Pâtissière

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

area ✧ due to being partly protected, shops moving out, and the costs of bringing buildings up to standard, >35% are empty
✦ the town despite being just 12k people, is the largest for miles around, also hosting a large and lively weekly market in its impressive medieval entirely colonnaded market square
✦ a new square/greenspace is being created a stone's throw from the door behind the cathedral and covered market (rarely used)
✦ for the summers a swimming spot is being created 20mins walk away, plus a closer guignette on the river bank
✦ a good number of restaurants (inc bento) and a few cafes including one fancy
✦ minimart close, multiple supermarkets 20mins walk/bus, organic by bus
✦ assocaitive cafe around the corner that also runs cooking classes
✦ not bad for a rural town

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has one big open park 15mins walk; a few mins away is a looped walking circuit for up to 2h along the river banks and lanes, in either direction with 2 shorter loops or there-backs on the trails for up to 45mins; 20mins bike to tennis (2 covered courts somewhere…)
✦ a couple of biking circuits start 10mins away and extend to Najac and St Martin where it possible start or return by train, or skip the more difficult bits (lots of climbing)
✦ no hiking from door, however the train offers some variety with 4 stations (15–40mins) offering options both by bike and foot albeit with the shortest return being 3h45, giving opportunities for more relaxed hikes with lunch stop (returns at 2:30pm and 6pm, but more out)
✦ fairly calm kayaking is possible from the town, or at Najac (Apr-Oct) with SUP as well
✦ 30mins drive to a fairly technical via ferrata above river

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small but pretty town of Figeac at 35mins train is a good trip, with an 8pm bus back
✦ several great villages: medieval Caylus 30mins bus, St-Cirq on the lot gorges 45mins drive, as is Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val where there's good biking and hiking for occasional variation
✦ Cahors and Albi are also possible at 1h drive for rarer daytrips with diversions to break the journey
✦ Gaillac at 1h train is however more reasonable

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access is good from Toulouse airport, but labourious from anywhere else
✦ night train is either longer via Toulouse, or with a 6am short change

property detail ↗︎

property ✧ tatty but in pretty good condition and almost immediately usable with some wood double glazing
✦ apparently split in 2, with 2 windows each floor on west (shadowed) and 2 on south (1 at attic) 2nd and attic getting sun
✦ layout could be quite awkward
✦ parcels:
  ✧ 45+65m2 #220-221 main building (south-west corner)
  ✧ 60m2 #223 shell / garden (east lane)

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prob 30+50 usable, with 50 for garages in south and some cellars in north thus ~300m2, +new build

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whilst it has been superficially modernised with plasterboard, there's no insulation
✦ attic has good height with visible beams and 6/7 small skylights, one tall south end window the only one with a rooftop view (could become a juliet balcony!), 2 west side windows one decent that's been blocked, at least one small east; because of the south window this would be a lounge, probably with double-height pods at the back though they'd be better in the basement as cells

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the ground floor/basement has pointed stones, whilst the upper facades are cement thus a good balance if given a mural on both sides, for which one large unobstructed by windows exists!
✦ ground floor is fair height but the 2 south garages have low iron beam lintels (maybe 2m), but would be good as workspace with full width windows along the lane, although most utility would be workspace +kitchen especially if interconnected with extension

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the collapsed shell adjacent that would very easily be converted at ground (big garage door) to an extension with a roof terrace (courtyard) on 1st with orangerie thus +55m2; may not actually interconnect in which case a new lintel would be required, or possibly just convert a window into the 1st floor then with stairs down; could in fact build as 2 floors for +100m2 and place roof terrace at 2nd which would then get more light, access from kitchen would then be problematic though unless moved to 2nd
✦ bedroom placement would be problematic, prob 4 with south windows, 2 at rear west, and 2/3 cells with new portholes, plus 4 pods in attic
✦ this is however only 6 rooms + 3 cells + 4 pods = 13
✦ extension would add 2 more rooms for 8 rooms =15 much better if at moderate cost for works, but still not optimal for the size thus would have very generous common spaces (ground + half attic)

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could include an abandoned corner building adjacent both parcels (south of shell):
  ✧ 31m2 *3 221 (south-east corner)
✦ if so could become 2 studios plus potentially a higher roof terrace
✦ there's also a 49m2 parcel (north of shell) that is an abandoned garage, thus further expansion opportunity