Spacious 5BR Stone House with Separate Studio in Haute-Vienne

Sunday morning in Savignac-Lédrier, and the smell of woodsmoke curls up from the stove before you've even put the kettle on. Through the kitchen window, open fields stretch out to the tree line, the kind of view that makes you put your phone down and just stand there for a minute. This is rural Dordogne — unhurried, deeply rooted, and still genuinely affordable for buyers who move quickly. At 99,000 euros for a four-bedroom stone village house with a flower garden and unobstructed countryside views, this property sits in a price bracket that barely exists in France anymore, particularly in the Dordogne — a département that has quietly become one of the most sought-after corners of southwest Europe for second home buyers from the UK, Netherlands, and Scandinavia. The bones are solid, the condition is good, and someone has clearly loved this house for years. It shows. Step inside through the entrance hallway and you're immediately greeted by a small interior courtyard bursting with potted plants and climbing flowers — the kind of detail that takes years to cultivate and costs nothing to inherit. The ground floor opens into a generous living and dining room anchored by a wood-burning stove, which transforms the space from October through to March when the Périgord evenings drop sharply. There's a fitted kitchen that actually functions — not a renovation project, but a room you can cook in from day one. A ground-floor bedroom with its own wood-burning stove and a built-in library doubles brilliantly as a reading room or a guest suite for friends who can't manage stairs. A shower room with WC completes the lower level. Upstairs, three further bedrooms and a bathroom with WC give the house real flexibility — a family with c ... click here to read more

Sunday mornings in Montmorillon smell like warm bread. The boulangerie on Rue du Marché opens early, and if you leave the courtyard door cracked, the scent drifts straight through to the kitchen. That's the kind of town this is — small enough to feel like yours, interesting enough to never feel dull. This 51-square-metre stone house sits right in the heart of Montmorillon, one of those genuinely underrated pockets of the Vienne département that most international buyers haven't discovered yet. And that matters. The Poitou-Charentes region has been quietly attracting second-home buyers from the UK, Netherlands, and Scandinavia for over a decade, but Montmorillon itself remains refreshingly local — no tourist traps, no inflated prices, no weekenders crowding the terraces. Just an honest French market town with a lot going for it. Step inside and the fireplace is the first thing you notice. Cast iron wood-burning stove tucked into the hearth, stone surround, the kind of setup that makes a February evening feel like the point of the whole trip rather than something to endure. The living room is compact but genuinely comfortable — a sofa, a glass of Charentais wine, something good on the screen or nothing at all. French shutters keep the summer heat out and swing open in the morning to let the courtyard light flood in. The kitchen is separate and functional, nothing you need to rip out or apologise for. The bedroom is a proper room, not a converted cupboard — enough space for a double bed, storage, and natural light. The bathroom has both a bathtub and a shower, which is rarer than it should be at this price point. The roof was completely redone in 2024, so you're not inheriting someone else's deferred maintenance. That al ... click here to read more

Stand at the kitchen window on a Tuesday morning and you'll hear the weekly market stalls being set up on the square—the clatter of metal frames, a vendor calling out to a neighbour, the smell of warm bread drifting up from the boulangerie two doors down. That's the rhythm of Saint-Savin, a town in the Vienne department of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region that most visitors discover by accident and never quite stop thinking about. This four-bedroom stone house sits right in the thick of it, in the historic core of a place that has been quietly going about its business for centuries without needing to shout about it. The façade is the real thing—aged stone that has absorbed decades of Atlantic light and turned a particular shade of warm grey that no architect can reproduce. Step inside and the scale surprises you. The volumes are generous in a way that old French country houses understand intuitively: high ceilings that keep rooms cool in July, thick walls that hold the warmth in November, and a sense of permanence that newer builds simply can't fake. At 151 square metres, there is genuine breathing room here—four bedrooms that can comfortably host a family across generations, or a group of friends who've finally committed to that long-planned French summer. Below the main living space, the vaulted cellar is the kind of feature that stops people mid-tour. Stone arches, proper depth, and a natural chill that makes it ideal for wine storage—which, given the proximity to the Futuroscope corridor and the vineyards of the wider Vienne valley, is not a minor consideration. Several outbuildings sit around the property, and multiple entrances give the whole place a flexibility that's rare at this price point. Split it into separat ... click here to read more

On a quiet summer evening in Bourg-de-Visa, you pull a chair into your stone courtyard, pour something cold, and listen. Swallows cutting low arcs over the square. A muffled football commentary drifting from Rémy's café across the way. The smell of bread from the village boulangerie still hanging faintly in the warm Quercy air. This is not a simulation of French village life — it's the actual thing, and this 19th-century stone house sits right at the center of it. The house occupies an almost theatrical position on a secondary square, its stone frontage running nearly the full length of one side. That matters more than you might think. In a village this size, your address is your identity, and this one announces itself with quiet confidence. Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, three barns, a sheltered courtyard, off-street parking, and a small garden — all of it in genuinely good condition, all of it inside walking distance of everything Bourg-de-Visa has to offer. Step through the entrance and you're into a large open-plan living space that the current owners have transformed with real care. A log-burning stove anchors one end — a genuinely useful thing here from October through April, when Tarn-et-Garonne mornings carry a sharp chill. The kitchen is modern and properly fitted, which anyone who has renovated a French country property will tell you is a gift not to be taken lightly. It opens directly onto the courtyard, that private outdoor room that becomes the true heart of the house from May onwards. Aperitifs out there on a June evening, the old stone still warm from the afternoon sun, is the kind of simple pleasure this property was made for. Period features survive throughout — exposed stonework, original proportions, ... click here to read more

The church at La Porcherie rings at eight on Sunday mornings, and if you're sitting at the fireplace in the front room of this century-old house, you'll hear it clearly through the thick stone walls. That's the kind of quiet this place offers — not the performative countryside quiet you read about in travel supplements, but the real, deep silence of the Haute-Vienne bocage, broken only by birdsong and the distant rumble of a tractor working the fields. It's a rare thing. And at this price, rarer still. Built around 1900 and extended in the 1970s, this four-bedroom house sits in a small rural hamlet roughly two kilometres from La Porcherie village. The setting is genuinely pastoral — 380 square metres of land, a proper front garden with room for a table and chairs under whatever shade tree you'd plant in your first spring, and open views across the rolling Limousin countryside that shift with every season. In April the meadows go acid green. Come July, the sunflowers along the D15 toward Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche are head-height. By October the oak woods around Coussac-Bonneval turn the colour of old copper. The house itself runs to six rooms across two floors. Ground level gives you an entrance hall, a kitchen space, a living room anchored by a working fireplace, and a separate office — useful if you're one of the growing number of international buyers who've realised that a Limousin holiday home can double as a remote-working base for the price of a city parking space. Upstairs, four proper bedrooms, a bathroom, and a separate toilet. The footprint is honest: 120 square metres of real living space, not inflated by corridors or cupboards counted as rooms. Attached to the main house is a 27-square-metre garage — big enoug ... click here to read more

Sunday morning in Anais moves slowly. The kind of slowly you forget exists until you're standing in a French kitchen at 8am, coffee in hand, watching light creep across a garden that actually has room to breathe. That's the rhythm this four-bedroom Charente house runs on — and once you feel it, city life starts to look a little absurd. Built in the 1970s on a full basement, this solid family home in the Poitou-Charentes region sits in good condition and carries the kind of practical bones that make a second home genuinely liveable from day one. No romantic ruin-restoration headaches here. The ground floor opens into a kitchen, dining room, veranda, a corridor connecting to the basement and upper level, a toilet, a dressing room, a first bedroom, and a master suite with its own shower room. Upstairs, you'll find a second bedroom, a bathroom, a dedicated office — useful for those who can't fully unplug even on holiday — and a landing corridor linking it all together. Four bedrooms total, spread across a generous 138 square metres of interior space. The wood-burning insert in the main living area earns its keep the moment October arrives in Charente. Double glazing keeps things quiet and comfortable year-round, and the septic tank sanitation system is already in place — a detail international buyers often overlook until the paperwork stage. The outbuilding is one of those genuinely rare finds: it houses a traditional bread oven. Not a decorative one. A working bread oven waiting to be fired up for weekend baking sessions or the kind of long, smoky dinner parties that only happen in French countryside. Then there's the covered swimming pool, enclosed under a dome structure — currently in need of restoration to bring it b ... click here to read more

Some mornings in Masseret, the only sound is the wood-burning stove ticking to life and the distant call of a kite circling above the tree line. You push open the kitchen shutters and the Corrèze countryside rolls out in front of you — green fields, oak woodland, farmsteads half-hidden in the folds of the hills. It's the kind of view that makes you put the coffee down and just stand there for a while. This 132-square-metre stone house sits in the commune of Masseret in the Corrèze department, one of the least-crowded and most quietly compelling corners of the Limousin region. The price — €180,000 — reflects the real French countryside, not the glossy version sold to tourists. This is the France that locals actually live in, and it's exactly what draws a growing wave of international buyers looking for something genuine. The house reads as traditional from the outside: natural stone walls, a slate roof, timber detailing around the windows. These aren't cosmetic additions. They're original, and they carry the kind of weight and texture that new builds spend fortunes trying to fake. The mature garden wraps around the property — established trees, flowering shrubs, a sense of things that have been growing here for decades. You won't be planting hedges and waiting ten years for privacy. It's already here. Step inside and the living room does the work that every French country house should. Exposed oak beams run across the ceiling. The wooden floors are warm underfoot even in January, which matters here, because Limousin winters are real winters — crisp, clear, properly cold. The fireplace is the room's anchor, with a wood-burning stove that connects directly to the central heating system. So you're not choosing between atm ... click here to read more

Sunday morning in Verfeil, and the smell of fresh bread from the boulangerie at the end of the lane drifts through the kitchen window before you've even made coffee. That's not a fantasy — it's just Tuesday here, or any other day of the week. This is a village with an actual bakery, an actual restaurant, and an actual rhythm that you slot into almost immediately. The house itself is built from the same warm ochre stone you see throughout this corner of the Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne borderlands — thick walls that keep things cool in July and hold heat in February. It's been restored with care. The kind of restoration where someone made good decisions: a quality kitchen that doesn't feel like a showroom, a dining area that flows without forcing it into an open-plan living space, all on the ground floor so there's a logic to how you move through the day. Cook, eat, spill out onto the terrace. It just works. And that terrace. There's a generous covered area purpose-built for long lunches that start at one o'clock and end when the light changes — something the French have perfected and visitors quietly adopt. Beyond it, the garden drops into a plunge pool, cold enough to actually matter during the weeks in July and August when temperatures in this part of Occitanie climb well into the mid-30s. Shade, stone, water. You don't need much more than that. Back inside, the stairs take you up to two bedrooms on the first floor, each with its own ensuite — so two couples, or parents and older children, can coexist without the usual morning queue for the bathroom. Then above that, the attic bedroom. It's the kind of room that people argue over quietly: sloped ceilings, the faint creak of old timber, a sense of being under the rooftop ... click here to read more

Picture this: it's a Tuesday morning in late June, and you're sitting on a stone terrace with a bowl of café au lait watching the mist lift off the Tarn-et-Garonne valleys below. No traffic. No notifications. Just the low clang of a cowbell somewhere down the hill and the smell of warm limestone. That's the ordinary Tuesday this 19th-century farmhouse in Roquecor makes possible. This is a proper French country house — solid walls, real character, a past you can feel in the thick stone and hand-worn steps. At 120 square metres it's not trying to be a château. It's a house you could actually live in, maintain without a team of groundskeepers, and love without it becoming a second job. Two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a kitchen that opens into a living room with a wood-burning stove. When January comes and the Quercy Blanc plateau turns silver with frost, you'll understand exactly why that stove exists. The covered terrace deserves its own paragraph. Long, generous, and oriented toward the kind of view that makes guests go quiet — rolling countryside in every direction, no rooftop intrusions, no pylons cutting the horizon. This is where summer happens. Lunch bleeds into afternoon, afternoon into apéro, and suddenly it's dark and nobody's moved in three hours. The productive vegetable garden alongside it means that summer lunch might involve tomatoes picked twelve minutes ago, which changes things entirely. Roquecor itself sits in the northern reaches of Tarn-et-Garonne, close to the border with Lot-et-Garonne, in a part of France that doesn't feature on the overrun tourist trail. That's the point. The village of Puylaroque is a ten-minute drive and has everything for daily life — a bakery, a pharmacy, a market on Wednesda ... click here to read more

Step out of the front door on a Sunday morning and the smell of fresh bread from the boulangerie two streets over drifts past you before you've even decided where to walk. That's Castelsagrat. A proper bastide village perched above the rolling farmland of Tarn-et-Garonne, where the main square still functions exactly as it was intended — people gathering, locals arguing cheerfully over pétanque, market stalls spilling color onto the old stone paving. This three-bedroom house sits just off that square on a quiet side road, and the address alone tells you something: you're in the middle of the action, but shielded from it. The building has its own quiet history. Before it became the house it is today, it was a workshop where craftsmen built wooden horse-drawn carriages — you can still feel that purposeful, practical quality in the bones of the structure. Thick 19th-century stone walls that keep rooms cool through the heat of July. Ceiling beams worn smooth. Wide wooden floorboards that creak in exactly the right places. The previous owners had the good sense to leave all of that alone and simply update around it — the kitchen is fitted and contemporary, the bathrooms are clean and modern, and part double glazing means the winters are manageable without the kind of heating bills that haunt older stone properties. The layout makes everyday life easy. The sitting room is on the first floor, elevated above the lane below, so the log-burning stove does its work while you watch the light change across the valley through the windows. In autumn, when the plane trees along the road start dropping leaves and the air sharpens, this room becomes the reason you bought the house. The kitchen opens directly onto a balcony — not a symbo ... click here to read more

Step off the narrow lane on a grey October morning and you can already smell woodsmoke curling from the chimney insert before you've even pushed open the front door. That's the thing about stone houses in Corrèze — they hold heat, hold history, and hold you in a way that a modern build simply never will. This four-bedroom stone village house in Lascaux sits in one of the least-trumpeted corners of the French countryside, which is precisely why it's worth paying attention to. The Corrèze department, tucked into the northern reaches of the old Limousin region, draws almost none of the tourist crowds that swarm the Dordogne just to the southwest — yet the landscape is, if anything, more raw and more rewarding. Rolling chestnut forests, granite outcrops, winding rivers cold enough to make you gasp in August. It's France before it became a postcard. The house itself covers 65 square metres across two floors, with a clear and logical layout that makes every square metre count. Downstairs, an entrance hall leads into a kitchen and a living room that opens into a lounge anchored by a fireplace fitted with a wood-burning insert. On a February evening with a Corrèze walnut cake resting on the counter and a bottle of local Marcillac wine open on the table, that insert becomes the social centre of the entire house. Upstairs, four bedrooms — generous in number for a property of this footprint — share a bathroom with WC, with a shower room and separate WC also available on the ground floor. The attic adds further storage or, with the right planning permissions, development potential. Directly opposite the house stands a barn of 66 square metres with an additional lean-to. In the hands of the right buyer, that barn is a project wort ... click here to read more

On a still weekday morning in Bourg-de-Visa, the smell of fresh bread drifts from the boulangerie four minutes' walk up the lane before you've even thought about making coffee. That's the pace of life here — unhurried, rooted, real. This 1850s stone barn, once a working forge, has been carefully converted into a two-bedroom house that sits quietly behind a stone wall on the village edge, its garden opening up to rolling Tarn-et-Garonne countryside that stretches further than you'd think possible for somewhere so easy to reach. Midi-Pyrénées is one of those parts of France that doesn't announce itself loudly. No famous coastline, no ski resort posters plastered at Charles de Gaulle. What it has instead is the kind of slow, unselfconscious rural beauty that people spend years searching for and rarely find — and Bourg-de-Visa sits right in the heart of it. The village has genuine life to it. A weekly market, a café where the same retired farmers have been occupying the same chairs since the 1980s, and those summer night markets that run through July and August: outdoor tables, local wine, grilled meats, children chasing each other between the stalls until well past dark. It's the France visitors imagine and tourists rarely stumble across. The house itself carries its history well. The original stone walls are thick enough to keep rooms cool through the heat of a Quercy summer — and this corner of France runs hot from June through September, with long golden evenings that make the tiled terrace off the kitchen feel like an extension of the living room. Step through the gated entrance off the lane, and the first thing you notice is the well at the centre of the lawn, flanked by established trees that throw proper shade. The ... click here to read more

On a still morning in Coussac-Bonneval, the only sound you'll hear from the kitchen window is birdsong and the faint clang of the village church bell marking the hour. That's not a selling point — that's just Tuesday. This is a corner of rural France that hasn't been polished for tourists, and that's exactly what makes it worth your attention. This three-bedroom stone village house sits in the heart of Coussac-Bonneval, a quietly compelling commune in the Haute-Vienne department of Limousin, and it has been fully renovated without losing the bones that make it genuinely special. The original parquet floors are still there, worn smooth in the best possible way. The exposed timber beams cross the ceilings upstairs with the kind of presence you simply can't recreate. Two fireplaces anchor the interior, and a wood-burning stove in the living and dining room turns a rainy October evening into something you'd want to repeat every year. At 153 square metres spread across two levels, the house has real breathing room. The ground floor opens with an entrance hall that leads into a generous 39-square-metre living and dining space — French doors push open to a south-facing terrace, and in summer you'll barely bother eating indoors. The kitchen is fully fitted and functional, with a ground-floor WC keeping the layout practical. Upstairs, three bedrooms share two bathrooms, each with its own WC, plus a further separate WC — sensible for families or groups of friends who all need to be somewhere at the same time on a Saturday morning. Outside is where this property really opens up. The walled garden runs to 1,101 square metres, giving you genuine privacy without feeling like you're managing an estate. There's a paved terrace for lo ... click here to read more

The bread oven is still there. So is the wine press. Standing in the larger of the two stone barns on a warm June morning, with swallows threading in and out of the rafters above you, it doesn't take long to understand that this 1847 farmhouse near Beauville wasn't just built — it was assembled with the kind of patience and permanence that nobody bothers with anymore. That original stone sink in the kitchen still works. The cast iron roll-top bath still gleams. Some things, if they're good enough to begin with, don't need replacing. This is a three-bedroom farmhouse in the rolling countryside of Lot-et-Garonne, priced at €199,000, sitting on a generous 3,500m2 garden with a separate 1.2-hectare plot attached. Two stone barns come with the property. The house itself runs to 93 square metres. It's in good condition — not a ruin, not a renovation project from hell — but it carries that particular lived-in warmth that a period property only gets after a century and a half of occupation. A little refreshing here and there, and it would be exactly what it already nearly is: one of the most quietly singular farmhouses in this corner of southwest France. Approach along the lane — and it really is a quiet lane, the kind where you occasionally have to pull over for a tractor and nobody minds — and the first thing you notice is how the house sits in the landscape. The Lot-et-Garonne valley rolls out around it in every direction, the kind of view that you'd pay an architect a fortune to fabricate if nature hadn't already done it for free. Established trees frame the garden. Gnarled vines push along their rows. Box hedging holds everything together. There's a vegetable patch, multiple fruit trees, and a small terrace positioned, wh ... click here to read more

There's a particular kind of quiet you only find in the deep Poitevin countryside — the sort that isn't silence so much as a conversation between wind, birdsong, and the occasional church bell rolling over from the village. Standing on the elevated terrace of this former railway gatekeeper's house in the hamlet of Logerie, that quiet settles over you fast. And then you start wondering why you ever lived anywhere else. This is a genuinely rare find. The house was originally built to serve the old railway crossing that once ran through this corner of the Vienne department. The line closed decades ago, and in its place grew a green corridor — a long, tree-lined walking and cycling track that now stretches peacefully past the garden boundary. The history didn't disappear; it just got quieter. On mornings when the light comes in low and gold through the kitchen window, you can almost imagine the old gateman stepping out to wave down a steam locomotive. The property itself sits in good condition throughout, updated thoughtfully without gutting the period character that makes it worth caring about. The kitchen is the obvious centrepiece — a proper farmhouse-style space fitted with shaker-style units, deep work surfaces, and enough room to actually pull a chair up and eat in there without anyone feeling cramped. It looks out over the enclosed garden, which means you catch the changing light across the grounds while you're making coffee. That matters more than you'd think. Original wooden floorboards run through the living room, worn in just the right places. A wood-burning stove sits in the corner, which gets genuinely useful in December when the Vienne valley gets a proper chill, and a discreet air conditioning unit handles ... click here to read more

On a Sunday morning in Castelsagrat, you wake to the smell of bread from the boulangerie two doors down. Not the supermarket kind — the kind where the baker has been up since four, and the baguettes are still warm when you tuck them under your arm on the way back. That's not a lifestyle you manufacture. That's just Tuesday here. This 160-square-metre stone house, built around 1700 and sitting on a quiet alley in the heart of one of Tarn-et-Garonne's most genuinely loveable villages, has been renovated by its current owners with the kind of obsessive care that you either recognise immediately or hear about later when someone tells you what it cost. Everything works. Everything fits. And yet none of it feels like a renovation show — it still feels like a house that's been lived in for three centuries, because it has. Step through the oak front door and the exposed stone does the talking. Thick walls, cool in summer, slow to lose heat in autumn. The open-plan kitchen, dining and living space at the heart of the house is where the day happens — a well-equipped contemporary kitchen with integrated appliances opens directly through glazed doors onto a private courtyard. Out there: a covered terrace, a built-in barbecue, and the particular pleasure of eating outside in the Gascon sun from June through September without ever needing to explain yourself to anyone. The wood-burning stove in the main living area earns its keep from October onward. The separate lounge, with its traditional stone fireplace and original tiled floor, is for reading, for wine, for the kind of quiet that's harder to find than people think. A grand entrance hall with walnut stairs leads up to three bedrooms, each with built-in wardrobes, and the landin ... click here to read more

There's a particular kind of quiet you don't find easily anymore. Stand on the veranda of this stone cottage on a Tuesday morning in October, coffee in hand, and you'll hear it — the faint rustle of chestnut trees dropping their load, a crow somewhere across the valley, nothing else. No road noise. No neighbors. Just the old Limousin countryside doing what it's done for centuries. That silence is something people drive three hours from Paris for and never quite find. Here, it comes with the property. Sitting roughly halfway between Meuzac and Coussac-Bonneval on a quiet country lane in Haute-Vienne, this one-bedroom stone cottage is the real thing. Not renovated into some sanitized holiday pastiche — it's a genuine old Limousin farmhouse, the kind with thick granite walls that keep rooms cool in July and warm on damp November afternoons. The bones are solid. The character is intact. Inside, the living room is anchored by a wood-burning stove. Light it on a cool spring evening and the whole space transforms. The kitchen runs adjacent — functional, honest, and large enough to actually cook in, not just heat things up. Through to the bedroom, which is generous for a single room, the kind of space where you actually sleep rather than lie awake. The bathroom has a proper bath, WC, and the utility room adds a shower and second WC — a practical layout that works just as well for a couple spending six weeks a year as it does for someone planning longer stays. But the veranda is where life really happens in this house. Decked and enclosed enough to use in shoulder seasons, it opens to a view that rolls out across open farmland with no rooftop or telegraph pole to spoil it. Morning light comes in from the east. Evenings turn go ... click here to read more

On a quiet morning in Troche, the smell of woodsmoke drifts from a neighbor's chimney and the church bell marks eight o'clock. You're standing at the kitchen window with a coffee, looking out at the rear garden where the light is still low and golden. This is what life in rural Corrèze actually feels like — and this four-bedroom stone house puts you right at the center of it. The house itself tells its own story in the way only old French stone construction can. Thick walls that keep rooms cool in August and hold the warmth of a fire in January. The renovation has been done properly — no cosmetic shortcuts, no half-finished rooms — and the result is a home that's genuinely move-in ready without sacrificing any of the original character. The large living room is the heart of it all: high ceilings, a working fireplace that you'll actually use, and doors that open directly onto the garden. On rainy autumn afternoons, this room becomes everything. Books, wine, the fire going, the sound of rain on old stone. The layout is generous for a village house of this size. Four bedrooms means real flexibility — a master suite with its own shower room, three further rooms that can rotate between guest quarters, a home office, or space for children to claim as their own territory. A bathroom with WC, a separate WC for busy mornings, a dedicated laundry room so the practicalities stay out of sight. Downstairs, a large vaulted cellar with proper stone arching — the kind of space that begs to be used for something: wine storage, a workshop, cold storage for produce from the local markets. And above it all, an attic with genuine conversion potential, should you want to add living space or create something entirely new. Vehicle access to ... click here to read more

Nestled on the outskirts of the peaceful village of Gorre, Limousin, Haute-Vienne, this attractive 18th-century stone house invites a life that is both tranquil and connected with nature. Set in nearly 2 acres of verdant land, this property is not only a serene haven but also a blank canvas for those looking to imprint their style. At the heart of the property lies the main house, having undergone thoughtful renovations to create open, spacious rooms that blend traditional charm with contemporary comfort. Daylight floods in through numerous windows, each graced with charming seating areas that beckon you to pause and admire the views. The entire house benefits from double glazing, ensuring a cozy atmosphere year-round. With an efficient wood-burning stove in the living room and another in the open-plan kitchen-dining area, warmth and ambiance are never in short supply. Although modern electric radiators are installed throughout, their use is seldom required, a testament to the property's insulation and thoughtful design. The ground floor unfolds into a welcoming living room, a kitchen with dining space, a hall retaining the original wooden staircase, and a utility room equipped with a shower and a separate WC. A cellar runs the width of the house below, offering ample storage. The first floor houses three generously sized bedrooms and a family bathroom. With existing space, there's potential to create en suite bathrooms for two of the bedrooms, enhancing privacy and convenience. A unique aspect of this property is its former farm status, evidenced by three large barns and a charming stone house ripe for transformation into guest accommodation, subject to due permissions. The house is set back 30 meters from a quiet r ... click here to read more

Nestled in the picturesque region of Limousin, Haute-Vienne, you will find a house that truly captures the spirit of rural France. Situated in Oradour-sur-Vayres, this property offers a peaceful retreat away from the hustle and bustle while still being within easy reach of everyday conveniences. As a busy agent with substantial experience working with international clientele, I can attest that this house holds great promise for those seeking a foothold in a charmingly serene part of France. Oradour-sur-Vayres is a delightful place to live or visit, with its tranquil vibes and beautiful landscapes. The local climate is typically mild, with warm summers and cooler winters, setting the stage for enjoying outdoor activities throughout the year. The heart of the community is just 2 kilometers away, where you will find shops, restaurants, and essential services. And if travel is a consideration, Limoges Airport is conveniently only a half-hour drive away, offering regular flights to the UK. Now, let us venture inside this lovely 3-bedroom house. The property spreads over 111 square meters and offers a comfortable living space for both families and individuals. You enter a home steeped in character, with beamed ceilings that give a nod to its history. The property has been renovated thoughtfully, balancing modern needs with traditional design. - 3 bedrooms - 2 bathrooms - Beamed ceilings - Double glazing throughout - Oil central heating - Large living/dining room The ground floor hosts a fitted kitchen, perfect for creating meals with fresh local produce. A spacious living/dining room accommodates both everyday dinners and special occasions, complete with a log burner to keep the home cozy during the cooler months. Patio do ... click here to read more

Introducing this beautifully cultivated barn conversion, a genuine embodiment of rustic charm meets modern comfort. Nestled in the quiet hamlet of Oradour-Sur-Vayres, France, it presents an inviting blend of upscale leisure and homely warmth. Generously spaced, the property betrays its barn beginnings with four airy bedrooms, three meticulously designed bathrooms and a total floor space of 160 square metres. Resplendent at first glance, the property greets you with a gravelled front exterior and ample parking space, perfect for large and small vehicles alike. Stepping into the inviting hallway, you'll be captivated by its airy, light-filled ambience. The expansive living room is a beacon of comfort and style, with large glass doors letting sunshine streams in and illuminating the stunning space within. Furthermore, it allows for unfettered access to the side garden. One's line of sight reliably wanders from the inviting living room to the beautiful dining area that is open to a modern, well-equipped kitchen. Notable Features; - The whole area is kept toasty via an efficient eco pellet boiler - Stylish, practical kitchen with 3 sets of double glazed doors leading to a covered gazebo terrace - A self-enclosed laundry/utility area adjoining the kitchen - High ceiling barn attached to the house that could be repurposed with the correct permissions - A 15 sq.m mezzanine landing converted to a spacious open office - Four double bedrooms, one with an en-suite bathroom The property shares a heartbeat with the vibrant city of Limoges, a mere 35-minute drive away, boasting excellent shopping, dining, and cultural experiences. Closer still, the towns of St. Junien and Rochechouart are a short commute away, and they offer an ... click here to read more

Nestled in the heart of the picturesque Perigord Limousin National Park, this exquisite stone house in Oradour-sur-Vayres offers a unique opportunity for those seeking a tranquil second home in the French countryside. With its charming blend of rustic elegance and modern comforts, this property is perfect for overseas buyers and expats looking to immerse themselves in the serene lifestyle of rural France. Imagine waking up to the gentle rustle of leaves and the sweet melody of birdsong, as the morning sun filters through the lush canopy of trees surrounding your home. This property, set on the edge of a quaint hamlet, provides a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of city life, while still offering convenient access to essential amenities and transport links. Property Highlights: - Two Detached Stone Houses: Offering flexibility for family living or potential rental income. - Six Spacious Bedrooms: Perfect for hosting family and friends or accommodating guests. - Three Modern Bathrooms: Ensuring comfort and convenience for all residents. - Beautifully Maintained Gardens: Featuring secluded seating areas, a vegetable garden, and a poly tunnel for year-round cultivation. - Private Pool: Enjoy sun-drenched afternoons by the pool, nestled between the two houses. - Additional Land Plots: Includes a 3/4 acre woodland and a small plot with private river access. - Potential for Expansion: Unfinished barn space offers opportunities for further development. - Proximity to Nature: Surrounded by scenic walking trails and the tranquil River Tardoire. - Convenient Location: Just 3km from local shops and services, and 30 minutes from Limoges airport. A Lifestyle of Leisure and Adventure Living in Oradour-sur-Vayres means em ... click here to read more

Nestled in the serene heartland of France, the exquisite estate at Place Léon Roche 5, Oradour-sur-Vayres, offers an enticing blend of history and rural charm. If you're an overseas buyer seeking a spacious country retreat with a rich background and plenty of room for family life or entrepreneurial pursuits, this classic French property may very well be your dream home. This stately maison de maître, dating back to 1776, spans an impressive 570 square meters and is set amidst a lush 3,800-square-meter plot. It holds a significant place in local heritage, having been the residence of noteworthy figures like Mayor Leon Roche and the renowned furniture maker Philip DeVille. This is a home that embodies historical grandeur and has stood the test of time, a testament to its robust construction and the delicate care it has received over the centuries. The property stands as a beacon for those wishing to experience the idyllic country life France is so cherished for. Oradour-sur-Vayres, a charming small town, is steeped in a rich history yet boasts the calm, serene environment of the countryside. Here, the pace of life is gentle and affords time for something as simple yet profound as sipping coffee under the warmth of the morning sun. Expect a temperate climate: warm summers perfect for exploring and mild winters that invite cozy nights by one of the twelve fireplaces this house has to offer. Living here provides a unique opportunity to explore the Limousin region, renowned for its green forests, and outdoor activities. You'll find plenty of things to do like enjoying leisurely walks or cycling through the picturesque rolling hills. The tranquil atmosphere of the surrounding nature is perfect for outdoor entertaining or cul ... click here to read more

Discover the essence of peaceful country living with this charming three-bedroom country house nestled in the idyllic surroundings of Limousin, Haute-Vienne, in the quaint town of Champsac, France. This property, set in the heart of the Périgord-Limousin Regional Natural Park, offers a serene escape with 2.4 hectares of land, perfect for those with a fondness for nature and outdoor activities, particularly equestrian pursuits. The main residence, a picturesque stone house spanning 95m², exudes a rustic charm with its traditional structure. The ground floor is thoughtfully divided into a cozy kitchen and a welcoming living room, alongside a versatile back kitchen that doubles as a pantry, and a practical shower room with WC. Upstairs, a landing leads to three comfortably sized bedrooms, each offering views of the surrounding countryside. While significant improvements such as double glazing, attic insulation, and roofing have been made in recent years, the house still requires some refreshment work, presenting a wonderful opportunity for customization. Adjacent to the home, the property includes a range of outbuildings that enhance its functionality and potential. A barn connected to the house could be transformed for additional living space or kept for agricultural use. The outbuildings are in good condition, lending themselves to various projects, whether for keeping animals or storage. A newly constructed 50m² carport provides ample space for parking, accommodating up to three cars or larger vehicles like a van or mobile home. The external features of this estate are particularly appealing for those who cherish tranquility and the natural environment. The property boasts a variety of fruit trees, two water wells, an ... click here to read more

There's a particular kind of quiet you only find in this corner of France. Standing on the private terrace on a Sunday morning, coffee in hand, you hear nothing but birdsong and the faint rustle of leaves from the garden's edge. No traffic. No sirens. Just the deep, unhurried exhale of rural Limousin. That's what this two-bedroom house in Rochechouart offers — and once you've felt it, you'll understand why people come here and never quite want to leave. Rochechouart sits in the Haute-Vienne department, about as authentically French as a town can get without being on a tourist poster. It's built on the rim of a 200-million-year-old meteorite impact crater — yes, an actual crater — and the local Musée de la Préhistoire documents this remarkable geological history in ways that'll have even skeptical visitors lingering longer than planned. The medieval château dominates the hilltop, and on market days the square below it fills with vendors selling Limousin beef, local walnuts, and cheeses that have no business being as good as they are. This isn't the manicured, postcard-perfect Dordogne that gets all the magazine coverage. It's better. It's real. The house itself is a compact, single-story bungalow — 56 square metres of well-proportioned living that gets the essentials exactly right. Two bedrooms, one bathroom, and four rooms total, arranged in a way that feels practical rather than cramped. The kitchen-diner is the heart of the home: a proper gathering space with a fireplace where the whole point is to sit around it on October evenings with a bottle of local wine and absolutely nowhere to be. The living room opens to views across the private garden, and the terrace catches the afternoon light in a way that makes you reth ... click here to read more

Welcome to your next venture in the charming region of Limousin, Haute-Vienne, situated in the picturesque town of Cussac, France. This quaint and stately four-bedroom house offers an abode where old-world charm meets the comforts of modern living. Nestled in the heart of France's scenic terrain of rolling forests and vibrant meadows, this property is a hidden treasure waiting to be found. Steeped in history, this former Tardoire Mill is tucked away from the crowd in an enchanting setting that spans approximately 1.5 hectares. This space is dedicated to preserving biodiversity, as evidenced by the serene millstream and winding streams present across the property. The calm whispers of the small waterfall at the end of the extensive forest filled with oaks, chestnuts, birches and other species, enhance the allure of this peaceful place. This destination offers more than a picturesque view. It serves as an invitation. A beckoning call to unwind at the water's edge, soaking in the scenic beauty, lulled by the soft rustling of leaves in the shade of the sprawling lime tree. The remaining authenticity of the property's stone wall facing southwest, its rustic wooden beams, and the inviting fireplaces conjure an ambiance of warmth and tranquility. Offering a good living condition, the home features double-glazed windows, preserving the thermal efficiency of the place. While the property maintains much its original charm, it also provides opportunities for those inspired by renovation projects. This house, therefore, represents an appealing fixer-upper opportunity, where you can explore potential enhancements to fully capitalize on the innate beauty of its setting. This house, boasting of potential and promise, can serve as ... click here to read more

Nestled in the heart of the picturesque Limousin region, this exquisite 4-bedroom house in Cussac offers a unique opportunity for those seeking a second home in France. With its expansive grounds, charming outbuildings, and serene natural surroundings, this property is a haven for tranquility and adventure alike. Imagine waking up to the gentle sounds of nature, with the Perigord Limousin Regional Natural Park as your backdrop. This beautifully restored property, set on nearly 9 acres of lush land, is more than just a house—it's a lifestyle. Whether you're looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life or invest in a holiday retreat, this home offers endless possibilities. ### A Home with Character and Comfort Upon entering, you're greeted by a spacious porch leading into a bright and airy family kitchen. This heart of the home is perfect for gatherings, featuring modern appliances and a cozy pellet burner fireplace. The kitchen seamlessly flows into a sunlit family room, with patio doors opening to a terrace and swimming pool area—ideal for summer barbecues and lazy afternoons. The ground floor also boasts a comfortable lounge, a versatile small room, a bedroom, and a luxurious bathroom complete with a corner spa bath. Upstairs, you'll find a second lounge, two generously sized bedrooms, ample storage, and a family bathroom with high-quality fittings. ### Key Features: - 4 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms: Spacious and well-appointed, perfect for family and guests. - Modern Amenities: Double glazing, updated electrics and plumbing, good insulation, and reliable internet connectivity. - Expansive Grounds: Nearly 9 acres of land, including a small lake, natural springs, and a stream. - Outbuildings: Three large stone barn ... click here to read more

Nestled in the heart of the picturesque Limousin region, this enchanting stone house in Cussac, Haute-Vienne, offers a serene retreat for those seeking a second home in France. With its charming blend of rustic elegance and modern comforts, this property is a haven for relaxation and a gateway to the rich cultural tapestry of the French countryside. Imagine waking up to the gentle rustle of leaves and the sweet melody of birdsong, as sunlight filters through the trees surrounding your private sanctuary. This two-bedroom house, meticulously maintained and ready for immediate occupancy, is more than just a home; it's a lifestyle. A Glimpse into Your New Life in Cussac: - Spacious Living Areas: The ground floor boasts an expansive open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area, where exposed stone walls and wooden beams create a warm, inviting atmosphere. A stone fireplace with a log-burning stove adds a cozy touch, perfect for chilly evenings. - Natural Light and Scenic Views: Large patio doors in the separate lounge flood the room with natural light and offer stunning views of the lush front garden, creating a tranquil space for relaxation. - Modern Amenities: The house is equipped with modern electrics, double glazing, and a recently installed individual waste water treatment plant, ensuring comfort and convenience. - Versatile Spaces: A generous barn attached to the house provides ample space for parking, storage, or a workshop, complete with an electric supply. - Charming Outdoor Spaces: The delightful cottage garden, with its flowering borders and cozy seating area, is perfect for enjoying afternoon tea or a glass of wine as the sun sets. - Expansive Grounds: Beyond the garden, the property extends into a woodland area ... click here to read more

Discover a charming 3-bedroom house in the picturesque village of Vayres in Limousin, Haute-Vienne, France. This delightful home is steeped in history and character and offers a truly unique living experience. With a spacious area of 150m², this home is perfect for anyone looking to immerse themselves in the French countryside lifestyle. The house welcomes you with a very bright living room on the ground floor, featuring large double-glazed windows that allow ample natural light to flood the space. Adjacent to the living room, the kitchen awaits, ready for you to whip up delightful meals. The ground floor also has a modern bathroom with a luxurious Italian shower. Moving up to the first floor, you'll find a landing that opens up to two inviting bedrooms. The first bedroom even includes a charming office space and another bathroom, making it a versatile area for work or rest. The second bedroom has a unique touch with its access to the attic, where several skylights add a cozy charm. One of the most enchanting features of this house is its many old elements. You'll love the traditional massive parquet floors, the vintage fireplace, the elegant wooden staircase, and the magnificent framework that echoes the history of the home. The house is partly double-glazed, blending modern comfort with classic appeal. Set on a 500m² plot, the outside area is equally inviting. The intricate details of the roof, the half-timbering of the barn, and the unique structure of the house add to the allure as you gaze out onto the garden. The courtyard leads to a small meadow and a large barn with a rustic stone floor, which offers additional space for various projects, given the necessary authorizations. There's also a small barn in the ga ... click here to read more

Welcome to the charming village of Vayres, located in the enchanting region of Limousin, Haute-Vienne, France. It is a pleasure to present you with this distinctive three-bedroom house, which boasts a rich history and a colourful blend of heritage features. Nestling in the heart of the village, this property shares a story that extends to a sprawling 150 square metres area. It exhibits a character-rich presentation from the inside out, with its picturesque rooftop details, solid parquet floors, and half-timbered barn; all mark an ode to the timeless French architectural charm. Internally, the house exudes a warm, welcoming vibe. The ground floor features a sunlit living room, adorned with large double-glazed windows that draw in plenty of natural light, illuminating the vintage fireplace – a focal point that adds an accent of charm. Nestled adjacent to the living room, you will find a functional kitchen and a stylish bathroom with a modern Italian shower feature. Moving upstairs, the first floor has unique room arrangements. A landing area leads to a spacious bedroom, generously accompanied by a home office and a private bathroom, and then guides you further to the second bedroom. This bedroom has easy access to the loft, attributing a sense of spaciousness and versatility, thanks to the numerous skylights that fill the space with warm daylight year-round. A big draw for this property, of course, is its rewarding potential for growth. The house's unique structural features allow for the addition of new living spaces, capitalising on its expansive exterior. The property also houses a large barn with an authentic stone floor and a smaller barn in the garden, both providing formidable opportunities for renovation and i ... click here to read more

If you're looking for a charming countryside getaway, this property in the beautiful region of Limousin, Haute-Vienne, Châlus, France might just be the ideal fit. This extensive 8-bedroom home offers a perfect blend of tranquility and convenience, located only 6 minutes away from a village equipped with essential shops and medical facilities. Upon entering the main house, you're greeted by a cozy living room complete with a fitted kitchen, making it an inviting space for family gatherings or quiet evenings at home. A hallway leads you to a bedroom, bathroom, and toilet on the ground floor. Upstairs, you’ll find two additional bedrooms and an expansive attic space of 35 m2, ripe for conversion with the proper permissions. Imagine the possibilities - perhaps a game room, a home office, or an extra guest room! Not to be outdone, an attached barn of 25 m2 holds yet another opportunity for expansion into additional living space. This first house also opens to a well-maintained 600 m2 garden, complete with a lovely wooden terrace ideal for morning coffees or evening dining al fresco. Plus, the heated pool measuring 6x4 offers a serene retreat for sunbathing or swimming. The second house boasts its own unique charms. The ground floor hosts a spacious 37 m2 living room with an open-plan kitchen, along with a bedroom that features an en-suite shower room. Ascending to the first floor, you’ll find a cozy nook that could serve as a small office, leading to two primary bedrooms. An additional set of bedrooms follows in succession, perfect for large families or frequent guests, coupled with a bathroom and toilet. It's layout is both practical and adaptive. Adding to the allure of this property, there is also a 170 m2 barn that ca ... click here to read more

Charming Family Villa in Peaceful Chassenon, Poitou-Charentes Nestled in the tranquil village of Chassenon in the scenic Poitou-Charentes region of Charente, France, this alluring villa awaits its new owners. Offering a blend of modern amenities and classic charm, the property is ideal for those looking to immerse themselves in the French countryside, yet stay connected to vibrant community life. Property Features: - 3 comfortably sized bedrooms - 1 well-appointed bathroom - Bright, spacious living area spanning 41 m2 with an insert fireplace - Sizeable kitchen equipped with ample storage space - Additional kitchen area bounding the living room - Gleaming tiling and warm wooden parquet flooring - Generous garden-level space approximating 80 m2, ripe for conversion into a gîte or additional living quarters - Robust roofing in excellent condition - Integral garage for secure parking - Expansive plot of approximately 2400 m2 with a picturesque stream - Partially updated electrical installation Though the property is in good condition, it would benefit from some modernization and personal touches. Potential buyers might want to consider upgrading the septic tanks and further refurbishing some indoor spaces to add personal flair and enhance comfort. Local Area and Lifestyle: Living in Chassen. offers a unique experience characterized by calm and beauty. The town itself, while serene and laid-back, hosts essential shops and services that provide for daily needs without having to travel far. For more extensive shopping or cultural experiences, the nearby cities of Limoges and Angoulême are easily accessible via a short drive. The surrounding region is dotted with historic sites, including the revered ruins of Cassinomagus, ... click here to read more

Picture yourself stepping through century-old stone walls into a sun-drenched space where morning light streams through expansive windows, casting geometric patterns across polished floors. This is your retreat in rural Charente, where 500 square meters of flexible living space awaits transformation into your ideal French vacation home. The quiet garden beyond whispers with the rustle of oak leaves, while the protected geological landscape of Chassenon extends in every direction, offering a rare combination of privacy, space, and authentic countryside living just minutes from modern transport links. Nestled in the heart of Poitou-Charentes, this stone-built villa presents a rare opportunity for international buyers seeking a versatile French holiday property with genuine character and expansion potential. The Charente region remains one of France's most accessible yet unspoiled territories, where rolling hills meet ancient Roman heritage, and where the pace of life encourages long lunches, afternoon explorations, and evening gatherings that stretch into starlit nights. This property serves as your base camp for discovering a France that exists beyond the tourist trails, where local markets overflow with regional cheeses, where vineyards produce cognac and pineau, and where neighbors still greet each other by name. The villa's single-story primary layout makes it exceptionally practical for vacation living, eliminating stairs for your main living spaces while providing upstairs guest quarters for visiting family and friends. The ground floor master suite ensures comfortable year-round access, whether you're escaping for a long weekend or settling in for an extended summer stay. Above, two additional bedrooms with bathro ... click here to read more

Stand on the patio on a still September morning and watch mist lift off the surface of your own one-acre lake. The water lilies have opened. A kingfisher cuts across the far bank. The only sound is the creak of the old oak at the water's edge. This is not a postcard. This is Tuesday. That is the kind of morning that comes with this four-bedroom house on the quiet edge of Dournazac, a compact, self-sufficient little village deep inside the Perigord Limousin Regional Natural Park. The property sits on just over two hectares — roughly 21,283 square metres — and includes not one but two private spring-fed lakes. That detail alone puts this in a completely different category from almost anything else available in this price range in southwest France. The house itself was built in the mid-1970s to an individually commissioned design, and the quality of its construction is still obvious today. Solid materials. Wide windows that pull in far more light than you'd expect from a house of this era. The rooms feel generous without being cavernous, and the whole place has been kept in good condition — move-in ready while leaving room for a buyer who wants to put their own stamp on the interior. Think of it as a sound, well-maintained canvas rather than a renovation project. Ground floor living revolves around a large lounge with a proper wood-burning stove and a dining area that opens directly onto the patio through French doors. On a warm evening, that threshold between inside and out effectively disappears. You're eating outside, the lake thirty metres in front of you, the sun dropping behind the treeline. A well-equipped modern kitchen sits just off the main living space, practical and ready to use from day one. Two bedrooms and ... click here to read more

Tucked away in the picturesque village of Dournazac, nestled in the heart of the Haute-Vienne region, lies a delightful three-bedroom house waiting for someone to call it home. Especially if you're seeking a peaceful retreat or considering a move to the charming French countryside, this property might just be what you're looking for. As a busy global real estate agent, I can assure you that this area is known for its stunning landscapes and warm sense of community—an ideal place for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and experience the serene beauty of rural France. The property is in good condition, a plus for any prospective buyer. The entrance hall opens into the heart of the home, leading you to an eat-in kitchen spacious enough at 18.8 square meters to accommodate family meals or cooking experiments. It comes with the convenience of an adjoining pantry, adding that much-needed storage space. Imagine savoring your morning coffee with the local produce you’ve gathered from nearby markets. The lounge offers a cozy ambiance, complete with a log burner perfect for those chilly evenings. At 25 square meters, it has ample space to host guests or unwind with a good book. An additional room offers flexibility—currently serving as a bedroom, but with the potential to transform into a dining room or a second sitting area based on your desires. It’s the sort of feature that can adapt as your lifestyle or family needs evolve. An oak staircase then leads you to the upper level where three comfortable double bedrooms await. The ensuite bathroom attached to one of the bedrooms adds a touch of privacy and convenience, featuring a roll-top bath that invites you to soak and relax after a long day. With two b ... click here to read more

Nestled in the heart of the picturesque Poitou-Charentes region, this exquisite 4-bedroom house in Montrollet offers a unique blend of rustic charm and modern comfort, making it an ideal second home or holiday retreat. With its rich history, vibrant culture, and stunning landscapes, Montrollet is a hidden gem in the Charente department of France, perfect for those seeking a tranquil escape or a lucrative investment opportunity. Imagine waking up to the gentle rustle of leaves and the sweet melody of birdsong, as the sun casts a warm glow over your private woodland. This is the everyday reality for those fortunate enough to call this property their second home. The house, in excellent condition, is a testament to thoughtful design and quality craftsmanship, offering a seamless blend of traditional French architecture and contemporary amenities. Property Highlights: - Spacious Living Areas: The double-height living room, complete with a cozy wood burner, is perfect for family gatherings or quiet evenings by the fire. - Gourmet Kitchen: A fully fitted cottage-style kitchen with a wood burner and a separate utility room caters to all your culinary needs. - Master Suite: The main master bedroom features a private balcony and an en suite bathroom with a corner bath, shower, and WC. - Guest Accommodation: Two ground-floor bedrooms with separate entrances and ensuite shower rooms offer privacy and comfort for guests. - Unique Tower Gîte: A charming circular tower gîte with three levels, including a top-floor bedroom with panoramic views, provides additional living space or rental potential. - Outdoor Oasis: A half-sunken heated swimming pool with a decked terrace and nearly an acre of woodland create a serene outdoor retreat. ... click here to read more