Groots object

This is a magnificent and tastefully converted eighteenth century Mas located in a spectacular forested location in the Gard region of the south of France. The property is located in the Ceze Valley near to the picturesque village of Goudargues. The property lies in a ‘bowl’ and has a 360 degree view of wooded hillsides. It is private, beautiful, sunny and special. The mas has been divided into four independent but connected properties. They total nearly 1000 sq metres of living space and sit on nearly two hectares of land.

Accommodation. The properties provide excellent and modern private accommodation [The ‘Cottage’], there is also a guardian flat [The ‘Apartment’], and a revenue generating seven bedroom / seven bathroom house [La Grande Maison]. Finally there is also a development opportunity to complete the renovation of the original farmhouse [Maison Chabrier]. This has planning consent for a five bedroom house plus its own pool to provide a second revenue generating component to the investment.

La Grande Maison
La Grande Maison was renovated in 1989 from its origins as a barn and wine storage building. All of the renovation has used stone and exposed wooden beams. It is now a large and well equipped gite which is perfect for summer use. It provides spacious accommodation for fourteen people with seven bedrooms and seven bath (shower) rooms. Most of its rooms have a southern aspect, and with its own driveway and entrance from the south, it operates completely independently of the adjoining properties.

All of the bedrooms have their own dedicated bath / shower rooms. Four of them are ensuite and three are adjacent but accessed via the corridor. Two of the bedrooms are ‘master’ bedrooms with extra space and private balconies. All bedrooms are of a good size. They are arranged along an east – west corridor which has a staircase at either end.

The Cottage
The renovation of the Cottage was completed in 2006 to a standard which supports year round occupation – it has high specification insulation and under floor heating. The Cottage has a floor space of about 240m2 which splits approximately half and half between living space and bedroom space and it is arranged over three floors. Externally it has two private amenity areas, to the east is the ‘Walled Garden’ [currently more wall than garden!], to the west is the ‘Courtyard’. Access to the courtyard is from the lounge and one steps out onto a cane shaded deck before reaching the open courtyard space. Covered parking and external store rooms complete the facilities of the property.

The cottage has a very large (88 m2) open plan living space. It has tiled floors, some stone walls, exposed wooden beams, a wood burning stove and some vaulted ceilings. Its style is modern but its ambiance is rustique. It has modern lighting systems and is wired for sound and broadband distribution.

The living space contains dedicated areas for lounge (38 m2), dining room (12 m2) and kitchen (27 m2) which are interconnected by very high and wide openings - but there are no doors. In addition there is an open plan stairwell which is lighted by a 5 m tall, west facing ‘cathedral’ window as it rises to the roof. The kitchen has a vaulted ceiling with exposed wooden beams – as indeed does the dining room. It is fitted out for all the standard kitchen appliances and has a central food preparation and storage unit. The kitchen is designed for social exchange as well as food preparation. It does this well.

The ground floor also has a large (15 m2) hall way which contains the downstairs toilet, utility space and control technique. Adjacent to the hall is a stone cave which is 18 m2. This is the oldest part of the property. With its walls and arched roof - all built in stone - it is an inspirational space. It is all wired up and equipped to support its current use as a home office.

The bedroom and storage space occupies the top two floors The master bedroom suite is on the first floor and it is big - its area is 56 m2. The suite includes a most spacious bedroom, ‘his and hers’ dressing rooms and a bathroom with huge bath, separate shower and separate WC. Off the bedroom is a west facing covered balcony. In the morning the bathroom and dressing rooms get the sun; in the evening the balcony and bedroom view its setting. In addition to the master bedroom, this floor also contains 12 m2 of shelved storage cupboards.

The top two floors are also tiled with the same floor tiles as is the ground floor and have under floor heating. The upper floor has two more bedrooms and a shower room. Also on the top floor is a large, west facing, walled roof terrace.

The cottage has been designed to provide very comfortable and practical living accommodation for the Mas Cagnet owners and it meets this design objective. It offers excellent facilities for entertaining and supports permanent residence should that be the requirement.

The Apartment
The Guardian apartment was completed in 2006 and is modern in design and facility. It has central heating via radiators which are driven by the same oil fired system which serves the cottage. Its orientation is north and east. The apartment is located on the first and second floors of the mas and has about 90 m2 of space.

On the top floor are two bedrooms which share a shower room. The flooring is oak veneer, the walls are all insulated and plaster finished and off the main bedroom is a walk-in wardrobe and storage space. The first floor contains a lounge, a kitchen, a small utility room and a WC. In the lounge, the central heating is supplemented by a wood burning stove.

The idea of the Guardian apartment arose from the perceived requirement to have a permanent presence at the property given its remote and secluded location. The description below outlines the reasoning behind the guardian role. The Apartment accommodation at Mas Cagnet facilitates this role.

The Guardian Role

Owning and operating the Mas requires a continuous on-site residential presence. The Guardian Apartment is used to achieve this by offering accommodation to bi-lingual guardian(s) in exchange for performing the guardian role. The guardian role is residential and has three elements in its list of responsibilities. These elements are:

Security - the property, which benefits in ambiance from its secluded position, must have a year-round residential presence.
Maintenance - the property and its land must be well cared for and continuously maintained;
Management – operating the property requires continuous interaction with suppliers, local authorities and artisans. Unforeseen circumstances need responding to and elements of the rental activity may need support. Bi-lingual capability is essential for the successful discharge of this aspect of the guardian responsibilities.
Historically these guardian responsibilities have been discharged in about fifteen hour’s effort per week. There are obviously seasonal variations in the amount and nature of the work to be done. However over a full year, fifteen hours per week / eight days per month is a reliable number in term of expectation setting.

Maison Chabrier
Maison Chabrier is the old farmhouse within the structure of the mas. Attached to it, and to the north of it, is a dilapidated barn. Both buildings have the same footprint of 9 m x 5.5 m - i.e. a total developable space of 99 m2. The farmhouse is a three story building and is of solid construction and has a new roof. The barn requires reconstruction prior to the planned integration with the farmhouse.

The plans for the approved renovation are for a five bedroom, five bathroom house with generous living space. The orientation of the house is to the west. However, the garden space runs out westwards from the property and has a completely open southern exposure. The pool and pool terrace for the house would be located on this land.

When renovated, Maison Chabrier will provide a second revenue stream to run in tandem with that generated by La Grande Maison. The two houses are visually and acoustically separated from each other and have separate driveway entrances. Their renters will be found by the same marketing channels and effort. Their management and security will also benefit from the presence of the guardians.