Grand Rue
property details
for a Hub House co-operative coliving project

Environment ✧ vineyards and wooded hills, escarpments; hikes from door, beach 30mins

Services ✧ all

Access ✧ station 10mins walk: +35min Toulon, 1h30 Marseille (direct, last 7pm), 2h Nice (airport, 1 change), 2h30 Marseille airport, 5h Paris (last 2pm, or night)

Notes ✧ a good deal to get a foothold in an area which is otherwise expensive, these tatty older properties are even still sometimes overlooked especially given the new rules for rentals — however would be around 35% more expensive (less time) than other properties

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Toulon is not a touristic town but is a good one being very presentable mixing both activities and hanging out, with a great market, a cable car to the top of its escarpment for hiking, France's second largest opera house, and a waterfront lined with unpretentious restaurants (they're below ugly apartment buildings), and tons more in squares dotted around the historic centre — altogether a great local town that's had extensive public works and is now up-and-coming
✦ from the prior station (better served) which is a 5min dropoff/10min scoot, Saint Raphael is only 35mins, Cannes 1h; it will also be gaining a more frequent (and hopefully later) service for Toulon

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whilst it is effectviely on the coast, with the beaches at Hyeres only 30mins, this section is a massif and tricky to traverse, thus the good beaches and Saint Tropez/Maxime are 1h however Cassis and other spots are accessibel by train too in 30mins+ plus bus/20min+ walk
✦ village is moderately presentable with a small square and very good restaurant plus cafe/bar, a 'pub', thai takeaway, supermarkets and small twice weekly market, plus an organic shop (albeit 15mins walk in a commercial zone) and gym
✦ 4(!) tennis courts 10mins walk
✦ the pretty streamside village of Collobrieres is 30mins drive, as is larger Hyeres
✦ the better known villages of Carces, Cotignac, Lorgues, Le Thoronet, Entrecasteaux are 35–45mins
✦ even more villages even a waterfall at 1h for day trips involving lunch/hikes/plunge, or alternatively Aix-en-Provence and the montagne Sainte Victore
✦ the massive impressive turquoise lake is 1h20 thus a bit out of reach but as a day trip stopping off in Aups, doing the upp/lower gorges and Moustiers is more plasuible with variations for repeats including lavender season

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hikes and biking from the door (15–25mins walk along lanes) with endless small paths and firetracks but dry and hot, easily climbing 200m, or 550m in 2h; more impressive rides and hikes with an outing (train or drive)
✦ 10mins train to kayaking
✦ 20mins drive horse riding

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naturally there's a fair few little things to do, such as a botanical garden 10mins drive, castle ruins 20mins, abbeys, … albeit nothing especially notable
✦ several lakes (no swimming) and gorges with streams, plus kayak/sup and climbing 35mins, and a slightly bigger wild river 45mins

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unfortunately the same as around Canigou, drought is becoming very apparent, and at some times in the summer access to the hills is banned

Property ✧ will probably sell fast with the return of tourist season so not really worth persuing unless there's a good response from potential founding members for time stakes of at least 3 months
✦ despite being presentable on the outside there are no notable features inside, except for some minor marble and detailing, and tomette floors

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there is a notable disadvantage of this property, with the railway being 100m away, most trains not stopping (~140km/h) and every 30mins yet only a few seconds of disturbance, there are a few trees and houses between however it is on a raised embankment

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immediately usable but on last legs, needs significant refit, but as with most others mainly plumbing, elec and new partion walls
✦ roof beams are surprisingly feeble and need extra support especially once insulation is added (mainly against heat), no issue with refit as new rooms would add 4 additional support points, thus avoiding reconstruction which migth result in no one else wanting it; a small leak but appears to have been resolved, if not relaying a few tiles is less a concern than lifting a whole roof (such properties should be avoided)
✦ several lathe cielings need to be replastered

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the village has a decent greenspace
✦ not having a garden is a disadvantage but in the typical summer heat one wants to remain indoors
✦ the back is south facing behind a large old plane tree and has 25m2 of narrow (2m) land, is really a garden bed, but could be raised with 2 windows enlarged as french doors for small terraces either side of the steps, in addition there's a stange sticky-out bit of L-shaped land abutting the rear of the neighbour that has been made into 5 parking spaces, but at least the first section of which 15m2 could be reclaimed
✦ this the back side is split between looking onto ugly modern cottages, but to the other side is greenery
✦ same as the ground floor, 2 of 1st floor widnows either side the balcony could be enlarged as doors/juliet balconies, possibly with the balcony enlarged as well thus better shading the terrace below

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12.5m wide, 11.5m deep; split in 2 one side of middle window
✦ not as big as advertised (simple plot multiplcation) due to large staircase and hallway but this could be partly reclaimed by opening rooms into it
✦ roof has large windows at floor level (amazingly replete with original inner and outer shutters)), and could accommodate 8 ensuites, or more generously 2 ensuite doubles, 4 singles with 2 shared shower rooms
✦ 1st would give 2 large double-window ensuites, 6 pods (high celings), and a library/focus workspace
✦ ground would provide all other spaces -- kitchen-dining, workspace, lounge
✦ allocated as 8 rooms and 3 pods, should give average cost of ~5.5k/month, versus <4k for others

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purchased in Oct 2019 for 245k
✦ the next two properties (similar size) appear to be empty and may come onto the market, first has a new roof