Our most inspiring ruin and renovation properties in France

Barn to the future in Sauzé-Vaussais

This rustic barn comes with a staircase to nowhere, half-built mezzanines, and a corrugated iron hangar for good measure. With space for two bedrooms and a large garden, it’s the perfect blank slate for dreamers with deep toolboxes.

Price: €18,500
Location: Sauzé-Vaussais, Deux-Sèvres
Special features: 60m² barn footprint, two mezzanines in progress, large 1,105m² garden, corrugated iron hangar, Certificate of Urbanism in process
Close to: Sauzé-Vaussais and Chef-Boutonne for shops and services; peaceful countryside hamlet setting

Rough diamond in Rougie stone, Nauviale

Charming on the outside, challenging on the inside—this Rougie stone cottage needs everything from roof to renovation. With a neat garden plot and a sleepy hamlet setting, it’s a starter home for those who don’t mind starting from scratch.

Price: €19,000
Location: Nauviale, Aveyron
Special features: Traditional Rougie stone, 64m² living space, flat 152m² garden plot, fireplace, quiet hamlet location
Close to: 2 minutes to Nauviale; 6 minutes to St Cyprien-sur-Dourdou (shops, amenities)

Bread oven beauty in Roussines

Once home to fire and flour, this stone village house comes with a granite fireplace, original sink and a bread oven crying out to be the heart of your future kitchen. The garden’s private, the roof’s still standing, and the only limit here is your imagination (and perhaps your budget for plumbing).

Price: €26,000
Location: Roussines, Charente
Special features: Bread oven, granite fireplace, stone sink, elevated private garden, roof redone 20 years ago
Close to: Shops within 10 minutes; local market gardeners and artisans in the hamlet; gateway to Périgord Limousin Regional Park

Hamlet hideaway with 1.4 hectares and valley views

This stone beauty near Montaigu-de-Quercy is what renovation dreams are made of: perched above a valley, surrounded by oaks, and gloriously unbothered by modern plumbing (yet). Water and electricity are nearby, but the peace and privacy are already built in. A chance to revive a hamlet house with hectares to spare.

Price: €70,850
Location: Montaigu-de-Quercy, Tarn-et-Garonne
Special features: 1.4 hectares of land including woodland, valley views, traditional stone structure, water and electricity close by
Close to: 5 mins to Montaigu-de-Quercy (shops, cafés, markets); 45 mins to Agen (TGV); 1 hr 15 to Toulouse Airport; surrounded by peaceful countryside

Dordogne dream with barn, ruin and even a cave

Two stone buildings, land on both sides of the road, and — because this is France — a tiny cave in the rock behind. This characterful ensemble in popular Groléjac is just a baguette’s throw from local shops and bakeries. Renovation required (obviously), but the bones are good, and the potential? Glorious.

Price: €58,000
Location: Groléjac, Dordogne, Aquitaine
Special features: Original barn features, ruin to rebuild, cave in the rocks, land on both sides of the road
Close to: 15 mins on foot to bakery, butcher and village shops; short drive to Sarlat and Gourdon; classic Dordogne countryside in every direction

Barn, garden and bags of potential in wine country

This semi-detached farmhouse near Sauveterre-de-Guyenne is perfectly imperfect: 60m² of living space, a barn ripe for conversion, and a garden just begging for lavender borders. The electrics, glazing and septic tank all need modern love — but the village is peaceful, the wine is fabulous, and the nouvelle vie dream is very doable.

Price: €60,000
Location: Sauveterre-de-Guyenne, Gironde
Special features: Garden, barn for conversion, potential to expand upstairs, peaceful village setting
Close to: Sauveterre and Monségur for shops, markets and restaurants; Bordeaux wine country; easy drive to the Dordogne and beyond

Grand designs in Gensac

A sweeping tree-lined drive, antique staircase and seven bedrooms—this Gironde estate has the bones of an epic country retreat. Add in barns, a guesthouse and 5 hectares of land, and you’ve got Bordeaux grandeur waiting for a facelift.

Price: €1,300,000
Location: Gensac, Gironde
Special features: 500m² estate with seven bedrooms, antique staircase, library, courtyards, guesthouse/caretaker’s cottage, barns, 5.2 hectares of land
Close to: Sainte-Foy-la-Grande (shops, restaurants, train to Bordeaux), Vigiers Golf Course (spa and Michelin-starred restaurant), Bordeaux international airport

Stone cottage with barns and big ideas welcome

This charming hamlet home near Salviac has two bedrooms, two barns and at least four renovation daydreams baked in. The barns are crying out for conversion (subject to planning and bravery), and there’s space to reconfigure the main house too. Think less turnkey, more choose your own adventure — French countryside edition.

Price: €99,900
Location: Salviac, Lot
Special features: Two barns with conversion potential, 800m² garden, reworkable interior layout, traditional stone structure
Close to: 5 mins to Salviac (shops, bakeries, bustle); 30 mins to Sarlat; 50 mins to Cahors; 2 hrs to Toulouse Airport

A knight’s work in Montastruc

A 13th-century castle, three towers, and a Historic Monument listing—what could possibly go wrong? This bastide beauty demands total renovation but promises countryside views and bragging rights that no semi-detached in Surrey could match.

Price: €110,000
Location: Montastruc, Lot-et-Garonne
Special features: 13th-century castle, three towers, listed Historic Monument, garden, bastide location, panoramic countryside views
Close to: Village amenities in Montastruc; heart of Lot-et-Garonne bastide country

Towering potential in Seythenex

Known locally as La Tour, this 17th-century stone house needs everything—roof, structure, sanity—but rewards you with panoramic Alpine views and 1,100m² of land. A project for the bold, and not for the faint-hearted (or faint-walleted).

Price: €147,000
Location: Seythenex, Haute-Savoie
Special features: 17th-century stone house, cellar, attic, old stable, 1,137m² plot, mountain views, peaceful hillside setting
Close to: Faverges (shops and services); spectacular Haute-Savoie Alpine countryside

Pool your resources in Saint-Sornin-la-Marche

A vast farmhouse with infinity pool, double-height living room and barns galore—this is less a renovation, more a lifestyle overhaul. With over 3 hectares of land, it’s the perfect place to lose yourself (and your weekends).

Price: €165,000
Location: Saint-Sornin-la-Marche, Haute-Vienne
Special features: Double-height 47m² living room with mezzanine, infinity pool, barns, cellar, large terrace, 3+ hectares of land
Close to: Countryside setting near Saint-Sornin-la-Marche; local services in Haute-Vienne towns nearby

Gascon grandeur in Masseube

Built in the 1780s and boasting a staircase allegedly copied from the local château, this vast village house is more blank canvas than finished picture. With 5,000m² of gardens and bags of character, it’s history waiting for a brave hand.

Price: €199,800
Location: Masseube, Gers
Special features: 18th-century Gascon house, grand staircase, original windows and sink, wattle and daub walls, outbuildings, 5,090m² garden
Close to: Peaceful Gers village setting; countryside walks and nearby market towns

Two-storey stone house with pool-sized garden and a long to-do list

This 154m² village house in sunny Espondeilhan has great bones, a pretty walled garden, and mercifully only two floors — rare in a region that loves stairs. The roof’s reportedly sound, the garden’s big enough for a pool, and the fibre internet’s already there. Just add wiring, plumbing, bathrooms, kitchen, decor… and vision.

Price: €250,000
Location: Espondeilhan, Hérault, Occitanie
Special features: Stone façade, large walled garden with pool potential, fibre internet, lateral layout over two floors
Close to: Village amenities; short drive to Béziers and the Mediterranean coast; surrounded by vineyards and sunshine

Templar tower, banquet hall, and 70 hectares of Provençal legend

Yes, it needs work — but when your chateau comes with a Templar-era watchtower, a banquet hall fit for medieval feasts, and 70 hectares of forest near Aix-en-Provence, the to-do list feels almost romantic. With multiple houses, rooftop views, and enough history to impress a UNESCO committee, this is a restoration for the bold. Or the slightly unhinged. Either works.

Price: €2,105,000
Location: Near Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône
Special features: 19th-century château with Templar origins, banquet hall, rooftop terrace, Provençal farmhouse, guest house, 70 hectares of land
Close to: 30 mins to Aix-en-Provence; absolute privacy in the Provençal hills; a dream spot for private retreats or heritage hospitality

Vintage appeal in Gabian

This grand maison vigneronne pairs a stylishly updated family home with four unruly apartments, two garages, and three storage rooms waiting for a new purpose. Vineyard views, village charm, and investment potential—it’s a full-bodied renovation with plenty of finish.

Price: €440,000
Location: Gabian, Hérault
Special features: Renovated 4-bedroom house with 65m² open-plan living space, garden, four 60m² apartments to renovate, two garages, three storage rooms
Close to: Pézenas (15 km), Béziers, Mediterranean beaches; vineyards and village amenities in Gabian