Doyet, Auvergne 03170

A family property since 1824, this elegant 17th-century masters house is set in a charming wooded park of 7,329 m² in the heart of the village of Doyet, in the Bourbonnais region. It is said to have been used for tax collection in the 18th century and then as a postal relay with horses in the 19th. The house comprises a long rectangular main block with 7 bays and two floors plus an attic level. A pale sandstone plinth and cornices emphasize the three levels. Corner joint stones in ashlar create a column. The door and its pale sandstone frame are typical of the 17th century. Long, older outbuildings border the courtyard. South-facing, it offers about 391 m² of living space. On the ground floor: a 7.57 m² entry hall with stone slab floor; a south-facing salon of 30.36 m² with English parquet flooring, a gray marble fireplace topped by a trumeau with pilasters, and a ceiling height of 3.60 meters; a south-facing dining room of 30.47 m² with English parquet flooring and a 19th-century black marble fireplace; a south-facing office of 11.75 m²; a south-facing boudoir of 9.91 m²; a 3.19 m² bathroom with sink, shower and WC; Bedroom No. 1 of 23.66 m² with a gray marble fireplace from the 18th century topped by a trumeau with pilasters and insert; Bedroom No. 2 of 12.99 m²; Bedroom No. 3 of 21.25 m²; a 6.07 m² bathroom with sink, shower and WC; a 13.24 m² kitchen; a 6.46 m² boiler room; a north entrance of 5.72 m²; and a veranda of 13.28 m² not included in living area. Access to the upper floors is via a remarkable 17th-century double wooden staircase with carved balustrades. On the first floor, a 13.31 m² landing serves seven bedrooms, an office, a bathroom, two bathrooms and three former kitchens. On the second floor: a large, single-span attic of about 232 m² with poplar framing, lit by 5 dormer windows and a roof lantern; south, east, and west roof planes have been re-tiled, while the north plane uses mechanical tiles. An interior vaulted 44 m² cellar is accessible. Central gas heating with Frisquet boiler on the ground floor and oil-fired forced-air heating with an old Bini boiler on the first floor. All windows are PVC with double glazing. The house is connected to fiber; there is a water and electricity meter per floor. It is also connected to the collective drainage system, but to be compliant the wastewater from the kitchen and a sink on the first floor must be connected to the other house wastewater. The structural work is in perfect condition but the interior needs refreshing. Beautiful outbuildings complete the property: a 135 m² barn to the north; a long building comprising five garages, a wood store and a workshop to the west. In the garden, two wells and a small pond, numerous flower beds and shrubs, and centuries-old trees. The property is located in Doyet, a village with shops including a restaurant, pharmacy, bakery, tobacconist, post office, doctor and veterinarian. Montluçon is 17 km away and the A71 motorway is only 13 km away.