Case Study · Still in the Running
Perrusse: A Barn, a House and a New Roof on Sound Eastern Ground
Most of our finds are in the cheap west. This one's in the east — and it comes with the two things that matter most already sorted: a roof redone five years ago, and ground that passes every check. A house, a barn and an attic to convert for about eighteen grand, on the sound Langres limestone. The sting is in the fees. Here's the full workup.
Perrusse, Haute-Marne (52) · the Langres plateau, Grand Est · ≈ 400 km / 4½ hrs from Calais — and far closer from the east · ≈ 280 km / 4.1 hrs from Bern
It breaks the pattern in two good ways: it's in the east, not the cheap west, and the Géorisques checks come back genuinely clean. On a project where the ground and the roof are the two things you can't cheaply fix, having both already sorted is worth a lot — so it earns the full workup.
📸 See the photos: view the full Perrusse listing on Properstar → (opens in a new tab)
The free routine that confirmed this one's ground before a single mile.
Run the checklist →🔑 Haggling a Long-Empty WreckA 40% buyer's fee is exactly the kind of number to lean on — how to make a low offer stick.
Read the guide →⛰️ The near-Switzerland beltPerrusse sits just north of our Haute-Saône belt — the practical eastern spot.
Read the guide →The listing, in full
The agent (ERA) offers an authentic building to renovate completely, made up of: a 50 m² barn, an old habitable part of 51 m² with a kitchen and a bedroom, and a convertible attic. The roof was redone about five years ago and is in excellent condition. Outside there's an adjoining plot for a garden and a parking area opposite for up to three vehicles. Priced around €21,000 (≈ £17,900) — with 40% agency fees, including VAT, paid by the buyer.
- Price≈ €21,000 (≈ £17,900) — fees INCLUDED: the 40% buyer's agency fee is already inside this price, not added on top
- Rates (taxe foncière)Not stated — confirm with the agent
- LocationPerrusse (52240), Haute-Marne — the Langres plateau, Grand Est (eastern France)
- Drive from Calais≈ 400 km / ~4½ hrs — and much closer from the Swiss/eastern side
- Drive from Bern≈ 280 km / 4.1 hrs
- House51 m² habitable (kitchen + bedroom), built 1948, + a convertible attic
- Barn50 m² barn — as much floor as the house again
- RoofRedone ~5 years ago, excellent condition — the biggest cost, done
- Land716 m² adjoining plot + parking for 3 opposite
- Build / materials1948 "character" build — material not stated (limestone country, likely stone, but 1948 could be post-war block; confirm)
- Water / electricity / drainageNot stated — confirm all three
- Energy rating (DPE)No data
- Detached?Reads detached — confirm
- AgentERA Chaumont / ERA Notana
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The good worth having
The roof is already done
The single most expensive, most weather-critical job on a wreck — and here it was redone about five years ago and is in excellent condition. That takes the biggest number, and the biggest risk, straight off the table. Very few at this price can say it.
Sound ground — the checks come back clean
On the Langres limestone it reads exactly how you want: clay low/unmapped, no drought-subsidence declarations, radon low, and no flood or mining flag. This is the opposite of the clay-troubled western pins — the ground here is a genuine tick, not a plan-around.
A barn, an attic, and it's in the east
A 50 m² barn and a convertible attic double the potential of a small house, and the eastern location makes it far quicker to reach from the Swiss/German side than anything in the Creuse — a real edge if you're coming from that direction.
The bad weigh it up
A 40% buyer's fee
The headline sting: 40% agency fees, paid by the buyer. The ~£17,900 is what you actually hand over, but a big slice of it is the agency's cut rather than the property's value — which hurts on resale and means the vendor's net is low. Treat it as a strong reason to negotiate hard, and fold it into the real costs before you commit.
Small habitable, and the unknowns
Only 51 m² is habitable (the space grows via the barn and attic), there's no DPE, and the listing doesn't confirm water, electricity, drainage or the build material — an 1948 build could be stone or post-war block. All confirmable, but confirm them.
The ground check
The routine that killed Thollet — Géorisques, run on the commune (INSEE 52385).
⚠️ These ground figures (flood, subsidence, radon) are official records for the commune — real, but commune-wide, not proof for this exact plot. Check it yourself: official Géorisques risk report (ERRIAL) → — enter the property address.
About as clean as it gets
Clay comes back low/unmapped, there are no drought-subsidence declarations at all (just one old storm-flood and one ground-movement event), and radon is the lowest band. No flood zone, no mining, low seismic. On the sound limestone of the Langres plateau, this is the kind of ground that lets your renovation budget go on finishing, not on drainage and underpinning.
DIY-er vs needs-a-builder the honest split
With the roof and the ground already sorted, this is one of the friendlier DIY jobs on the board.
If you're hands-on — what you can do yourself
Roof done and ground sound means the work is mostly inside: insulation and boarding, floors, a bathroom, a kitchen, decorating, converting the attic and fitting out the barn, and a wood burner (with a certified sweep). A competent DIYer with a van and time can carry the bulk at materials cost.
Where you'll need a pro (or a builder)
• The electrics — a Consuel-signed rewire to keep it insurable.
• Drainage — if off-mains, a SPANC-approved septic.
• A survey — confirm the build material and that the (already-redone) roof and structure are as sound as they look.
Any energy work you contract out may qualify for renovation aid.
What you'll need to clear it the van
A T5-style van does it
Because the roof's already done, this is a fit-out clear-out rather than a full gut — old fittings and the barn's contents. A medium T5-style van handles it in a few runs; only a serious strip-out would want a trailer.
Getting rid of the rubble — the local tip read this first
Nearest déchèterie: a short drive (Andelot / Chaumont side)
Perrusse is a tiny commune; the nearest déchèterie is a short drive out, run by the local Haute-Marne intercommunalité. Rural, so a drive — but a manageable one.
But — residents only, like the UK
A French déchèterie serves the local community's residents: you need a justificatif de domicile (a local bill in your name), often plus a badge or registration. A UK- or Swiss-plated van with no French address won't get in, exactly as at a British tip. Until you've completed and have a local address, budget a private skip (benne) for the first clear-out.
The score
Carried by the sound ground and the done roof, held back mainly by the punishing 40% fee and a small habitable footprint. It lands in the upper third of the rankings — one of the soundest-ground finds on the board, and the most reachable from the east — held off the top only because the services are all still to create.
The verdict
Still watching — a genuine contender, especially from the east. A house, a 50 m² barn and a convertible attic, with the roof already done and the ground checking out clean, for about £17,900 — that's a rare combination this cheap. The two things to weigh are the 40% buyer's fee (negotiate, and price it into resale) and the small habitable footprint (the barn and attic are the plan). Next step is the exact address, confirmation of the build material and services, and a low offer built around that fee.
How we judge every place
Same free routine, every time — it's what confirms sound ground and a done roof are real before you drive out.
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