Picture yourself stepping through pocket doors that disappear into the walls, erasing the boundary between your contemporary kitchen and 1.8 hectares of private Gascon countryside. Beyond the garden, vineyard-covered hills roll toward the Pyrenees, their peaks visible from your first-floor suite. This is life at a renovated 235-square-meter manor in the Gers, where medieval bastide towns meet modern sustainability, and your second home becomes a gateway to southwestern France's most authentic wine region. This property sits at the end of a quiet road serving just one other residence, positioned in the heart of Gascony where Armagnac distilleries outnumber traffic lights. The renovation respects traditional architecture while delivering contemporary comfort: exposed beams frame spaces flooded with natural light, travertine floors anchor the 60-square-meter salon with its soaring 3.75-meter ceilings, and an energy-efficient heat pump achieves the rare A68 energy rating that keeps utility costs minimal year-round. The ground floor flows seamlessly for vacation living, with three of the bedrooms opening directly to the garden and a 42-square-meter kitchen serving as the home's social heart, complete with a wood burner for autumn evenings and a central island where market finds from Condom transform into memorable meals. The Gers offers a lifestyle that sophisticated travelers seek but rarely find: authentic French rural culture without the tourist crowds of Provence or the Dordogne. Condom, just seven kilometers away, provides weekly markets where farmers sell duck confit, artisan cheeses, and vegetables still wearing garden soil. The town's 16th-century cathedral and Armagnac museum anchor a compact center of honey-stone buildings, traditional restaurants, and essential services. This is a region where lunch still takes two hours, where vintners invite you to their chai for tastings that become conversations, and where your neighbors might drop by with excess tomatoes from their potager. Your vacation calendar here follows the rhythm of Gascon seasons. Spring brings white asparagus festivals and hiking through wildflower meadows along the ancient pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela, which pass within cycling distance. Summer means leisurely drives through sunflower fields to medieval bastide towns like Larressingle, barely 15 minutes away, where ramparts enclose a village of 200 souls and a Michelin-recommended restaurant. The plumbing infrastructure for a swimming pool awaits your decision, perfectly positioned to capture afternoon sun while maintaining privacy behind the fully fenced perimeter. Autumn transforms the Gers into a food lover's paradise, with vendange harvest festivals, mushroom foraging in nearby forests, and the opening of hunting season that fills market stalls with wild game. Winter offers a quieter charm: wood fires in both the kitchen and TV snug, day trips to Pyrenean ski stations 90 minutes south, and the satisfaction of watching your heat pump maintain comfort while neighbors in older properties struggle with heating bills. The property's A2 greenhouse gas rating isn't just an environmental achievement; it's a practical advantage that protects you from France's increasingly strict energy regulations affecting older second homes. The 17.5-square-meter main suite functions as a private apartment within the home, with its own 24.7-square-meter sitting room and a shower room overlooking the kitchen that captures morning light. This separation proves invaluable when hosting extended family or renting the ground floor independently. Two additional bedrooms each access the garden through their own doors, ideal for children who want to spill directly outside or for creating flexible guest accommodations. Both ground-floor shower rooms feature walk-in designs that eliminate traditional shower enclosures, a detail that elevates daily routines and simplifies cleaning between rental guests. Location strategy matters profoundly for vacation homes, and this property balances rural tranquility with practical accessibility. Toulouse-Blagnac International Airport lies 105 minutes northeast, connecting to London, Brussels, Amsterdam, and major European hubs with budget and traditional carriers. Bordeaux Airport offers an alternative 90 minutes northwest. The fiber internet connection supports remote work possibilities, transforming this from pure vacation property into a potential seasonal residence for digital professionals. The completed septic system meets current regulations, eliminating a concern that plagues many rural French properties and ensuring compliance for rental activities. The Gers rewards active ownership and presents genuine rental potential. International buyers increasingly seek authentic rural France over crowded coastal destinations, and properties offering modern comfort in traditional settings command premium weekly rates from May through October. The proximity to pilgrimage routes attracts culturally-minded travelers, while the food and wine focus draws gastronomes willing to pay for quality accommodations. Management companies in Condom and nearby Auch provide services for absentee owners, handling everything from linen service to guest communications, though many owners find the property's turnkey condition and straightforward layout manageable for self-administration. The wine tourism infrastructure continues expanding throughout the Gers, with the region actively marketing itself as an alternative to busier appellations. Floc de Gascogne producers, Armagnac distilleries, and IGP Côtes de Gascogne vineyards offer experiences that range from informal farm visits to structured tastings. Your guests, whether family or paying renters, gain access to authentic agricultural tourism without the commercial veneer that diminishes parts of Bordeaux or Burgundy. The 1.8-hectares provides space that most vacation properties cannot offer: room for children to explore safely, potential for a large vegetable garden, fruit trees that produce cherries and plums without effort, and the possibility of adding amenities like a boules court or outdoor dining pavilion. The existing well supports irrigation independent of municipal water costs. The large storage shed accommodates garden equipment, bicycles, and the accumulation that comes with property ownership, while parking for four vehicles means never negotiating tight village streets or fighting for spaces during regional festivals. French property ownership for international buyers has simplified considerably within EU regulations, though Brexit has created considerations for British purchasers regarding extended stays. The purchase process remains straightforward through notaires who manage legal requirements, while property taxes in the Gers remain significantly below coastal regions or major cities. The taxe foncière for a property of this caliber typically runs €1,200-1,800 annually, with taxe d'habitation replaced by a more favorable system for second homes in 2023. Creating memories in a place matters more than collecting amenities, and this manor offers a stage for the experiences that justify vacation home ownership: morning coffee on the terrace watching mist lift from vineyard rows, teaching grandchildren to identify constellations in skies undimmed by light pollution, mastering cassoulet in a kitchen built for serious cooking, and building relationships with local artisans and producers who remember your name between visits. The property's condition means you can focus on living rather than renovating, a critical advantage when your time here measures in weeks rather than months. Key Features: Three bedrooms with garden access supporting flexible use patterns. Two complete shower rooms on ground floor plus main suite bathroom. 60-square-meter salon with 3.75-meter ceilings and travertine floors. 42-square-meter kitchen with wood burner and disappearing pocket doors. Heat pump system achieving A68 energy rating for minimal operating costs. Fiber internet enabling remote work and streaming entertainment. Pool plumbing infrastructure ready for installation. 1.8 hectares fully fenced with fruit trees and well. Storage shed and parking for four vehicles. Seven kilometers from Condom's services and markets. 105 minutes from Toulouse International Airport. Mountain views from first-floor main suite. Completed septic system meeting current regulations. Double glazing throughout and integrated alarm system. Move-in ready condition requiring no immediate investment. Schedule your visit to this Gascon manor through Homestra and discover why the Gers represents southwestern France's best-kept secret for vacation home buyers seeking authenticity, value, and a lifestyle that rewards those who venture beyond the obvious choices.
