House in Arzacq-Arraziguet, Pyrénées-Atlantiques

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If you are looking for a luxurious hideaway set in peaceful, tranquil surroundings, this architect-designed villa will be perfect for you.

Built in 1999, this unique half-timbered villa of 162m² is enclosed in over a hectare of wooded grounds, yet is just a short stroll to a pretty village with a grocery shop, a café and a restaurant.

The spacious property currently has a ground-floor bedroom suite and a first-floor bedroom suite, but it might be possible to add more living space using the vast garden-level room (permission required), especially if you hope to accommodate B&B guests or pilgrims who are following the nearby Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle.

A small country lane leads up to the villa, which continues on to just one more property, so there is no passing traffic. There is plenty of space to park at the front of the villa, or you can continue around to the back of the building where there is a carport. The garden-level room was conceived to be used as a huge garage for secure parking, if preferred.

The entrance to the villa is through a glazed porch, which opens into an entrance hall with a wooden staircase up to the first floor and down to the garden-level rooms. Straight ahead is a stunning open-plan main room with a sitting area and a dining area. The room is bathed with light from the room's partially glazed cathedral ceiling - and two huge picture windows overlook the villa's wooded grounds.

Adjoining the main room is a delightful kitchen with an informal dining area - and on the far side of the main room is a characterful bar area with a glazed window overlooking the indoor swimming pool.

To the left of the entrance hall is a ground-floor master bedroom with built-in wardrobes, a luxurious bathroom with a bath and shower and a separate WC.

The first floor of the villa has a large mezzanine overlooking the main room, which could be used as an office, a study, a nursery or a sleeping area for guests. Adjoining the mezzanine is a second master bedroom with an en suite shower room, along with a room which is currently used as a third bedroom, which would also be ideal for an office, a study, a nursery...

From the entrance hall, a staircase leads down to the villa's garden level and opens into a vast space/utility room of approximately 150m², which was originally designed to be used as a garage. With permission, this space would be ideal for transforming into more living space or accommodation for holiday rentals, B&B...

The different garden-level spaces include various storage rooms, workshops, a pump room for the swimming pool, a WC, a woodstore and a carport. There is also a garden shed on the far side of the grounds.

The villa's indoor swimming pool (8m x 4.5m) is in a conservatory that adjoins the main room of the villa at ground-floor level. For added security, the pool, conservatory and outdoor dining terrace are only accessible via lockable sliding doors in the villa's main room.

The villa is within walking distance of the local village, which has a grocery shop, a café and a bar-restaurant.

The delightful town of Arzacq-Arraziguet is about 5 - 10 minutes away and has a good choice of boulangeries, restaurants, bars, supermarkets, a doctor, a vet and a weekly market every Saturday. The town also has schools for children of all ages, along with a music school.

THE VILLA

Ground floor:
- a glazed porch (6m²)
- an entrance hall (6m²) with a carved wooden staircase up to the first floor
- a vast open-plan main room (86.89m²) with a partially glazed cathedral ceiling, a carved stone fireplace with a ceramic wood-burning stove, a sitting area, a dining area, a bar area and sliding doors out to a walkway to the indoor swimming pool
- an adjacent kitchen area (12m²)
- a master bedroom (13m²)
- an adjacent bathroom (8m²)
- a separate WC (1.8m²)
- a huge conservatory with an indoor swimming pool (8m x 4.5m), a summer kitchen area and an indoor dining area
- an adjoining east-facing dining terrace

First Floor:
- a mezzanine area overlooking the main room (19.89m²; Loi Carrez 11.5m²)
- a master bedroom (15.34m²; Loi Carrez 8.7m²)
- an en suite shower room (2.8m²)
- a study/office/nursery/guest bedroom... (6.6m²)
NB: please note that some of the rooms on this floor have sloping ceilings

Garden level:
- a vast utility room/garage (approx. 150m²) with an internal staircase up to the ground floor of the villa
NB: with permission, this space could be transformed into a bedroom suite for a teenager, an office suite/consultation rooms, an art studio, a music room, a games room, a gym, a home cinema or even B&B suites for holidaymakers and pilgrims...
- a separate WC
- a pump room for the swimming pool
- workshop areas
- a woodstore
- a carport


THE INDOOR SWIMMING POOL AND THE GROUNDS

The villa is set in wooded grounds of 10,705m² (2.64 acres) with lovely views over the surrounding countryside. Children will adore playing in the grounds - and there is plenty of room for a children’s play area, a boules piste and even a croquet lawn!

The villa's indoor swimming pool (8m x 4.5m) is in a conservatory that adjoins the main room of the villa at ground-floor level. For added security, the pool and conservatory are only accessible via a walkway from lockable sliding doors in the main room. In addition, there is a glazed wall in the bar area of the main room, so the pool and conservatory are visible at all times. Adjoining the conservatory is a super outdoor terrace where you can enjoy a delicious breakfast, a long, lazy lunch or a romantic supper beneath the stars...


THE POTENTIAL!

This splendid villa is completely ready for you to make it your family home or holiday home today!

For couples of any age, the property would be perfect as a luxurious main home, holiday home or weekend pied-à-terre. For convenience there is a bedroom with adjacent bathroom on the ground floor, along with plenty of room for entertaining and accommodating friends and family... and they will, of course, adore your indoor swimming pool!

For families with young children, there is a primary school in a nearby village and in Arzacq-Arraziguet - and for older children, many of the secondary schools in the area offer options in theatre, horse-riding, various sports... There is also the International School of Béarn in Pau (40 - 45 minutes), which teaches the English Curriculum.

The property is within easy commuting distance of Aire-sur-l'Adour (20 - 25 minutes), Mont-de-Marsan (40 - 45 minutes) and TotalEnergies' HQ in Pau. For anyone who works from home, the small room or mezzanine on the villa's first floor could be used as a study/office, or it might be possible to transform part or all of the garden-level space into an office or consulting rooms, especially as this floor has its own private entrance.

It might also be possible to convert part of the garden-level room into additional living space, bedrooms (permission required), or it could be used as an art studio, a music room, a games room, a gym, a home cinema...

If you are looking for an investment property, the villa could be rented out either on a long-term basis or as a gîte to holidaymakers for short-term stays during the summer months, the skiing season and at Christmas and New Year. Holidaymakers will love the location, the views, the chic décor... and the indoor pool!

If you would like to offer Bed and Breakfast accommodation to tourists, you could use the first-floor bedroom, which has an en suite shower room - or even create a luxurious B&B bedroom suite in part of the huge garden-level room (permission required). There is year-round demand for top-quality holiday accommodation throughout the South-West, especially if it's in peaceful, tranquil surroundings...

In addition, the Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle pilgrim route passes near the villa at the end of the lane, so you might like to offer B&B accommodation to weary pilgrims en route for St-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Spain. Along with providing accommodation and delicious breakfasts, evening meals would undoubtedly be popular, as would picnic lunch hampers full of local delicacies!


SERVICES & TECHNICAL

Cable internet
Electricity
Heating: reversible air-conditioning + ceramic wood-burning stove
Mains water
Septic tank (will need works)


THE LOCAL AREA

This lovely villa is in an excellent rural location in the south-west of France. Situated close to the border between the Landes and the Béarn, the property is within easy walking distance of a village with a shop café and restaurant - and not far from Arzacq-Arraziguet (5-10 minutes), Pau (40-45 minutes), Aire-sur-l'Adour (20-25 minutes), Bordeaux and Toulouse. The Pyrénées and the Atlantic coast are about 90 minutes away.

This stunning region is popular with tourists all year round for hiking, pony-trekking, cycling and fishing. If you head south to the mountains, the many ski resorts in the Pyrénées offer a range of winter and summer sports; for those who prefer beach-based activities, head west to the Atlantic coast where you can sunbathe, swim, surf...

If your interests are gastronomic, visit the daily markets throughout the Béarn, the Landes and the nearby Hautes-Pyrénées to sample the locally produced Madiran and Jurançon wines, tasty cheese and delicious charcuterie - there is even a museum for Bayonne ham in nearby Arzacq-Arraziguet!

Airports: Pau, Biarritz, Bordeaux
Train: Mont-de-Marsan, Pau, Orthez
Coach: Pau, Orthez
Ferry: Bilbao, Santander

Ski: Eaux-Bonnes, Gourette, Artouste, Val-d’Azun, Issarbe, La-Pierre-St-Martin...
Beaches: Capbreton, Hossegor, Labenne, Biarritz...

Attractions: La Maison du Jambon de Bayonne, Base de Loisirs d’Orthez-Biron, Aqua Béarn, Parc’Ours, Grottes de Bétharram, Le Petit Train d'Artouste, Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle...
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Information about risks to which this property is exposed is available on the Géorisques website : https://www.georisques.gouv.fr