The French Estate Agent

 

BUYING A HOUSE IN FRANCE - Where to buy in Dordogne

If you asked most international buyers to picture their ideal corner of rural France, there is a fair chance they would end up imagining something remarkably close to the Dordogne.

Old stone houses, medieval villages, rivers winding beneath châteaux, bustling market towns, long lunches on restaurant terraces and enough countryside to disappear into without necessarily feeling cut off from civilisation.

It is hardly surprising that Dordogne has been attracting British, Dutch, Belgian and German buyers for decades, with increasing interest from Americans as well.

But Dordogne is a large department, and deciding that you want to buy a house in Dordogne is only the beginning.

Where in Dordogne should you actually buy?

That was the question I looked at in my video, “BUYING A HOUSE IN FRANCE - Where to buy in Dordogne”, filmed while walking around Terrasson-la-Villedieu.

Dordogne or Périgord?

First, a little geography.

Dordogne is the modern French department, while Périgord is the name of the historic province that covered roughly the same area. You will still hear Périgord used constantly today, particularly when talking about tourism, food and the different parts of the department.

Dordogne is one of France's largest departments and remains relatively rural, but one of the things I like about it is that it doesn't necessarily feel isolated.

You can be surrounded by countryside and still have a decent market town, supermarket, restaurant or café within sensible driving distance.

Périgueux is the departmental capital, while Sarlat-la-Canéda is probably better described as its tourist capital. Bergerac, Brantôme and Terrasson-la-Villedieu are among the other towns that regularly attract international buyers.

And then there are hundreds of villages and hamlets in between.

The four colours of Périgord

One of the easiest ways of understanding Dordogne is through its four traditional areas: Périgord Noir, Périgord Vert, Périgord Blanc and Périgord Pourpre.

They are not simply colourful names dreamed up for tourists. Each has a noticeably different character, landscape and property market.

Périgord Noir - Black Périgord

This is the Dordogne that probably comes closest to the picture many overseas buyers already have in their heads.

Centred around Sarlat and the Vézère and Dordogne valleys, Périgord Noir is packed with medieval villages, limestone houses, caves, cliffs and châteaux.

During the Hundred Years' War, this area was effectively a frontier between English and French territories. The legacy is still visible today in the extraordinary concentration of castles throughout the area.

It is also the most touristy part of Dordogne.

And inevitably, popularity affects property prices.

The Sarlat area is generally one of the more expensive parts of the department, with some of the surrounding villages actually commanding higher prices than Sarlat itself.

If you want the classic Dordogne dream and have the budget for it, Périgord Noir is an obvious place to start.

Périgord Vert - Green Périgord

Head north and the landscape changes.

Périgord Vert gets its name from its greener countryside, woodland and fields. It is generally quieter, more rural and noticeably less tourist-driven than the area around Sarlat.

It is also normally one of the cheaper parts of Dordogne in which to buy.

For someone whose priority is getting more property and land for their money, rather than being close to the major tourist destinations, the north of Dordogne can offer considerably better value.

The trade-off is fairly obvious: you are moving further away from some of the department's most famous attractions and, depending on exactly where you buy, transport connections can become less convenient.

Périgord Blanc - White Périgord

Périgord Blanc is centred largely around Périgueux and takes its name from the pale limestone found in the area.

From a property point of view, it can offer an interesting compromise.

Périgueux itself is not necessarily as expensive as people expect for the capital of such a popular department, and being reasonably central makes this part of Dordogne practical for people who intend to live here permanently rather than simply use a property for holidays.

You have countryside, services and access to a substantial town without automatically paying Sarlat-area prices.

Périgord Pourpre - Purple Périgord

To the southwest is Périgord Pourpre, centred around Bergerac.

The purple refers to the vineyards, and this is very much Dordogne's wine country.

Bergerac gives this part of the department another advantage: its airport.

For British second-home owners in particular, proximity to Bergerac Airport has traditionally been an important consideration. The surrounding countryside also offers plenty of attractive stone houses and villages without necessarily reaching the prices found around the most fashionable parts of Périgord Noir.

What sort of houses can you buy in Dordogne?

Architecture changes as you travel around the department.

In the areas most associated with traditional Dordogne, you will find the golden limestone houses that have become almost synonymous with the region, along with maisons périgourdines, medieval town houses and occasional half-timbered buildings.

Slate roofs are quite common on older properties in towns, while clay tiles are more typical in the countryside.

Further north and northeast, the architectural style begins to change, while newer properties throughout Dordogne often include single-storey pavilion or bungalow-style houses.

So don't assume that buying in Dordogne automatically means buying a honey-coloured stone farmhouse with a tower attached.

Although, admittedly, there are plenty of those too.

History is everywhere

Dordogne isn't simply attractive countryside.

The Vézère Valley is one of Europe's great prehistoric areas, with Lascaux at Montignac being the most famous example.

There are caves, rock shelters and prehistoric sites scattered throughout the region.

Above ground, the landscape is littered with medieval and Renaissance châteaux. In some parts of the Dordogne and Vézère valleys, you seem barely to get around one corner before another castle appears.

There are also numerous villages classified among Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, helping explain why certain parts of the department attract such large numbers of visitors.

For people who enjoy walking, cycling, canoeing and simply exploring, there is an enormous amount packed into a relatively small area.

Getting to Dordogne

This is another reason Dordogne works particularly well for international buyers.

Bergerac has its own airport, with a strong selection of UK connections.

Depending on where you buy, Brive, Limoges, Bordeaux and Toulouse airports can also be realistic alternatives.

The A89 crosses the department towards Bordeaux and Brive, while rail connections link various towns into the wider French network.

Transport is something I would consider carefully when choosing where to buy.

A beautiful house at a bargain price can become rather less appealing if every trip back to the UK involves a two-hour drive before you have even reached the airport.

What does property cost in Dordogne?

When I made the video, the average figure I was working with was approximately €1,861 per square metre.

But averages in an area like Dordogne need to be treated with considerable caution.

Prices can vary enormously according to location, condition, land, views, architectural character and proximity to tourist destinations.

A renovated stone property close to Sarlat is an entirely different market from a house requiring work in the north of the department.

The four Périgords actually provide a reasonable shorthand for the price differences.

Périgord Vert: generally amongst the cheapest.

Périgord Blanc: relatively moderate, including around Périgueux.

Périgord Pourpre: generally moderate, although sought-after locations naturally command more.

Périgord Noir: normally the most expensive, particularly around Sarlat and the most attractive tourist villages.

This is why I wouldn't recommend choosing an area purely from an average price-per-square-metre figure.

In rural France, averages can hide an enormous amount.

So where would I buy in Dordogne?

This is where I'll stick my neck out.

If I were looking for a house in Dordogne, I would concentrate on the area north of Sarlat-la-Canéda and south of Hautefort, towards the upper end of Périgord Noir.

Why?

Because for me it offers a particularly good balance.

You still have the architecture, countryside and history people associate with Dordogne. You're close to some beautiful market towns and villages, but you are not necessarily paying the premium attached to being right in the heart of the Sarlat tourist area.

You also have reasonable access towards Brive, the A89 and larger towns.

Terrasson-la-Villedieu is a good example.

It has a population of only a few thousand people but still offers supermarkets, bars, restaurants, shops and a railway station. The Vézère runs through the town, the old centre climbs above the river, and Montignac and Lascaux are nearby.

Would I personally live right in the middle of Terrasson?

Probably not.

I'd rather be in the countryside just outside it, where I could have some land, peace and views while still being able to get into town quickly.

In fact, that isn't entirely hypothetical. I know the area rather well.

Is Dordogne the right place for you?

Dordogne isn't the cheapest part of rural France and it isn't necessarily the right choice for everybody.

But it offers something that relatively few departments manage quite so successfully: rural living without automatically feeling cut off.

You can have countryside, sunshine, historic towns, restaurants, markets and outdoor life while remaining within reach of airports, motorways and larger towns.

If your idea of moving to France involves a stone house, a bit of land, decent weather, eating outside and having enough going on around you that you don't feel as though you've moved to the end of the earth, Dordogne deserves a serious look.

The more important question isn't really whether to buy in Dordogne.

It's which Dordogne suits you best?

And that can make a very substantial difference both to the lifestyle you'll have and the price you'll pay.

If you're considering buying a property in Dordogne, or elsewhere in France, feel free to get in touch.

I'm Dan Newton, The French Estate Agent.