5-Bed Stone Farmstead from 1778 with Barn, Gîte & Pool — Limousin Vacation Home



Limousin, Haute-Vienne, Coussac-Bonneval, France, Coussac-Bonneval (France)
5 Bedrooms · 2 Bathrooms · 325m² Floor area
€350,000
House
No parking
5 Bedrooms
2 Bathrooms
325m²
Garden
Pool
Not furnished
Description
Step into the kitchen of the converted barn on a Saturday morning in October, French doors flung open, the smell of woodsmoke drifting in from the garden, and you'll understand immediately why someone spent years restoring this 1778 farmstead with such patience. The Limousin countryside rolls out in every direction. Nothing but birdsong, the faint trickle of a natural spring feeding an old stone washing basin, and the knowledge that Paris is three hours north and you'd rather stay exactly here.
This is a property with real bones and a real story. Built in 1778 and sitting on just over 10,000 square metres of mature gardens, terraces, and lawns in a quiet rural hamlet near Coussac-Bonneval in Haute-Vienne, the estate comprises three separate living spaces — a 173 m² converted barn serving as the main residence, a 124 m² original farmhouse restored as a two-bedroom gîte, and a 29 m² studio apartment currently generating income on short-term rental platforms. That's 325 square metres of habitable space across the full property, plus a workshop, the old pigsty (ripe for conversion), an above-ground pool, and a working well. For a second home that pays for itself, or for two families who want to share a slice of rural France without actually sharing a kitchen, this configuration is genuinely rare.
The barn conversion is where the architectural confidence shows most clearly. Downstairs, a 30 m² kitchen anchors the space — big enough to actually cook in, with French doors that open onto two separate terraces so you can chase the shade or the sun depending on the season. A 54 m² living room with fireplace. A laundry room, a WC, and a ground-floor bedroom with en-suite shower, useful when knees or houseguests become a consideration. Upstairs, the mood shifts: a sitting room opens onto a balcony with long views over the surrounding countryside, and the master bedroom comes with an en-suite bathroom, a dressing room, and a separate office. That office matters more than it used to for owners who want to spend six weeks here without their inbox suffering.
The original farmhouse — the gîte — is where the 18th century makes itself felt most strongly. Two fireplaces, one in the 42 m² kitchen-dining room and one in the 41 m² sitting room, have been kept exactly as they should be: functional, central, the kind that make a November stay in the Haute-Vienne feel like a completely reasonable idea. Two bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs, and the whole space has been restored with the kind of restraint that keeps the thick stone walls and uneven floors rather than papering over them.
The studio sits apart with its own private terrace — a French window, a compact kitchen, a shower room. It's currently listed on Airbnb, which gives you a sense of the rental appetite that exists in this part of Limousin even for smaller spaces.
Coussac-Bonneval itself is a small bastide town about ten minutes from the property, with a medieval château that still stands watch over the valley and a weekly market where local producers bring chèvre, walnuts, and confits that you won't find vacuum-packed in any supermarket. The Saturday market in nearby Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche — about 20 minutes east — is the one the locals actually shop at, and it's worth the drive. The town also has a good butcher, two bakers, and the kind of café where an espresso takes as long as it takes.
Limoges is roughly 50 kilometres north, which means an international airport with regular connections to London, Dublin, and several other European cities — a serious advantage for non-French buyers who don't want to rely on a connecting flight through Paris every time. The TGV from Limoges to Paris runs in under three hours. For road trips deeper into the southwest, Périgueux and the Dordogne Valley are about 90 minutes, and the Atlantic coast at Royan is under two and a half hours.
Climatically, the Haute-Vienne delivers four proper seasons. Summers are warm rather than brutal — mid-20s to low-30s in July and August, perfect for the pool and the outdoor dining terraces. Spring brings the countryside back in spectacular fashion, with the chestnut forests (a regional obsession — the châtaigne de Limousin has its own annual festival in Bourdeilles each October) turning vivid green through April and May. Autumn is arguably the finest time: harvest colours, lower temperatures, wild mushroom season, and far fewer tourists than the Dordogne an hour south.
The Limousin plateau offers serious walking country. The GR 654 pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela passes through this area, and sections of it make for excellent day walks without any religious commitment required. Cyclists do well here too — the roads are quiet, the gradients manageable, and the scenery keeps rewarding you. The Lac de Saint-Pardoux, about 45 minutes north, is the region's main water recreation hub: sailing, kayaking, and a proper sandy beach that draws French families every summer.
For international buyers, France's legal framework around property ownership is well-established and relatively straightforward. EU and non-EU citizens alike can purchase without restriction. The notaire system means the process is state-supervised from the start, and the costs — typically 7–8% of the purchase price on older properties — are predictable. At €350,000, this property sits in a part of the French market that still offers genuine value: comparable farmstead complexes in the Dordogne or Provence would cost considerably more for less land.
The gîte and studio income streams mean this property can function as a genuine investment from day one, not just a lifestyle purchase. If you use it for personal holidays in July and August and rent both income units through the shoulder seasons, the numbers start to look interesting. A local property management company — there are several good ones operating out of Limoges and Saint-Yrieix — can handle keys, changeovers, and maintenance when you're not there.
Key features at a glance:
Three fully independent living spaces across 325 m² total
Converted 1778 barn — 173 m² main residence with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and office
Original farmhouse restored as 2-bedroom gîte — 124 m²
Studio apartment — 29 m² with private terrace, currently on short-term rental
10,150 m² of land: mature gardens, terraces, lawns, and outdoor dining areas
Above-ground swimming pool
Working well and natural spring feeding historic stone washing basin
Workshop and former pigsty with conversion potential
Double fireplaces in both barn and farmhouse living spaces
Balcony off first-floor barn sitting room with countryside views
10 minutes from Coussac-Bonneval village and château
50 km from Limoges airport (flights to London, Dublin, and beyond)
Immediate rental income potential from gîte and Airbnb studio
Good overall condition — move in, rent out, or both from the start
If you've been looking for a French farmhouse that's already done the hard work — structurally sound, thoughtfully converted, income-generating, and set up for multiple families or a professional rental operation — this property on Homestra is the one to call about first. Get in touch today to arrange a viewing and see the spring-fed washing basin for yourself. It's the detail that makes it real.
Details
- Amount of bedrooms
- 5
- Size
- 325m²
- Price per m²
- €1,077
- Garden size
- 10150m²
- Has Garden
- Yes
- Has Parking
- No
- Has Basement
- No
- Condition
- good
- Amount of Bathrooms
- 2
- Has swimming pool
- Yes
- Property type
- House
- Energy label
Unknown
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