Property For Sale in the Dordogne, France

The regional tourist office divides the department into four areas, each designated by a colour:

The Green Périgord (Périgord Vert) in the north
The Black Périgord (Périgord Noir) in the southeast
The Purple Périgord (Périgord Pourpre) in the southwest
The White Périgord (Périgord Blanc), a band across the centre of the Dordogne, flowing across Périgueux.

Of these names, the oldest are the Périgord Noir and the Périgord Blanc. The first, describing the area round Sarlat, arises because of the dense woodland, which gives a dark impression to the landscape. The second is due to the abundant chalk in the soil, so that when fields are ploughed there is as much whiteness as brown earth.

Generally, the Dordogne enjoys a varied and temperate climate. If you come from the south of England you will find that the summers are hotter than in the UK, but that the winters may be colder.

The Dordogne is renowned for its cuisine, and is also home to the wines of Bergerac, which include the dessert wines of Monbazillac and its neighbour Saussignac. Traditional food of the region includes: foie gras, confit de canard, truffles, veal, goose, hare and oysters.

Property for Sale in the Dordogne, France

Dordogne has always been popular with house-hunters and tourists alike and property prices in the Dordogne can vary depending on which area you choose to buy in. The flights into Bergerac have reinforced the many attractions of this area and kept house prices high. Cheap property for sale in the Dordogne is rare but is still possible to find if you do enough research. However, do expect the property to be in need of some renovation work. On average though, a tumbledown barn can still be acquired for under €100,000. If you want a Maison de maitre it will set you back about €300,000 and will usually need work doing to it. You would be looking at a minimum of €500,000 for a château in addition to the high renovation costs.

It is worth checking out the current list of properties advertised on the website that are located in the Dordogne for examples of typical Perigourdian style properties.

A large proportion of property in the Dordogne can be seen being sold to buyers from the UK. The website advertises several attractive properties for sale in the Dordogne and this list is constantly changing.