Italian Real Estate - Piedmont Property

Renovated Farmhouse in Beautiful Hillside Location with Magnificent Views

Near Nizza Monferrato

The Situation : This 250-year-old farmhouse is situated near an old hilltop village: set in a beautiful and very sunny hillside position, it enjoys magnificent views extending to the French alps over 96 km (60 miles) away. The property measures approximately 5,000 sq m (1.25 acres). It is just a short drive away from Nizza Monferrato, a well-known centre of the wine trade with good day-to-day shopping facilities, excellent restaurants and wine bars, banks, a hospital, cinemas and an excellent school for children aged 3 to 18. The colourful weekly Friday market at the main square, the Piazza Garibaldi, and the antique market held there once a month (on a Sunday) are both very popular. In the direction of Alessandria the motorway/freeway/autostrada can be reached by car in 20 minutes. The international airports of Milan, Turin and Genoa are within an hour's drive away.

The House: The rectangular, two-storey brick farmhouse dates back to the second half of the 18th century and has a floor area of about 200 sq m (2,000 sq ft). It is built in the typical style of South Piedmontese farmhouses, the so-called cascinas, in which the living and working areas are under one roof. The condition of the building is very good: the current owner has undertaken some renovation and made the house fully habitable. Some of the floors are original cotto, and the rooms feature attractive vaulted ceilings which can easily be sand-blasted to bring them back to their original beauty. The owner has installed an ISDN line, and included in the sale are the kitchen appliances such as dishwasher, cooker, fridge/freezer and washing machine, plus all the garden furniture and tools.

Accommodation

Ground floor: Entrance door opens into a small hall, with a door to the left leading to a spacious kitchen (3.7 m x 4.8 m) with an open fireplace and vaulted ceiling. A door leads from the kitchen to a further room (3.4 x 5.0 m) that is currently used as living room. To the right of the entrance is another room (4.2 m x 3.2 m) and a bathroom. Next to this room is the former stable, currently used as garage (4.0 m x 5.4 m) and accessed from the outside.

First Floor: Stairs lead from the small hall onto a small first-floor landing. A door leads to bedroom 1 (3.8 m x 5.0 m) which has an open fireplace and a balcony overlooking the courtyard and enjoying far-reaching views. A door leads from bedroom 1 to bedroom 2 (3.5 m x 5.0 m), which is also south-facing and has beautiful views. The rooms are spacious enough to create a corridor to access the rooms independently. To the left of the upstairs landing is the former hayloft that has already been turned into one large room (7.2 m x 5.4 m) with a balcony. This room is spacious enough to accommodate a bathroom and 2 further bedrooms, and offers potential as guest accommodation - for example a self-catering apartment. All rooms enjoy stunning views over the open countryside, and have lots of light.

Outside:The house is approached from a quiet country lane, with gates leading to a sunny, south-facing, grass-covered courtyard. The grounds surrounding the house measure about 2,800 sq m. and include 2 wells and a well stocked orchard featuring cherry, apple, peach, apricot, fig, hazelnut, and grape vines. Not adjacent, but in walking distance from the house, is a second plot of land belonging to the property. It is sloped, measures 2,400 sq m. and was once a vineyard - but is now Mediterranean woodland. The current owner uses the wood as fuel for the wood-burning stoves and fireplaces in the house. The remaining grounds surrounding the house are given over to grass, offering plenty of scope to the enthusiastic gardener, and there is enough space for a swimming pool.

Services: Mains water and well water, gas and mains electricity.

Sporting facilities: There are a number of golf courses in Southern Piedmont. The one nearby, Margara near Felizzano can be reached by car in 25 minutes. South Piedmont is perfect for bike riding: there are numerous small, scenic roads - mostly tarmac-surfaced - connecting hills and villages. Horse riding is also very popular, and there are good riding facilities in the area. The nearest tennis courts can be found in Nizza Monferrato and Canelli. The beaches of the Riviera are one hour's drive away.

Viewing: Strictly by appointment with the sole agents, Piedmont Properties.

Our opinion: A very appealing and spectacularly-located property in good habitable condition, well suited to be either a main residence or a holiday let.

More Pictures are available of this property.

For price information contact us quoting reference P186.