Affordable stone house with tower in Charente, France

About this house

This affordable stone house with its own tower is for sale for €119,900 in Turgon, a quiet hamlet in the Charente countryside of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. It is a characterful choice for anyone looking for a cheap house in France with space and old features.

Inside, the house has kept much of its original charm. Exposed beams, open fireplaces and an old stone staircase winding up inside the tower set the tone. The ground floor has a 56 m² kitchen and living room with its own entrance hall, a 35 m² dining room, a 40 m² sitting room with a traditional cœur de demoiselle floor and a fireplace, and a 16 m² library that could double as a downstairs bedroom or study, plus a shower room and separate WC. Upstairs are two generous bedrooms of 43 m² and 37 m², each with a fireplace. Above them, a 95 m² loft, now an office and workshop, could be converted, subject to permission.

The broker gives 346 m² of habitable space over 8 rooms (a broker figure, not re-measured) and describes the condition as requiring renovation. There is no heating system apart from the fireplaces, drainage is by septic tank and no energy rating applies.

Outside, a private courtyard at the side is closed off by double gates, and an open parcel of land in front of the house leaves room for a garden or vegetable beds. There is also an 89 m² barn, a 14 m² shed and an 8 m² terrace.

The hamlet is small and peaceful, with neighbours close by. Champagne-Mouton, with shops and everyday services, is about 5.5 km by road. Ruffec is about 21 km away, Confolens 29 km and Angoulême about 50 km. Poitiers, around 89 km away, has a regional airport.

The asking price includes 9% agency fees paid by the buyer (€110,000 without fees), and the annual property tax (taxe foncière) is €1,105. If you want to buy a house in France as a foreigner, there are no nationality restrictions. A purchase usually starts with a preliminary contract (compromis de vente), with a 10-day cooling-off period for the buyer, and is completed before a notaire. Notary fees and transfer taxes, typically around 7 to 8% of the price for an older property, come on top. For an affordable house for sale in Charente like this, budget for heating and renovation too.

• Original stone tower with its old stone staircase
• Exposed beams and open fireplaces throughout
• 40 m² sitting room with a cœur de demoiselle floor
• Two large bedrooms of 43 m² and 37 m², both with fireplaces
• 16 m² library, usable as a ground-floor bedroom or study
• 95 m² loft with conversion potential (subject to permission)
• 89 m² barn, 14 m² shed and side courtyard with double gates
• 2,975 m² plot in a quiet hamlet
• About 5.5 km from shops in Champagne-Mouton
• Condition per broker: requires renovation; no heating apart from fireplaces