Introduction
Au Petit Chene is a recently renovated 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house, situated in an idyllic rural location with spectacular views.
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A small gatehouse is situated at the start of the private driveway leading to the main house.
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The main house has 2000 m2 of land, whilst the gatehouse area is another 1550 m2.
The beginning...
Back in 2011, we found this property and fell in love with its views and potential. No one seemed to know for certain when the house was built, but what was certain was that it had been uninhabited for decades, and had never had utilities such as water, electricity, sanitation or a phone line. It did not even have an access road. It was divided into two separate parts - the main house, which had a ground floor (with soil for a floor) and a crumbling upper floor. Next to it was an old barn, full of rubbish and also slowly collapsing. The two were not connected.
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The goal was to turn this ruin into a modern, energy efficient home for the future. To do so, we would need to demolish the barn, link the two structures for the first time, add windows, and even add an entirely new floor.
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For more details of the rebuild, have a look at "Rebuilding Au Petit Chene"
A rural idyll
The property is situated in an area full of beautiful valleys, rolling hills and nature. In the fields around the house, wild animals (such as deer) are regular visitors.
The Area
The quiet village of St Rambert-en-Bugey, is just a 15 minute walk down the road. It has a small train station, fantastic bakery, butcher, two supermarkets and various other amenities. More information can be found on its website.
The property is also only a 15 minute drive from the large town of Amberieu en Bugey, which has tourist attractions, such as the historical monument the Château des Allymes, a train station (with a large car park and direct connections to Geneva and Lyon), as well as many other facilities including:
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A huge variety of shops
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A swimming pool complex at l'Espace Nautique
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A new climbing centre
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Go-karting track (and race course)
- etc
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Not far away the Cerdon Caves (and surrounding prehistoric leisure park) provide a fascinating look back in time.
The layout of the house
The ground floor
The ground floor has a large garage (with laundry room), a bathroom (with jacuzzi) and a large living room (currently a playroom/home cinema, but easily convertible to another bedroom).
The 1st floor
On the first floor there are two cosy bedrooms, as well as a shower room.
Connected to this is the spacious living room/kitchen with balcony (and spectacular views)
The living room also opens up onto a balcony with large sliding doors and views down the valley (where the sun rises in the morning)...
The top floor
The top floor has a large bedroom (with two roof remote controlled velux windows + shutters), with a walk-in closet and space for an en-suite bathroom to be added (all plumbing and electrical connections exist). Heating can be provided by low-temperature radiators.
