Five Plus Sides of An Upside-Down French House

Five Plus Sides of An Upside-Down French House

Sous sols, or houses with living space over the first floor are extremely popular in France, and for good reason. When looking to buy a house for sale in Charente, it may not be on the top of the list of everyone’s search criteria, however, there are many positives to owning an upside-down house – read on to find out more.

1. Cool Bedrooms

Buying a sous sol in France may not be everyone’s idea of the perfect French property, given the fact that most of us are used to climbing the stairs to go to bed, not the other way round! Don’t forget that heat rises! Like many places in France, during the summer months, the Charente department can reach temperatures of up to 40 degrees, so, having the bedrooms on the ground floor can dramatically improve sleep during these hot summer months, ensuring a nice cool environment to go to bed in.

2. Open Plan Living

More often than not, French houses with a living room or kitchen on the first floor have a large, open plan living space. Here is a lovely house for sale near Ruffec with a large living room on the first floor, a cosy insert in the stone fireplace, complete with super views of the surrounding countryside and the garden to the back of the property. The three bedrooms and bathroom are downstairs along with a handy laundry room with access directly to the courtyard behind for hanging out the washing!

3. Panoramic Views

It is everyone’s dream to fling open the shutters on your French home in the morning and look out to an amazing view. Having the living room on the first floor means that you can enjoy a panoramic view of your surroundings all day long, not just when in the bedroom.

4. Hidden Parking

Having a garage is handy, especially if your French house has limited outdoor space. A sous sol house in France will often have integrated parking spaces on the ground floor so you can pop the car out of sight and keep it nice and cool during the summer too. These basement spaces are also ideal for conserving wine (we know you think that’s important too! ) plus non perishable foodstuffs to give you extra space in the kitchen upstairs.

5. A Beautiful Balcony

Why not add a lovely sunny terrace to extend your living space outdoors from the first floor? Adding a beautiful balcony or raised decking means you can enjoy all the benefits of an upside house from the outside too. Plus, this covered area will allow for a handy space to pop the electric bikes, ready to head off exploring the sunflower filled lanes in the Charente countryside.

Written by Katie Anderson This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.