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Buy your own French village

Monday, February 27, 2012 - 01:49

Feb.27 - For those who want to buy their own village complete with buildings, tennis courts and a swimming pool - bids to buy Courbefy in western France started at just 300,000 euros, the price of a small apartment. Joanna Partridge reports

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Looking for somewhere to live with a certain je-ne-sais-quoi? How about your very own French village with 19 buildings, tennis courts, a swimming pool - and no residents. Courbefy in western France is up for sale. And the auction price started at just 300,000 euros, the cost of a small apartment. Bernard Guilhem is the local mayor. SOUNDBITE: Bernard Guilhem, Mayor of locality of Corbefy, saying (French): "We want the village to come back to life so that Corbefy is inhabited once again." It's not the first time Corbefy has been sold. The village has been bought three times since the 70's But all attempts to redevelop it have failed, including one to create a holiday village. It's now been unoccupied for over a decade and locals are hoping it's history won't put bidders off. SOUNDBITE: William, Local resident, saying (English): "It would be a wonderful thing if somebody with the funds and the skills to commercialise could make it into a commercial proposition as a hotel, a restaurant, even a holiday camp could be good, it would be great to see it working again." The local mayor says there have been bids from as far afield as the United Arab Emirates, as well as local interest. SOUNDBITE: Christian, Potential buyer, saying (French): "I use the internet a lot for my work and when I saw the sale advertised I called immediately and two days later we came to visit." Bidding for the village has now closed - and it's up to a local court to chose the winning bid by June. If a suitable buyer doesn't surface, Courbefy will end up in the hands of French bank Credit Agricole. Joanna Partridge, Reuters

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Buy your own French village

Monday, February 27, 2012 - 01:49