Café Français
property details
for a Hub House co-operative coliving project

Environment ✧ agricultural river plain, pine woods

Services ✧ all; bigger towns 15/25mins train (last 10pm)

Access ✧ bus to station 25mins (wait 15mins), +45mins Bordeaux, +1h30 Toulouse, +3h Paris; Bergerac airport

Dedicated units for full-time residence.

Area ✧ (Bordeaux would be just over 1h with a dropoff but too long by transit, this might be considered attractive however really more urban properties closer to cities would be far better, and in the case offset Bordeaux would then also make the dune beaches plausible for days out)
✦ nature is decidedly unimpressive, but the property is really good value for its size, and could be a decent minihub, if with strong focus on community events, talks and on-property activity
✦ given its size it could easily host one or more residency spaces with a rotating practitioner or artist, and probably also an open-access cafe-coworking space, and to move things up a notch perhaps a visiting chef
✦ this thus represents a location for those looking to chill and appreciate relaxed surroundings, cafes, markets and good food, rather than being adventurous

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nice flat grassy wooded open area for games or picnics but partly used for parking in summer, also some riverfront although the river is a bit big and boring
✦ nice old roofed open market hall with a good bistrot; there's a supermarket (with depot pain); small weekly market; canalside pizza/snacks, tennis; good bakery thus 30mins bike/10mins drive
✦ the surrounding woodlands aren't bad for strolls, there's three paths out of the village, with one circuit, which starts along the canal, 2h30 hiking or 45mins biking; with the canal in the other direction there's another less intersting circuit, giving 3 options for shorter there-back walks
✦ for biking there's a few additional trails across the woods and forming circuits the other side albeit mixing in lanes, otherwise a short drive gives a little more variety with extensive trails in endless woods (but climbing jus t 70m)
✦ lots and lots of towns and villages but few activities beyond easy hiking/kayaking, swimming, horse riding and of course cultural/landmarks
✦ most outings would involve driving, or at least a drop off to town thus trimming some time
✦ 20mins drive to the local and pleasantly pretty town of Marmande, 10mins to Tonnenins (30mins bike) but ugly, both having stations
✦ hourly (but requiring advance booking) minibus to both Tonneins and Marmande giving good indepenence
✦ kayaking on canal in summer possible, and on the river the town

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15mins drive Casteljaloux for the pine woods and a swimming lake, good for biking
✦ Eymet and Nerac 40mins drive, plus plenty of other villages and small towns
✦ great town of Villeneuve-sur-Lot 50mins
✦ Bergerac and its airport are 1h (1h20 bus from Marmande)
✦ surfing trips to the famous Biscarrosse would be very plausible at 1h45 drive (or train to Arcachon) staying a night or two

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Bordeaux airport is 1h drive but transit isn't too bad (30mins bus, 45mins train, 25mins bus, for about 2h30), Toulouse totals a bit more
✦ last busses 6pm, station 20mins drive or 10mins to Tonneins
✦ last train departs Bordeaux 9:30pm, Toulouse 7:20pm
✦ 30mins drive to Agen future high speed station, 45mins to town
✦ trains from Paris are changing but this is still better than using the future TGV station

Property ✧ compare with #322
✦ parcel 388 with proposed split as seperate sales:
✦ 45k (down from 65k) 350m2 80m2 roof needs relaying and chimney removing/rebuilding
✦ 55k (down from 85k) 400m2 remainder of roof seems okay
✦ was advertised at 76k for both though that's a significant discount on the individual costs it's likely
✦ purchase of only the larger half at 55k would permit an option for deferred purchase of the remaining part, thus a very practical way forward

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used to be the village bar/cafe with large open interior
✦ partly usable with minmal effort but full fitout would be more significant and add to costs if for both buildings, but improvements could be undertaken over time; if only partly until demand is proven, or if only one half, then represents a satellite with upgrade potential to a mini-hub which is nicely hedging bets, but as a satellite it might not be sufficiently large nor appealing

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lovely large 190m2 open ground floor space, plus another 85m2
✦ tiled and wood floors
✦ 3 buildings side by side, 800m2 combined plot, hotchpotch of annexes
  ✧ north 100m2 has a 30m2 2-floor rear extension, plus a 30m2 annex; 100*3 +30*2 +30 = 390
  ✧ middle 120m2 has 2 floors plus a tall attic but small windows, a 35m2 rear extension which regrettably blocks 1st floor windows and makes 2nd floor small but could be removed and turned into a south facing 1st floor roof terrace getting sunset; 120*3 +35 = 395
  ✧ south 50m2 (included with the 120m2) has 3 floors with no rear = 150
✦ all have north-east windows that get morning sun

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210m2 garden with a conifer tree and full south exposure
✦ exceedingly few overcast days thus always some sun and ability to sit outdoors but an orangerie would improve the winter termperature
✦ 30m2 courtyard behind north building and conecting to garden