DerelictFrance

The Shortlist · Ranked

Every House, Ranked

Every place we've opened and vetted, scored out of 100 and lined up best to worst. Same yardstick for all — points earned for installed water, drainage and wood heat, an off-grid setup, proper stone, barns and land, then real hazards docked. The league table of the whole search, updated as we go.

A cheap house is only cheap if the total cost stacks up — so rather than a gut feel, every place gets the same 100-point score, and the list below is simply those scores, highest first. Start with the free checklist to see how the judging is done, and the search log for the running story behind it.

🎯 The sweet spot we're chasing: the places closest to Bern, with over 1,100 m² of land in one block, and the fees on the seller. Grignoncourt (No. 1) hits all three — proper stone, a barn, 1,132 m² and 3.3 hrs from home; everything below it is a trade-off against that ideal.

How the scoring works

Out of 100. Points are earned for what's actually installed and usable, then real hazards are deducted — not theoretical ones.

  • Water, power & drainage · up to 36The biggest block, because these cost the most to create: a well 12 / mains water 10 (none 3 — we harvest the roofs), a serviceable septic 12, wood heat 5, and — this being a solar build — no grid tie 7 (grid-connected scores just 1).
  • Buildings & materials · up to 26Proper stone 10 (breeze-block ≈ 0), a good roof already 5, barns / stable / outbuildings 8, and habitable-shaped rather than a bare shell 3.
  • Land · up to 15Under 500 m² = 4 · around 1,000 = 8 · over 1,000 = 12, with more for an exceptional one-block plot. The land-and-barn floor: a place with a tiny plot (under 500 m²) and no real barn is capped at 59 — however cheap or well-serviced, it can't reach the green tier without land or a barn, because that's the whole point of the search.
  • Price & value · up to 20Cheap for what you get, under the €40k cap; a +5 bargain bonus under £11k with the fees on the seller — and fees paid by the buyer are docked (−2 under £15k, up to −5 over £20k) and flagged in red, since they're a real added cost.
  • Location & access · up to 17The drive from Bern and Calais, amenities, quiet and detached — plus a +5 bonus for anywhere under about 4 hours from Bern (currently the five closest), since proximity to home is a real advantage.
  • Ground — sound gains, hazards dockSound ground now earns up to +10 (clay faible, no subsidence, low radon) — it's a plus, not just the absence of a problem. Bad ground docks: clay only bites with a subsidence/damage history (no history = −1/−2), flood only if the exact plot floods, radon high −3, mining or landslide heavy.

Twenty-nine of these have a full write-up (marked ★); the rest are quick-vetted from the listing and the free desk checks — but every score below is now backed by a Géorisques ground check (clay band, subsidence and flood declarations, radon). Nothing here has been stood in yet — this is the armchair league table, which is exactly the point: it's how you decide which two or three are worth the drive.

The table

  1. 1Grignoncourt★84£16,724 · Vosges (88) — A proper STONE house + a LARGE barn + a garage on a flat 1,132 m² plot (over 1,000) in the Vosges/Val de Saône — on sound ground (no subsidence, radon low) with a roof that's mostly sound, fees on the seller and taxe foncière just €200. Full interior renovation, all services to create. And the CLOSEST find to Switzerland on the board: ~230 km / 3.3 hrs from Bern.🚗 Calais 550 km / 5.7 hrs  ·  Bern 230 km / 3.3 hrs
  2. 2La Cellette★81£10,300 · Creuse (23) — Brick-and-stone house + a stone barn, garage and outbuildings on 2,000 m², with water and services already run to the plot, on the soundest ground checked (clay faible, no subsidence). Proper stone, big land and services in — the cheapest sound-ground find.🚗 Calais 610 km / 6.7 hrs  ·  Bern 560 km / 6.4 hrs
  3. 3Bousseraucourt★80£38,594 · Haute-Saône (70) — A neighbour of Grignoncourt in the Val de Saône: an old STONE farmhouse (bathroom + heating already in) + a big 135 m² OUTBUILDING on 1,174 m² (over 1,000), on sound ground (no subsidence, radon low), near amenities and ~230 km / 3.3 hrs from Bern. Scores green even at asking — but FAI €45,000 is OVER the €40k cap, so a haggle target. DPE G; 5 commune flood records to check on the plot.🚗 Calais 560 km / 5.8 hrs  ·  Bern 230 km / 3.3 hrs
  4. 4Tramont-Lassus★79£19,726 · Meurthe-et-Moselle (54) — A 4-bed 1800 house with 200 m² of OUTBUILDINGS on 2,900 m² in Lorraine — with a SEPTIC tank and a WOOD BOILER already in (two of the priciest services done) and double glazing, for £19.7k. One of the closest to Bern (~300 km). The one catch is the ground: clay FORTE (top band) — but with NO subsidence history, radon low, and a house that's stood on it since 1800, so a survey-the-walls job, not a walk-away. Roof to redo; grid electric a mark-down.🚗 Calais 490 km / 5.5 hrs  ·  Bern 300 km / 4.2 hrs
  5. 5Andelot-Blancheville★76£18,011 · Haute-Marne (52) — A strong, well-serviced eastern find: a stone village house + a 30 m² BARN + garage + convertible attic on 1,300 m² (over 1,000) in the Haute-Marne, with the DRAINAGE already on mains sewer (no septic to build), amenities on the doorstep, seller fees, ~5h Calais / 4.5h Bern. Radon low, clay moderate (2 subsidence). Catches: roof + structural work, and 6 flood records on the Rognon to check on the plot.🚗 Calais 440 km / 5.0 hrs  ·  Bern 300 km / 4.5 hrs
  6. 6Frôlois★74£38,586 · Côte-d'Or (21) — A proper Burgundy STONE complex — two joinable dwellings + a barn + outbuildings on sound low-radon ground in the reachable Auxois, with wood heat and real character. But it's ~€45k (OVER the €40k cap) and DPE G, on a small split 855 m² with no real garden. Scored at asking — the whole case rests on a serious knock-down.🚗 Calais 510 km / 5.8 hrs  ·  Bern 300 km / 4.2 hrs
  7. 7Vaudeurs★74£52,305 · Yonne (89) — A full holding in northern Burgundy — farmhouse (wood insert, vaulted cellar) + a 45 m² barn + an old stable + a second outbuilding half-converted into a gîte, on 2,723 m² enclosed, with WATER and a SEPTIC already in. Sound-ish ground (radon low, clay moderate, 1 subsidence) and one of the closest finds to both Calais and Bern. But ~€61k, WELL over the €40k cap — a pure haggle target (grid electric is a mark-down for us). Scored at asking.🚗 Calais 420 km / 4.7 hrs  ·  Bern 450 km / 5.6 hrs
  8. 8Nonville74£19,726 · Vosges (88) — An old STONE house ('vieilles pierres') with NUMEROUS outbuildings — barns, a workshop and an old stable — in the Bern-close Val de Saône corner of the Vosges, £19.7k with fees on the SELLER. The ground is the story: radon LOW, NO subsidence declarations, and clay not even flagged at the plot — genuinely sound ground (it earns the full +10). Add proper stone, a full run of barns and ~240 km / 3.6 hrs from Bern (a Bern-close bonus) and it scores green — ties Frôlois and Vaudeurs at 74 but at a third of the price. Catches: a small 728 m² plot (garden/court only), a full gut renovation, and 3 commune flood records to check on the plot.🚗 Calais 527 km / 5.9 hrs  ·  Bern 240 km / 3.6 hrs
  9. 9Monthureux-sur-Saône★71£30,880 · Vosges (88) — A big TWO-house complex (321 m² main + 58 m² second) + garage on 2,854 m² in the Val de Saône, fees on the seller, under cap, and ~230 km / 3.4 hrs from Bern (a Bern-close bonus). Radon low, but it's a river town — clay moderate + 1 subsidence, and SEVEN flood records: commune-level so no score hit, but the plot flood check is essential before anything.🚗 Calais 560 km / 5.8 hrs  ·  Bern 230 km / 3.4 hrs
  10. 10Arfeuille-Châtain69£15,456 · Creuse (23) — The biggest LAND PLAY on the board — 3.3 ACRES (13,395 m²) in one block with its OWN WATER (two springs and a pond) and a stone mill plus outbuildings, £15.5k with fees on the SELLER. Treat it as land, not a house: the building is a full-rebuild ruin, so you site a new build or cabin on the best, driest part of the acreage and let the springs feed it — off-grid water from day one. Clay moderate, NO subsidence history (radon high). The catch is distance (~6.3 hrs Bern / 7.1 hrs Calais) and a from-scratch rebuild.🚗 Calais 670 km / 7.1 hrs  ·  Bern 550 km / 6.3 hrs
  11. 11La Chapelle-Laurent★69£19,600 · Cantal (15) — A proper south-facing STONE farmhouse + stable + two barns with change-of-use to living space already GRANTED, on ~1,040 m² of sound ground (clay low, no subsidence). Proper stone + real land + off-grid potential — the brief's shape exactly. Catches: a full re-roof and services, radon high, and the remote, cold Cantal.🚗 Calais 790 km / 8.2 hrs  ·  Bern 550 km / 6.2 hrs
  12. 12Bleurville68£14,151 · Vosges (88) — A 52 m² house + an outbuilding + two vaulted cellars, water point and bathroom in, on 432 m² in the Bern-close Val de Saône (3.5 hrs). Radon low, clay moderate, no subsidence — but a small plot, 5 commune flood records, and a 3.13% BUYER fee (−2).🚗 Calais 560 km / 5.8 hrs  ·  Bern 240 km / 3.5 hrs
  13. 13Saint-Sulpice-les-Champs★68£7,299 · Creuse (23) — The cheapest house on the board — 115 m² FREESTONE + attached barn & bread oven, half the roof already redone, sound ground. Proper stone scores hard; held back only by a small plot and high radon.🚗 Calais 700 km / 7.5 hrs  ·  Bern 580 km / 6.7 hrs
  14. 14Manot★67£19,726 · Charente (16) — The services dream: a stone Charente house with a WELL (pump), a COMPLIANT septic and a WOOD STOVE already in — the three costliest utilities done (a 30/36 services score). Clay moderate, no subsidence (radon high). But it's FAR — ~8 hrs from both Calais and Bern — semi-detached, roof leaks, and on the Vienne with 6 flood records to check on the plot.🚗 Calais 720 km / 7.9 hrs  ·  Bern 700 km / 8.2 hrs
  15. 15Gémonville67£20,584 · Meurthe-et-Moselle (54) — A land-and-barns play in the reachable Lorraine east: an 1875 stone FARMHOUSE on 1,575 m² (over 1,100) with — per the listing photos — TWO BARNS and not much house, £20.6k with fees on the SELLER. The barns and the big single-block plot are the value; the living space is small and it is a full gut (electrics and water to redo). Sound-ish ground: radon LOW, clay moderate but NO subsidence declarations, so the clay does not bite. ~4.2 hrs from Bern (just outside the Bern-close bonus) and ~5.4 hrs from Calais. Ticks two of the three sweet-spot boxes — land over 1,100 and seller fees — and it is reachable; the catch is it is barns-first, house-second.🚗 Calais 484 km / 5.4 hrs  ·  Bern 302 km / 4.2 hrs
  16. 16Darney66£34,306 · Vosges (88) — A 100 m² 3-bed CHARACTER (likely stone) town house in the Bern-close 88260 corner (~232 km / 3.3 hrs — a Bern-close bonus), with FULL amenities on the doorstep (bakery, supermarket, health centre, schools) and a big state forest. Unusually well-progressed for the money: HALF the roof already redone, new ground-floor windows and shutters, the DRAINAGE already connected to the mains sewer (no septic to build), and renovation materials bought and left in. Fees on the SELLER, radon low. But — your own word — it's DEAR: €40,000, right at the cap (£34.3k), on a small 582 m² plot with no barn, a town-centre house (likely attached), and 6 commune flood records + 1 subsidence to check on the plot. Well-serviced and close to home, but off the land-and-barn sweet spot.🚗 Calais 537 km / 5.9 hrs  ·  Bern 232 km / 3.3 hrs
  17. 17Perrusse★64£17,900 · Haute-Marne (52) — A 51 m² stone house + a 50 m² barn + convertible attic with the ROOF already redone, on sound Langres limestone (low clay, no subsidence, low radon), in the reachable east. Proper stone on good ground; the catch is a 40% buyer's fee.🚗 Calais 460 km / 5.3 hrs  ·  Bern 280 km / 4.1 hrs
  18. 18Thollet★63£16,289 · Vienne (86) — Two stone barns and nearly an ACRE (8,543 m²) in one block, £16k with seller fees — reframed as a LAND PLAY. The three drought-subsidence declarations are about the wet valley-bottom footprint, so the move is to build on the best-drained corner and leave the soggy ground as paddock (the barns and longère stand as they are); the ground data becomes a site plan, not a veto. Radon low. Honest catches: distance — ~7 hrs from both Calais and Bern — and heavy clay land that needs drainage to grow on.🚗 Calais 630 km / 6.8 hrs  ·  Bern 650 km / 7.4 hrs
  19. 19Laurière★62£12,800 · Haute-Vienne (87) — Proper STONE house + bread oven, an adjoining barn, a second (ruined) barn and 1,807 m² on SOUND granite (clay faible, no subsidence), for €15,000 fees-included. Stone fabric and big land score hard; the catch is condition — roof gone, staircase collapsed, all services to create. Radon high.🚗 Calais 660 km / 6.9 hrs  ·  Bern 620 km / 7.1 hrs
  20. 20Luché-sur-Brioux62£19,718 · Deux-Sèvres (79) — 150 m² south-facing farmhouse, water & electric at the boundary — low clay, one subsidence declaration. Some commune flood history, but that's a check-on-the-plot, not a killer.🚗 Calais 700 km / 7.6 hrs  ·  Bern 750 km / 9.0 hrs
  21. 21Champigny-sous-Varennes★61£24,700 · Haute-Marne (52) — A big 330 m² TWO-DWELLING complex + garage on 1,520 m² in the reachable east, on sound ground (no subsidence, radon low) for ~£25k. Land in one block lifts it — but the listing is a near-blank (no description or DPE), so condition and materials are unknown. Provisional.🚗 Calais 540 km / 5.6 hrs  ·  Bern 260 km / 3.8 hrs
  22. 22Germaines★60£31,297 · Haute-Marne (52) — A TWO-house complex (main 3-bed + an adjoining second house for a gîte) with a garage and — rare at the price — a ROOF already in good condition, on the sound Langres limestone (clay faible, no subsidence, radon LOW), in the Parc national de forêts. Under cap with a low 1.39% buyer fee. Catches: DPE G energy retrofit across 150 m², a small 646 m² plot and no barn.🚗 Calais 520 km / 5.3 hrs  ·  Bern 320 km / 4.1 hrs
  23. 23Le Busseau60£17,174 · Deux-Sèvres (79) — House + garage ~200 m² on 1,956 m² in one block — no subsidence, and the big single-block plot scores. Five flood/mud-flow declarations on the commune (to confirm on the plot), and roof/drains unconfirmed.🚗 Calais 640 km / 7.2 hrs  ·  Bern 880 km / 9.8 hrs
  24. 24Vigeville★60£28,725 · Creuse (23) — An 1900 STONE country house to renovate near Guéret with a WELL, an old stable and outbuildings on 1,100 m² (over the 1,000 m² mark), on sound ground (clay not flagged, no subsidence). The well is the water win; catches are a full renovation, radon high, and a grid electric supply we mark DOWN (this build wants solar/off-grid, not grid reliance).🚗 Calais 680 km / 7.1 hrs  ·  Bern 560 km / 6.3 hrs
  25. 25Grignoncourt (village house)59£12,865 · Vosges (88) — A second Grignoncourt — a bigger 124 m² house + garage on the SAME sound ground (no subsidence, radon low), 3.3 hrs from Bern, seller fees. But a tiny 340 m² plot and no barn (garage only).🚗 Calais 550 km / 5.7 hrs  ·  Bern 230 km / 3.3 hrs
  26. 26Blondefontaine59£17,153 · Haute-Saône (70) — A detached 65 m² house + a large attached garage + convertible attic in the Val de Saône, 3.4 hrs from Bern (a Bern-close bonus), seller fees, some PVC double glazing done — cheap at £17k. BUT the listing's own words: an OLD ROOF and the PRESENCE OF OLD CRACKS — a known wall defect, so a structural/clay RED FLAG (survey the walls before anything). Small 423 m² plot; 8 flood records on the commune. Radon low, clay moderate. Quick-vet.🚗 Calais 560 km / 5.7 hrs  ·  Bern 230 km / 3.4 hrs
  27. 27Monthureux-sur-Saône (detached)59£21,441 · Vosges (88) — A second Monthureux — a detached 94 m² house + attached garage, serviced, seller fees, in the Bern-close Val de Saône (3.4 hrs). But a tiny 222 m² plot + non-adjoining garden, DPE G, and the river-town flood record.🚗 Calais 560 km / 5.8 hrs  ·  Bern 230 km / 3.4 hrs
  28. 28Parsac (two houses)59£11,064 · Creuse (23) — A second Parsac — a set of TWO stone houses + a barn between them on the same sound Creuse ground (clay faible, no subsidence). No grid services (off-grid-ready) and cheap with seller fees, but a small 522 m² plot, semi-detached, radon high.🚗 Calais 670 km / 7.0 hrs  ·  Bern 560 km / 6.2 hrs
  29. 29Roches-Bettaincourt59£8,577 · Haute-Marne (52) — The value outlier — fully serviced and dirt cheap, but capped by the land-and-barn floor. A 60 m² village house with the building and ROOF in good condition, PVC double glazing, a recent PELLET STOVE and a COMPLIANT septic already in — three costly services done — plus a 25 m² workshop and a big attic, for £8,577. On raw services + price it scored 80; but it is a TINY 280 m² plot with NO barn (a workshop only), a likely-attached riverside village house with 7 commune flood records, ~4.6 hrs from Bern — so the land-and-barn floor caps it at 59 (great value, not a top pick). Radon low, clay moderate, no subsidence. Fees CONTESTED: the price line says seller-paid, the mandate boilerplate says 11.11% buyer — confirm.🚗 Calais 433 km / 4.9 hrs  ·  Bern 308 km / 4.6 hrs
  30. 30Neuilly58£24,872 · Nièvre (58) — An 1850 village house with an ADJACENT BARN and 1,390 m² of land (over the 1,000 m² mark) in the Nièvre between Prémery and Corbigny, £24.9k with fees on the SELLER — the brief's barn-and-land shape, cheap and near village shops, with radon LOW. The catch is the ground: clay FORTE (top band) with TWO drought-subsidence declarations, so a survey-the-walls-first job. Also semi-detached and a full gut renovation (a blank canvas), with a convertible attic and a second access from the rear street. Quick-vet.🚗 Calais 537 km / 6.0 hrs  ·  Bern 417 km / 5.5 hrs
  31. 31La Cellette (barn house)★58£34,727 · Creuse (23) — A second house in the same commune as our #2 — so the SAME soundest ground on the board (clay faible, no subsidence, radon moderate). An 1875 STONE cottage with a BARN, a GARAGE, a convertible attic and a wood stove, SE-facing. The catch is value: small at 37 m² and dear at ~€40,000 (right at the cap), DPE G, 450 m² — a keen offer is the whole game.🚗 Calais 610 km / 6.7 hrs  ·  Bern 560 km / 6.4 hrs
  32. 32Belfort (village house)57£33,449 · Territoire de Belfort (90) — Properstar mislabels this 'Brittany' — it's actually in the TERRITOIRE DE BELFORT near the Fontaine aeropark, which makes it the CLOSEST find to home on the whole board: ~122 km / 1.9 hrs from Bern (a Bern-close bonus, near-max location score). A ~90 m² village house to gut completely, but the FRAME and under-roof are sound and fees are on the seller. Catches: it's a village-centre house (attached, not the detached-with-barn brief), a small 516 m² plot with no barn, grid electric (marked down for a solar build), £33k at the top of budget, and clay moderate with a drought-subsidence declaration. Quick-vet.🚗 Calais 663 km / 7.3 hrs  ·  Bern 122 km / 1.9 hrs
  33. 33Parsac★56£15,434 · Creuse (23) — A proper STONE house + TWO barns + an outbuilding near Guéret, five minutes from the RN145, on sound ground (clay faible, no subsidence) for £15,434 — the brief's shape in the reliable Creuse belt, with unusually good access. Catches: a full renovation, radon high, and a small split 746 m² plot.🚗 Calais 670 km / 7.0 hrs  ·  Bern 560 km / 6.2 hrs
  34. 34PionnatSOLD56£14,597 · Creuse (23) — 217 m² STONE farmhouse + big barn on 839 m², electricity on — clay faible, no subsidence (radon high). Proper stone and the most house for the money. Proof the best ones move fast.🚗 Calais 690 km / 7.2 hrs  ·  Bern 570 km / 6.4 hrs⏱ Found sold 21 Sept 2026 · list date not recorded (we track this from now on)
  35. 35Moutier-Rozeille54£15,867 · Creuse (23) — A quality-over-land buy in the reliable Creuse belt: an authentic STONE village house between Felletin and Aubusson where the hardest work is already done — the ROOF and BUILDING are in very good condition, with the masonry REBUILT in 2018 (most Creuse cheapies need a full re-roof; this one doesn't). Fireplace, old beams, SE-facing, £15.9k. Clay not flagged and NO subsidence — sound ground — but radon HIGH (Creuse granite). Catches against the brief: a small ~440 m² plot and NO barn in the price (there's one with land available separately nearby, worth pricing), a full interior renovation still to do, fees not stated, and it's FAR — ~6.6 hrs from Bern. Not Bern-close, but unusually little structural work for the money.🚗 Calais 696 km / 7.4 hrs  ·  Bern 581 km / 6.6 hrs
  36. 36Cluis54£17,067 · Indre (36) — A 1905 STONE village house (91 m²) with a GOOD roof + three outbuildings + a workshop + cellar, on a 760 m² garden in the southern Indre, town amenities near. But 3 subsidence declarations + radon HIGH dock the ground, the plot is small and it's likely semi-attached.🚗 Calais 590 km / 6.4 hrs  ·  Bern 590 km / 6.9 hrs
  37. 37Coubjours★54£28,336 · Dordogne (24) — Stone house with garage, wood stove and open views, clay only moderate with one subsidence declaration — but radon is high and it's an 800 km haul.🚗 Calais 760 km / 8.2 hrs  ·  Bern 690 km / 7.6 hrs
  38. 38Nouziers54£17,002 · Creuse (23) — 108 m² 4-bed + barn/garage, clay moderate with one subsidence declaration — but roadside, close neighbours and 43% buyer fees.🚗 Calais 630 km / 7.0 hrs  ·  Bern 550 km / 6.3 hrs
  39. 39Saint-Sulpice (village house)54£8,149 · Creuse (23) — A second, plainer house in the same Saint-Sulpice-les-Champs commune as our #6 — same sound ground (clay low, no subsidence, radon high). A 65 m² 2-bed to restore with RECENT PVC double glazing, but roof to redo and all services to create, on 806 m² with NO barn. Very cheap at £8,149. Quick-vetted; fees not stated (if seller-paid, +5).🚗 Calais 700 km / 7.5 hrs  ·  Bern 580 km / 6.7 hrs
  40. 40Gissey-sous-Flavigny★53£17,666 · Côte-d'Or (21) — Old four-room STONE house + two cellars on a split 798 m² in the Côte-d'Or Auxois, ten minutes from a TER station — proper stone on the reachable east, with radon LOW, no flood history and only one drought record. Seller-paid fees; the catches are no barn, a small split plot and a full restoration.🚗 Calais 510 km / 5.7 hrs  ·  Bern 310 km / 4.2 hrs
  41. 41Oradour-Fanais53£27,091 · Charente (16) — 64 m² and near-habitable, with a shop and café in the village — and low clay with just one subsidence declaration. Small plot, pricey for the size.🚗 Calais 700 km / 7.5 hrs  ·  Bern 680 km / 7.9 hrs
  42. 42Le Donjon★52£15,434 · Allier (03) — A standing, roofed 36 m² cottage (NOT a ruin) with a garage, a garden and a WELL near the town centre, £15k fees-paid — but on poor ground: clay FORTE (top band), four subsidence declarations and radon HIGH, in the clay-and-pond Sologne Bourbonnaise. A survey-the-walls-first job; the well and the condition keep it off the very bottom.🚗 Calais 660 km / 7.0 hrs  ·  Bern 410 km / 4.7 hrs
  43. 43Jussy-le-Chaudrier51£24,872 · Cher (18) — A LAND-PLAY shape, held back by the ground. A 59 m² stone house to fully renovate with an outbuilding, an adjoining independent room, a cellar and a convertible attic on 3,183 m² (0.79 acre, well over 1,100) near La Charité-sur-Loire (10 min), Nevers and Bourges, for £24.9k. Radon LOW — but the plot is clay FORTE (top band) with FOUR drought-subsidence declarations, so it's genuinely poor build ground even on the big plot (any new build would want engineered foundations, not just a dry corner). DPE G, and the fees are NOT stated — confirm them, as a buyer fee would drop it further. Reachable-ish (~5.5 hrs Calais / 6.2 hrs Bern), but not Bern-close.🚗 Calais 518 km / 5.5 hrs  ·  Bern 528 km / 6.2 hrs
  44. 44Ingrandes★51£16,100 · Indre (36) — A 48 m² 1950 cottage near Le Blanc, bathroom in and an enclosed garden, radon low — but a post-war NON-STONE build (marked down), no barn, DPE G, and six commune flood declarations in the Brenne to check on the plot.🚗 Calais 630 km / 6.8 hrs  ·  Bern 670 km / 7.8 hrs
  45. 45Chamborand50£8,587 · Creuse (23) — 60 m² STONE house, clay faible and no subsidence — proper stone on sound ground, cheap and quiet, but no barn and high radon.🚗 Calais 650 km / 7.0 hrs  ·  Bern 610 km / 7.0 hrs
  46. 46Limanton★50£15,300 · Nièvre (58) — A 65 m² single-storey house + full attic near Moulins-Engilbert with a real village around it (doctor, schools, supermarket), bathroom in, radon low — but no stated land, a non-attached garden, no barn, and an old-quarry cavity risk under the ground.🚗 Calais 580 km / 6.4 hrs  ·  Bern 370 km / 5.3 hrs
  47. 47Lussac-les-Églises49£18,032 · Haute-Vienne (87) — Single-storey 100 m² 3-bed + shed — but clay moderate with two subsidence declarations, and the land is split in two.🚗 Calais 640 km / 6.8 hrs  ·  Bern 650 km / 7.4 hrs
  48. 48Marcillat-en-Combraille★48£15,006 · Allier (03) — A 78 m² house to FINISH renovating (two wood stoves and a bathroom already in, roof on) in a fully-serviced Combraille village — schools, bakery, butcher, bank — for £15k, fees on the seller. The upland Allier read right: clay MODERATE with one subsidence, not the lowland's forte. Catches: no barn (garage EXCLUDED), a small detached garden, radon high and services to reconnect.🚗 Calais 650 km / 6.9 hrs  ·  Bern 510 km / 5.9 hrs
  49. 49Usson-du-Poitou48£12,880 · Vienne (86) — 62 m² + attic, south-facing with the septic already in — but high clay with five subsidence declarations is bad build ground, on top of seven commune flood declarations.🚗 Calais 670 km / 7.2 hrs  ·  Bern 690 km / 8.2 hrs
  50. 50Ventouse48£16,830 · Charente (16) — 27 m² cottage + adjoining barn, very quiet — moderate clay, no subsidence, some commune flooding (to confirm); tiny home plot with the woodland 5 km away.🚗 Calais 720 km / 7.7 hrs  ·  Bern 720 km / 8.6 hrs
  51. 51Aigurande★46£16,000 · Indre (36) — Serviced with a big garden — water and electric on, and room to grow — but no barn, DPE G, radon high and a clay-subsidence history to plan around.🚗 Calais 610 km / 6.8 hrs  ·  Bern 580 km / 6.9 hrs
  52. 52Auzances46£17,173 · Creuse (23) — 69 m² 2-bed with a vaulted cellar, no subsidence history — small plot, no barn, radon high.🚗 Calais 680 km / 7.3 hrs  ·  Bern 560 km / 6.4 hrs
  53. 53Madranges45£17,146 · Corrèze (19) — Tiny 33 m² with the roof already replaced and a hill view — clay moderate, no subsidence; radon high; adjoins a neighbour's outbuilding.🚗 Calais 760 km / 8.0 hrs  ·  Bern 630 km / 7.0 hrs
  54. 54Mauprévoir44£17,146 · Vienne (86) — 70 m² + adjoining barn and a WELL — the well and barn earn points, but high clay with six subsidence declarations is nightmare build ground, and the roofs are poor.🚗 Calais 680 km / 7.4 hrs  ·  Bern 700 km / 8.2 hrs
  55. 55Sacierges-Saint-Martin★42£17,000 · Indre (36) — 44 m² cottage + attached barn for ~£17k, radon low — but moderate clay with five subsidence declarations, a G rating, an outside WC and an undeclared building on the plot.🚗 Calais 610 km / 6.5 hrs  ·  Bern 650 km / 7.4 hrs
  56. 56Benest41£15,432 · Charente (16) — Detached garage and a view — but high clay with four subsidence declarations (the nightmare ground), plus four commune flood declarations, and the house is a rebuild.🚗 Calais 690 km / 7.6 hrs  ·  Bern 700 km / 8.3 hrs
  57. 57Aubin★40£36,000 · Aveyron (12) — The most finished house of all — but a coal-mining town with mining subsidence and landslide risk (a ground problem, not just flood), and not detached.🚗 Calais 900 km / 9.7 hrs  ·  Bern 710 km / 8.5 hrs
  58. 58Mennetou-sur-Cher★40£15,438 · Loir-et-Cher (41) — A 95 m² MEDIEVAL stone house in a fortified Loir-et-Cher village, cheap (£15k) and reachable (~5 hrs Calais) — but a character buy, not a brief buy: no barn/outbuildings, almost certainly attached (a house inside the old walls), a garden that may be non-adjoining, and a busy ground record (4 subsidence + 2 landslides). Radon low.🚗 Calais 500 km / 5.3 hrs  ·  Bern 630 km / 6.8 hrs
  59. 59Haims39£29,195 · Vienne (86) — 60 m² + stable + garage with open views — but six drought-subsidence declarations (the ground problem), plus commune flooding; roof/drains unconfirmed, and pricey.🚗 Calais 650 km / 7.2 hrs  ·  Bern 680 km / 8.0 hrs
  60. 60Beaulieu-sous-Parthenay36£12,002 · Deux-Sèvres (79) — Cheap and quiet — but high clay with five subsidence declarations is the real killer, plus six commune floods, and the land is mostly non-adjoining.🚗 Calais 630 km / 7.0 hrs  ·  Bern 840 km / 9.3 hrs

★ = a full case study. Scores are out of 100; green ≥ 60, amber 45–59, red under 45.

See them on the map

Every house here is pinned and colour-coded by the ground it stands on — the same league table, laid over France.

Open the map →