SOLD
Carcassonne Apartment
- 120m2 with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, for € 124,000
- Spacious and well lit with many period features
- Considerably renovated, some finishing required per taste
- Central heating with town gas and modern plumbing
The Town
In the south of France, between the Midi and the Mediteranean, Carcassonne is home to no less than two famed UNESCO heritage sites — the Cité Médiévale an ancient fortified town and castle, parts of which dating to pre-Roman times and reconstructed in the late 1800s; plus the Canal du Midi winding its way through the countryside between the Atlantic and the Mediteranean.
The centre of the main town (la Bastide) still also has some of its own old walls, and is placed opposite the medieval town across the river Aude, the banks of which are a popular picnicking and swimming spot just a stone's throw from the heart of town — recently extensively renovated and now boasting a large rose garden and delightfully classic architecture.
With markets, good restaurants (even a bagel deli), a threatre and a few dives for music performances (not mention a summer music festival) it's a lovely balance between the countryside being on your doorstep and a moderately busy little town.
Well connected with its own direct Ryanair routes offering daily year-round flights to London, and seasonal flights to a number of other locations such as Porto. Toulouse the regional capital is also but 45min away. Direct trains bring Barcelona (2h15), Lyon, Marseille, and Bordeaux with easy reach, and for connections for Paris (5h20.)
The countryside is varied with many walking routes, and a local lake offering a variety of outdoor actities for kids throughout the summer. The sea is less than an hour as are many neighbouring areas including the hotsprings above Limoux, and the higher Pyrénées around 2h.
The Apartment
- 5 mins from the main place Carnot towards the top of the main street, 10 mins from the station, canal and river
- 120m2 first-floor apartment in a c.1600 'hôtel particulier' (merchant's townhouse)
- access via a private off-street passage to a shared courtyard
- imposing stairwell shared with only 3 other apartments
- copropriété of 8 lots, with professional syndic
- roof entirely renovated, facade partly renovated
- original period features include 2 marble fireplaces, arched windows, indoor and outdoor shutters, wood panelling, doors, parquet, and some ceilings/cornices
- 35m2 living room with in-wall speaker/projector cabling
- 25m2 master bedroom with large ensuite walk-in shower
- 15m2 guest bedroom with in-wall storage; guest bathroom and laundry
- wide passages/kitchen with new oak parquet; ceiling dryer
- 9 huge windows of which 5 onto the street (south), 4 onto the passageway (west/north)
- gas central heating, dual gas and halogen hobs, fitted electric oven
- porcelain sinks, double-bowl farmhouse style in kitchen
- bespoke oak sink/hob cabinetry with teak surfaces
- ample space for additional storage and dishwasher
- small cave (bad condition, not renovated)
- updated electrics with reproduction bakelite switches/sockets, and chrome/glass lighting in common areas
- entirely replaced plumbing; modern mixer taps and shower
- 5 mins to free on-street parking, or underground (€30/month); short-duration parking on street or in the courtyard
To be completed: wall finish/limewash (texture and/or pigment); refinishing of original parquet, hardwearing/vitreous treatment of all parquet (treated with linseed oil only); additional fitted cabinetry/shelving; bathroom accessories (e.g. towel heater rails); bedroom lighting/chandeliers; furniture and whitegoods.