Maisons de maitre for sale in the Dordogne

Perhaps second only to a chateau in terms of a prestigious French address is a Maison de Maître (Master’s House). The Dordogne is the department with the highest concentration of these elegant 18th and 19th century properties - where wealthy landowners once collected rents from their tenant farmers. A typical Maison de Maître has a pleasingly symmetrical façade of tall (traditionally sash), shuttered windows positioned around a central front door. Inside, the tall windows and ceilings make for light and airy reception rooms radiating out from an imposing central hallway. The interiors – less austere than those of chateaux – require less work to ‘soften’ them for modern tastes. They typically require less renovation work and have lower running costs than a chateau so some lenders look more favourably on them for mortgages. Sometimes very little separates a Maison de Maître from a Chateau so make sure you don’t miss out on the perfect property by visiting Chateaux for sale in the Dordogne