Case Study · Over Budget — a Haggle Job
Vaudeurs: A Farmhouse, a Barn, a Stable and a Near-Gîte
A lot of property: a farmhouse with a wood insert and a vaulted cellar, a 45 m² barn, an old stable, and a second outbuilding already half-converted into independent accommodation — all on 2,723 m² of enclosed land with the water and septic in. The ground is sound-ish and it's one of the closest finds to both Calais and Bern. The catch is the number: at about €61,000 it's well over our cap, so this is a pure haggle target. Here's the workup.
Vaudeurs, Yonne (89) · northern Burgundy, near Sens · ≈ 420 km / 4.7 hrs from Calais · ≈ 450 km / 5.6 hrs from Bern
It's the same story as Frôlois — a strong two-dwelling shape spoiled by an over-cap price — but with more land, the services already in, and an even easier drive. Which makes it, like Frôlois, a place you only chase with a firm low offer: the shape earns the write-up, the number earns the caution.
📸 See the photos: view the full Vaudeurs listing on Properstar → (opens in a new tab — there's a video tour too)
This is a haggle job — an over-cap complex. How to work out a walk-away number and offer hard.
Read the guide →✅ The Armchair ChecklistThe free routine this was judged against — run it before you travel.
Run the checklist →🌳 Off-Grid PotentialSeptic in, a second dwelling and 2,723 m² — how far it could go self-sufficient.
Read the guide →The listing, in full
The agent (C L'immo) offers a real-estate complex with high potential. The main house has an entrance to a kitchen, a dining room, a living room with an insert fireplace, two bedrooms and a bathroom with WC, plus a vaulted cellar and an attic. There's a large 45 m² barn with its own attic, an old stable, and an outbuilding under renovation — already an entrance, living room, shower room and bedroom, with double glazing fitted, plumbing and electricity connected, and insulation still to finish. It sits on flat, enclosed, wooded land of 2,723 m², and is already connected to water, electricity and a septic tank. Not subject to the DPE. Price £52,305 (about €61,000).
- Price£52,305 (≈ €61,000) — well over our €40k cap; the whole case rests on a big knock-down
- Rates (taxe foncière)Not stated — confirm with the agent
- LocationVaudeurs (89320), Yonne — northern Burgundy, near Sens
- Drive from Calais≈ 420 km / ~4.7 hrs — among the closest on the board
- Drive from Bern≈ 450 km / 5.6 hrs
- Main house132 m² — kitchen, dining, living (insert fireplace), 2 bed, bathroom + WC, vaulted cellar, attic
- Barn45 m² barn with its own attic
- Old stableIncluded
- Second outbuildingUnder renovation — entrance, living room, shower room, bedroom; double glazing in, plumbing + electric connected, insulation to finish (a near-gîte)
- Land2,723 m² enclosed, flat and wooded — well over the 1,000 m² mark
- Water / drainageMains water connected + a septic tank in — a real head start
- ElectricityGrid connected — a mark-down for us, not a plus: this build wants solar/off-grid, not grid reliance
- HeatingWood — an insert already in
- Build / materialsReads as stone/brick farmhouse ✓ (confirm at viewing)
- Energy rating (DPE)Not subject to the DPE
- AgentC L'immo, Sens
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The good worth having
A whole holding — house, barn, stable, near-gîte
This is a lot of building: a habitable-shaped farmhouse, a 45 m² barn, an old stable, and a second outbuilding already half-converted into independent accommodation. That's a home, a workshop and a gîte-in-progress on one plot — the fullest shape on the board after Frôlois.
Services in, and land you can use
Rare for a project: mains water and a septic tank are already in (the drainage headache solved), a wood insert is fitted, and it sits on 2,723 m² of flat, enclosed, wooded land — real space to grow, not a courtyard. The septic alone saves a big SPANC job.
One of the most reachable finds
At ~420 km / under 5 hours from Calais — and about the same from Bern — this is among the closest places on the whole board from either direction. For weekend graft or hauling materials, that distance is a genuine, money-saving advantage.
The bad why the price has to move
It's well over the cap — a big knock-down or nothing
At about €61,000 it's roughly 50% over our €40k line. To bring it to budget you'd need something like €21,000 off — a serious haggle that only lands on a genuinely stale or motivated sale. Ask the agent how long it's been listed and watch for a price cut; the maths only works if you buy it a long way under asking. See the haggling guide.
Still a full renovation — and check the second building
"High potential for renovation enthusiasts" means the main house needs the works despite the insert and services, and the second outbuilding's "insulation to finish" can hide a lot. Two-plus buildings is a big, long project — budget honestly before the cachet and the low distance sway you.
Ground is sound-ish, not spotless
The check (below) is good but not perfect — moderate clay with one subsidence record, radon low. Fine, but pin the exact plot and eye the walls, especially given the age and the flat, enclosed setting.
DIY-er vs needs-a-builder the honest split
The usual rule: the fit-out is yours; the connections and anything certified is where a pro is required — and with water, septic and a supply in, more of it falls your way.
If you're hands-on — what you can do yourself
The strip-out; finishing the second building's insulation and fit-out; internal walls, floors and finishes; joinery and glazing; second-fix plumbing; kitchens and bathrooms; and running the wood heat. With the drainage and water already sorted, and a near-habitable second building to camp in, this is a project you can largely self-deliver at materials cost.
Where you'll need a pro (or a builder)
• Electrics — any rewire must pass Consuel (whatever you run it from) via a registered electrician.
• Septic sign-off — confirm the existing tank meets SPANC standards; an upgrade needs an approved installer.
• Roof / structure — across a house, barn and stable, get a couvreur/charpentier and a maçon onto anything moved or opened up.
• Energy work — insulation and heating to certified (RGE) trades to claim the grants.
Clearing it out — the van, and the tip
A van, and a skip for the big phase
A house, a barn and a stable is real weight: a T5-style van for the fit-out runs, and a hired skip (benne) on the enclosed plot for the demolition phase.
The déchèterie is residents-only
Yonne waste runs through the local intercommunalité, with the nearest déchèterie toward Cerisiers or Sens. As at a British tip, you need a justificatif de domicile and often a badge — a UK- or Swiss-plated van with no French address won't get in. Until you've a local address, budget a private skip.
The ground check
The routine that killed Thollet — Géorisques, run on the commune (INSEE 89432).
⚠️ These ground figures (clay, 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.
Radon low, one subsidence record
The check comes back sound-ish: radon class 1 of 3 (low), and the commune carries just one drought-subsidence declaration (plus one flood and one ground-movement) — no repeat clay-heave pattern. Clay is mapped moderate, so it's a workable read, not a plan-around.
⚠️ Still check the plot and the walls
Moderate clay with one record isn't nothing on a flat, enclosed site with an old house: pin the exact address on the map, read the ground there, and eye the masonry for existing movement before you commit — especially at this price.
The score
Carried by a full holding — house, barn, stable, near-gîte, big land, water and septic in — on sound-ish, very reachable ground; sunk almost entirely by the ~€61k asking, 50% over the cap. Even at asking it scores near the very top — the full holding, the water and the septic carry it, and the over-cap price is the one thing keeping it off the top spot. Knock it down and it leads. It sits near the top of the rankings, flagged as the haggle target it is.
The verdict
Still watching — the shape and the distance are excellent, if the number moves. A house, a barn, a stable and a half-finished second dwelling, on 2,723 m² with the water and septic already in, under five hours from both Calais and Bern — that's a lot of holding and a genuinely easy drive. The block is the ~€61k asking, which is a long way over budget. So the first step isn't the van, it's the phone: ask how long it's been for sale, work out your walk-away number from the two-building renovation, and offer hard — a big, stale complex is where a low bid has room. If the price won't move, walk; if it will, this is one of the fuller shapes on the board.
See how it stacks up
A full holding at the wrong price — the league table shows exactly where it lands, and against the ones under budget.
See the full rankings →