbing etc which would generally be needed regardless, so likely not usable until some is completed but likely fast; the building at the back is probably untouched, and it's not implausible a floor needs new beams however that'd not be major
✦ interesting arrangement of wings around a small courtyard with a side open under arches that would be closed in
✦ 28m2 roof terrace with (okay) view of Canigou
✦ could be extended by removing part of the street attic for up to 30m2 additional, and another for a further 15m2+
✦ multiple adjoined 3-floor buildings around ~20m2 courtyard: 32m2 street/E, 20m2 street/NE, 10m2 annexe/stairs/N, 30m2 side/S, 40m2 back/S, 30m2 back-side/NW, some being attics with small windows
✦ courtyard space is actually larger with arched doorway from street and open arched section, would probably be given a glass roof and turned into the dining / casual work area
✦ 1st floor has a tiny terrace, and north-west has a 15m2 courtyard/light well (over a neighbour's pool)