Centre, Indre-et-Loire, Richelieu, France

A47894TAL37 - Enjoying a prime position on the picturesque main square in Richelieu, which hosts a weekly market on a Friday and various other markets, brocantes and events throughout the year, this attractive property offers a rare opportunity to put your own stamp on the inside of the upstairs spaces, whilst benefitting from an immediate rental income from the flower shop below.

The ground floor, with fully glazed shop front, consists of a rented unit featuring the main shop area plus a storage/preparation room behind. This is currently rented to a florist and the lease would transfer to the new owner upon purchase.

To enter the entirely separate dwelling above, access is via the large wooden doors next-door-but-one to the left, which open onto a shared but private courtyard. Once within the courtyard, the first door to the right leads to the rear room of the shop, whilst the second reveals a private entrance (10.6m²) with stairs up to the main living accommodation. Upstairs, a further door opens onto a large landing/office space (12m²) with built-in cupboards, a window overlooking the courtyard to the north, stairs to the next floor and doors to both the living room and bathroom.

The living room (30m²), which currently features built-in cupboards and a corner kitchen, offers a wonderfully light space, with prime views over the square below. The bathroom (5m²) with a window overlooking the courtyard, needs fully renovating but this could be seen as an opportunity to reconfigure this space entirely, as there are arguably better layouts possible here.

Up on the second floor, the spacious landing (7.5m²), leads to a bedroom to the rear of the property (14.5m²) with a window overlooking the courtyard, and then two rooms to the other side, one of which is accessed through the other; a first space (13m²) with no external windows – in my opinion would be better split into a corridor with storage to one side and bathroom to the other, then the second space (16.1m²) with window overlooking the main square. Alternatively you could simply remove the dividing wall to create a much larger bedroom.

Up the final staircase, an attic over the entire space (maybe 50m² at floor level) is waiting to be converted into further living space if desired.

The walled and moated town of Richelieu itself has a cinema, primary and secondary schools, an outdoor swimming pool, and a medical centre, as well as all of the things already mentioned in the main square. There is a small supermarket within the main walls and larger one outside. Just beyond the main gate to the town (literally a minute’s walk from this property) you can explore the large and beautifully landscaped park, which was once home to the Cardinal’s château. The château is long gone but the moated island remains, now planted with roses, and the park is the perfect place to stretch your legs, or walk a dog, with an abudance of horse chestnut and plane lined paths, green spaces and waterways, usually various animals (behind fences) to look at (these vary year on year but the goats are a staple), a pond, benches and picnic tables, as well as a children’s play area.

Richelieu is also perfectly situated for exploring several Loire Valley Châteaux and vineyards. It’s just a short distance to the larger towns of Chinon and Châtellerault (with TGV), and slightly farther away, the cities of Tours and Poitiers, both with small airports offering regular low-cost flights to the UK and other destinations. Ferry ports are accessible from around 3.5 hours away.