Help! We Bought a Village: 11 Hamlets for sale in France

Feeling inspired by the intrepid Brits restoring empty and unloved settlements across Europe, breathing life into ruins and hamlets left to deteriorate in the depths of the countryside? Fear not, you won’t be the only one, as Channel 4’s Help! We bought a village has inspired many to dream of renovating a property that offers business potential and lots of space.

Whether you’re looking for something cheap that you’d like to put your own stamp on, or something a bit more finished and ready to set up as a gite business, France offers a variety of properties to suit. We’ve put together some of our favourites, ranging in budget, location and state of repair – from a €29,500 set of houses in Nouvelle-Aquitaine to a €1,790,000 hamlet in Vaucluse.

Our final pick is ready to be moved into, it’s an authentic Luberon hamlet with stunning Provencal views, a dream property big enough to accommodate all your friends and family – could that be your goal with some of the bargain project properties we’ve included?

So here is our selection of the best hamlets and property complexes currently on the market in France:

A great and flexible opportunity to purchase two adjacent houses only 50 minutes from Limoges and its airport. One house has 3-4 bedrooms while the other has 2-3, one of which has separate access. There’s a barn and a storage hangar plus a stone building in the field. A hectare (10,000m2) of land is included but more land can be negotiated with the vendor. The property is 11km from the popular town of Bellac which offers all amenities.

On the market for €189,000

This is a lovely offering with two houses but scope for so much more – the beautiful main house offers three double bedrooms, and on the other side of a fantastic stone barn are two further cottages which both need renovating. On the other side of a grassed courtyard is a larger 2-3 bedroom house, in need of some work and modernisation. The property is in a private position at the end of a lane 50km from Bordeaux, and it enjoys impressive 360 views.

On the market for €440,960

Situated in a small hamlet close to the village of Droux is this collection of buildings including a house with a new roof that could be made habitable very quickly and two other houses and a barn for complete renovation.

On the market for €29,500

Situated in a small hamlet along with two other houses, this property is at the end of a lane which leads to fields, so is very private with no passing traffic. The main house has three double bedrooms, and there is an attached cottage needing full renovation, another separate cottage, large barn and numerous outbuildings. It is located 40km from Poitiers with its TGV train station and airport.

On the market for €141,700

A great ensemble of properties on a no through lane 29km from Angoulême in Charente, consisting of a fabulous four-bed Maison de Maitre style property with its own heated pool, a ‘longere’ style two-bedroom property with huge attic, and a superb three-bedroom ‘gite’, again with it’s own pool. There are also various outbuildings and more than three hectares of land including paddocks and some forest.

On the market for €614,800

Great potential for this set of two houses, located on a main road in a village with all amenities. Situated at 13 km from Pontaumur and 55 km from Clermont-Ferrand with its international airport and train station, and only 53 km from the Mont Dore ski slope. The properties enjoy pretty views and there are two additional outbuildings. One of the houses is habitable but the other requires complete renovation.

On the market for €79,750

This property of three houses on over two hectares would make a great gite business as it is well situated near the Vézère river and various Dordogne tourist sites. The main house is heated via geothermal energy, and the two gites are well-renovated. Outside there is a two-acre lake that has an island on which there are tennis courts, while elsewhere there is a vegetable garden, swimming pool and a bowling green.

On the market for €590,000

Ideally situated close to the Rance River, just a short distance from Saint Malo, is this large stone property, currently divided into a house, an apartment, an outbuilding and a garage. There is plenty of scope for extension here, with a full sized attic and the stone workshop ripe for conversion.

On the market for €237,938

Situated in a small village 30km from Limoges, a row of four properties a short walk from the village bar & restaurant. The main property is a three-bed house that needs some updating but is perfectly habitable and could be an ideal base whilst renovating the other three properties. In the garden there are fruit trees, and a variety of outbuildings.

On the market for €99,000

The property consists of three houses, all of which are connected to mains drainage. The main house (the old town bar) has been completely renovated and is ready to move into, the second is partly renovated, and the third is a blank slate waiting to be developed to your own taste. The property is located 10 minutes from Chef Boutonne in Deux-Sèvres.

On the market for €149,330

Located in the heart of the Luberon countryside, this traditional hamlet is composed of two main houses, with additional outbuildings and barns expanding out from the centre of a courtyard which is adorned with a stone fountain and a pergola, and planted with a mulberry tree, roses, and lavender plants. The striking Provencal manor house offers unobstructed views to the south, and along with the other gites is set on 7.8 acres that is surrounded by vineyards and fruit tree orchards. There’s also a huge heated swimming pool enjoying truly breath-taking views while ensuring complete privacy.

On the market for €1,790,000