Mas Royal

property details · for a Hub House Patronship co-operative coliving project

area ✧ very good location having a lot of tourism and countryside in udner an hour's reach, even Mont Lozere

---

the little town 5 mins bus/drive or 10mins bike is fairly pretty and lively with a good market and some cafes (including a salad bar) etc, multiple good restos, plus sushi and burgers
✦ the main town of Alès used to be rather ugly yet is undergoing rehabilitation notably with a new market hall, it's moderately lively and has tons of shops and restos, even an icerink

---

access is awkward due to the station being in the town but pickups would be no issue; actually there's a station 25 mins walk but the footbridge is currently unsafe
✦ there's a bus at the door for the little town (5mins) with the local station (but likely no train/bus coordination) or direct to main town (50mins); only 3 useful services out daily and 5 return, is possible to head into the village for ~1h15
✦ onward connections have good choice; Nimes airport is a train then shuttle and normally has year round service to Stansted and Brussels, plus seasonal to Luton and Morocco; many more options including Lisbon from both Marseille and Montpellier
✦ last train from Nimes is at 9:20pm which isn't bad, but last bus 6pm thus late arrivals would require pickup

---

the river at the door isn't for swimming though fine nearby for a splash, better and kayaking by bike or short drive
✦ 10mins walk to tennis
✦ there are walks from the door with several circuits but the terrain is not notable
✦ with the bus to Besseges or a short drive there's plenty more paths and trails
✦ biking is better starting 15–20mins away with some trails reaching 600m (+400m) along a ridge for 4h there and back, amongst many others
✦ a short drive gives more variety such as these lovely eroded pools 30mins drive (1h15 bike)
✦ good gorges with sup/kayak/climbing, and heights around 900m at a pretty village, plus the pont d'arc are 30mins drive
✦ for daytrips the nice little towns of Uzes and Andouze are a reasonable 45mins drive with the famous Pont du Gard at 1h
✦ winter climate is pretty good with an entire third of days clear and just a few of snow, though gets bursts of very heavy rain in spring and autumn and this is getting worse, with little rainfall the rest of the year
✦ nontheless winter appeal would be very low even if cheap, thus 2 months would probably be closed except for programmes and a special christmas-nye residency

property detail ↗︎

property ✧ the property is fairly impressive but not outstanding, has exceptional capacity to make a diverse space
✦ is a tiny bit isolated being just outside town thus requiring hopping on a bike for 10mins (one way) to get croissants
✦ whilst expensive it would return its cost speedily generating revenue upwards of 120k/year with nominal costs (absurdly cheap tax €3400/year; currently)
✦ much work has been done (though additional is nontheless required) but only to an adequate standard befitting holiday rentals, perfectly adequate for coliving but not if a high standard is desired
✦ is not great value except for its reduced risk thanks to immediate rental potential, and versus a property requiring full fitout such as the one in the town itself
✦ the garden/courtyard here would be ideal for personable gatherings whilst still having quiet space
✦ there are however better properties for balancing town and garden, though all require similar refitting works if not having immediate ability to rent

---

could potentially function as a drop in minihub but would be very occasional and better as event days only

---

would need 2 minibusses, and an electric(?) runabout for independent bakery/town runs, plus a bunch of bikes (a greenway starts 30mins away, and the trails in the hills are very accessible for amateur exploring), SUPs, and trailer
✦ staff/volunteers for facilitation, driving, cleaning, plus cooking a few times per week probably with a resident chef at times; 2 would have rooms (facilitator and chef), the remainder capsules

---

purportedly would be up to 25 bedrooms, and apparently currently laid out as 10 semi-indepedent gites

---

600m2 renovated
✦ 450m2 walled courtyard
✦ 500m2 lower garden with pool
✦ 1200m2 of outstanding bamboo forest though would have to cut back for more sun and perhaps outlook to river
✦ main building 450m2 *3 + prob min 200m2 vaulted cellars
✦ ancillary buildings 85m2 *2 +mezzanine
✦ 750m2 roadside parking, could be walled off with trees planted to regain
✦ road is not busy and serves just a few villages
✦ resto next door but nothing else

---

is next to an independent petrol station however it appears to have closed thus no risk of whiffs, even if it hasn't there's 4 branded ones within 10mins so this one couldn't possibly last much longer