La Dime- Country House And Pool. - Aquitaine

La Dime- Country House And Pool. - Aquitaine

A large modern traditional Perigordian country house in a quiet location just outside the charming medieval bastide of Lalinde on the River Dorodgne.

Introduction.
There are many beautiful-looking old stone-built houses in France, but we have found most of them are either isolated in the middle of nowhere or have outdated facilities (dirty bathrooms, old-fashioned kitchens, dubious drainage, etc). You pay a lot of money, and end up wondering why you are missing the basics you enjoy at home. So rather than buying a romantic old wreck, we chose La Dime as it is in a quiet area yet very close to a town with good shops, and because it was completely renovated (more like rebuilt) four years ago by the previous fastidious owner so all facilities (kitchens, bathrooms, pool) are effectively almost new. We have furnished the place with modern furniture, mostly new in 2007.

Accommodation
Interior.
Total living area of 325 sqm (3,500 sq ft). House has two floors, tower has three.

Ground floor
Hall, L-shaped living/dining room of 47 sqm (500 sq ft), fitted kitchen with dishwasher, induction hob, oven, two coffee makers, larder with second fridge and freezer, locked office, one en-suite (shower) double bedroom, 3 more double bedrooms (1 with French doors onto own covered terrace), 2 more bathrooms (bath and shower), 3 WC’s, room with 2 two metre wide full-length wardrobes, utility room with water softener, washing machine and dryer. Locked workshop. All four bedrooms are on the cool side of the house.

First floor
Large Games Room with a pool table, exercise machine and two sofas, 2 single bedrooms, one bathroom (shower), one WC. One room in the tower which has a 140cm bed. Locked attic rooms at each end.

Second floor
Room in the tower with a single bed

Summary
1 ensuite double bedroom
3 more double bedrooms
2 single bedrooms
2 usable bedrooms in the tower, one double, one single

Exterior
Electric gates to a tarmac driveway with parking space for several vehicles. Plot size of 3,250 sqm (three quarters of an acre) mainly lawn with trees and flower borders. House oriented so pool-facing side of house faces south west. Hence garden in sun almost all day. The garden is entirely fenced so, with the electric gates shut, it is completely secure. The garden has an automatic watering system, so is always fresh and green.

12m by 6m unheated pool with electric solar cover and electrolytic cleaning system. Wooden shed for pool machinery.

General Features
The garden is totally enclosed and entry is through remote-controlled electric gates. The road is very quiet, with minimal traffic.
There is parking space for at least four cars on the tarmac driveway.
The garden extends to 3250 sqm (3/4 of an acre) and the internal area of the house is 325 sqm, (approx 3500 sq ft), so there is room for up to 12 people to live together without feeling on top of each other.
Four double bedrooms on the ground floor which stay cool in the warmest weather.
The pool is 12m by 6m with a deep end of about 1.8m and is kept clean by an electrolytic process, so good quality water.
The garden and pool are maintained professionally – an automatic watering system ensures the grass still looks good in very hot weather.
The area has very hard water and the house benefits from a water softener, for luxurious showers and baths – no scum.
The modern kitchen has an induction hob, dishwasher and a large fridge, an espresso machine and a filter coffee maker. In the adjacent larder is a large freezer (for ice creams) and a second fridge, ideal for wine
French and UK TV, wireless internet and an internet radio allow you to keep up-to-date with the world, if you want to.
The Utility Room has a washing machine and dryer.
You will be met by the Managing Agent, who will hand over the keys, explain the house and the surrounding area. The company is based in the same village, so help and advice are always available. They can provide a range of additional services, at your cost, including a chef service, maid service, massage, even French lessons.
All bed linen, towels, hand and bath towels, pool towels are provided and changed at weekly intervals. The duvet on every bed is made up of two duvets of different weights, so there are three different weights available to suit individual taste. Additionally, each bed has a top sheet.
The house will be cleaned at weekly intervals.

Extras
TV with full range of French, UK and German channels from the Astra, Hotbird and Atlantic Bird 3 satellites
Radio/CD player
Wireless broadband system
Internet radio receives 5000 stations including many UK local radio stations
Espresso machine in kitchen
Hall has a piano
First floor games with a pool table and exercise machine
Barbeque, eight sun loungers, outside seating for 12

Suitability
For Adult Groups
Four double bedrooms and three bathrooms on the ground floor, so eight people can live entirely on the ground floor.
Although near a town, the house is on the edge of a residential area and very quiet and peaceful
A reasonable selection of paperbacks is on the shelves in the Games room.

For people with minor disabilities.
Whilst the house is not specifically equipped for disabled people, the entire ground floor (kitchen, living/dining room, four bedrooms, three bathrooms, entrance hall) is all on exactly the same level without any steps.
The garden and front door entrance are on the same level as the internal floors, but there is a small step over the door thresholds.
All rooms have direct access to outside, through French doors.

For families with Teenagers.
The Games Room upstairs has two sofas, a table with four chairs, a pool table and in the next room an exercise machine.
The town of Lalinde is 10 minutes walk away, so teenagers will not feel “stuck out in the countryside with just their parents for company”.
The living room has a wall-mounted flat panel TV with a DVD player and many UK channels, and can take a cable from a PlayStation or other games console in its side. There is a games shop in Lalinde, with cheaper prices than the UK.

For families with small children and babies.
The garden is entirely secure as it is fenced all round (even behind the hedging) and the main gate is electrically operated by a remote control.
You can make a reasonable amount of noise, as tends to happen with kids and a pool, without offending anyone
The pool is in an open area without shrubs, close to the terrace and visible from the kitchen window, so it is easy to keep and eye on the pool.
The pool is kept clean by an electrolytic system, so no chlorine smells, no itchy eyes and no risk of coming into contact with nasty chemicals.
There are four bedrooms (three singles and one double), all upstairs and in the tower, so it is possible to sleep many children upstairs. The tower appeals particularly to children, although the top floor of the tower has open stairs and is not suited to very young children.
There are two travelling cots available on request. Each of the downstairs bedrooms can easily take a cot, as could the Games Room and at least one of the first floor bedrooms.

For Winter Use.
The house benefits from full gas-fired central heating in all rooms.
The house is exceptionally well-insulated, draught-free and with full double glazing.
The drive is very short, so access to the road is unlikely to be a problem if it snows.