A restored former farm, sheltered from view, with a swimming pool, in the south of the Puy-de-Dôme area, below the village of Usson - ref 776145
A restored former farm, sheltered from view, with a swimming pool, in the south of the Puy-de-Dôme area, below the village of Usson.
Usson, which is renowned as one of France's most beautiful villages, stands between the Limagne sector's plains of cereal crops and the wooded slopes of the Livradois sector, in the Livradois-Forez regional natural park. From its volcanic rocky outcrop, it dominates the Allier Valley. Its appeal lies in its views of the Chaîne des Puys and Monts Dore mountain ranges, as well as its architectural heritage situated around the castle in which Marguerite de Valois once sought exile. The property is located below the centre of the village, in a peaceful street. Shops and services can be found less than 10 kilometres away, especially in Issoire and Sauxillanges, while Clermont-Ferrand can be reached in less than one hour. Via the A75 motorway, Saint-Flour is 46 minutes away and Montpellier is within less than 3 hours' reach.
This U-shaped, southern France inspired, former farmhouse, set around an inner courtyard, stands behind a steel and wooden gate. The thick-walled, two-storey residence, topped with a gabled roof made of warm-hued barrel tiles typical of the region, boasts around 245 m² of living space. It combines lime-pointed basalt stonework with ashlar and tiling door and window surrounds. In the southern part of the property, a summer kitchen, swimming pool and pool-house are an invitation to enjoy the outdoors. The farmhouse The ground floor The entrance hall leads, to the left, to a fitted kitchen with a floor made of imitation wood tiling beneath exposed beams on the ceiling. It is generously bathed in light and boasts views of the garden and swimming pool.After the entrance, there is a dining room with a lime-pointed, basalt stonework wall that strikes a nice contrast with the light-coloured floor tiling. As in the kitchen, the ceiling also boasts exposed beams.To the right, a first door leads to the garage, while another, larger, sliding door made of glass and metal opens into the lounge which is heated by a wood-pellet burning stove. At the end of the room, there is a stone wall through which a flight of steps leads to a utility room, a lavatory and a cellar with a gravelled floor. The upstairs At the top of the staircase, a games room occupies the landing that leads to three bedrooms, set out beneath the exposed trusses of the roof frame, each with an en suite shower room. Gentle light filters into them through skylights. A lavatory and a storage room with no window complete this section of the house.Away from these sleeping areas, a fourth bedroom with wardrobe space can be reached from a staircase climbing up from the kitchen. Next to the bedroom, after several steps, there is a bathroom with a shower and a bath, plus chessboard patterned floor tiles. The outbuildings Outside, next to the swimming pool, a pool-house and summer kitchen are a pleasant addition to the living spaces. The garage has the capacity for one vehicle and stands next to a workshop used for tidying away gardening and DIY equipment. The garden It includes cherry, plum and apple trees as well as raspberry bushes, not forgetting a palm tree that provides an exotic touch.
