1 bedroom apartment to renovate in Villefranche – Le Clos Charmerade

Description

A bright, pleasant, one bedroom apartment of 31,42m2, in the secure residence Le Clos Charmerade situated in a quiet road with no through traffic, with views across Villefranche to the Fort de Mont Alban. Requires renovation.

The pretty fishing village of Villefranche sur Mer is considered to be one of the most beautiful places on the French Riviera, with its famous bay (La Rade), 16th century old town by the water’s edge and its long, sandy beach. Located between Nice and Monaco, Villefranche has a calmer, slower-paced feel than the summer party towns of the Riviera such as St Tropez and Monaco, with a vibrant, living community throughout the year. The town of Villefranche is built over three levels; the centre of the village is situated between the lower Basse Corniche and the Mediterranean sea, the Col de Villefranche, situated up on the Moyenne Corniche with its views down across the bay, and the community of St Michel, sitting high up, just off the Grand Corniche, the oldest road that connects Monaco to Nice.

This pretty, well-lit apartment faces south, and each of the two main rooms benefit from large windows across the full width, allowing the light into the apartment all day. In the evening the sun sets behind the Fort of Mont Alban, filling the room with a dusky glow. The main living space consists of a 16m2 room with a kitchen area, and space for dining and relaxing. The room is small enough to be cosy, but big enough to provide an ample kitchen area for food preparation and storage, a decent sized dining table, and sofa seating.

An adjoining door takes you through to the good sized (11m2), well-lit double bedroom, with its en-suite bathroom. The bedroom has views across the courtyard, and is filled with light throughout the day. There is space for ample wardrobe space, and the usual bedroom furniture, without feeling crowded or claustrophobic, due to the good ceiling height and large windows.

The en-suite bathroom is of unusually good size, which allows space for a washing machine and drying facilities.

Although the apartment does need some renovation/refreshment, the overall condition is good. There is currently no air conditioning, but it should not be difficult to install.

The secure, gated entrance from the street leads to a pretty courtyard, planted with Mediterranean plants, and with views of the bay as you approach the main entrance to the residence. The location of the residence Le Clos Charmerade is above the town, away from the noise of the traffic, in a no-through road of prestigious properties, and in the evening the quiet hum of life in the town below is accompanied by the sound of bird song.

This apartment is considered ideal for first time buyers, or as a ‘lock and leave’ holiday apartment, or for staff quarters, being accessible price-wise and in terms of opportunity for investment.

Villefranche is perfectly situated less than 15 minutes from the centre of Nice, with Nice airport around a 30 minute drive, with direct flights to all major international airports. The journey to Monaco takes less than 30 minutes, and both Nice and Monaco can easily be reached by bus, with regular services running all day and plenty of bus stops nearby. There is a train station in Villefranche, with trains to Monaco/Italy in one direction, and Nice-Cannes and onwards in the other. The Italian border is reachable in less than 45 minutes.

Villefranche itself has many restaurants, close to the apartment, in the main village, as well as a host of excellent eateries at the water’s edge – both around 15 minutes by foot. There are fabulous walks in the area, either high up on the top of the hill or down at the water’s edge, and for those who like nothing better than a day at the beach, Villefranche has two – the sandy Plage des Marnieres with its beautiful swimming and charming beach cafes, and the pebbled – but less busy – Plage de la Darse, with its view across the water to Cap Ferrat.