Normandy gendarmerie next to the sea up for sale as a home

A former gendarmerie is being put up for sale at auction at the end of this month with a starting price of €119,000.

The 270 m² property by the sea, north of Caen, is located at 71 rue Gambetta in Ouistreham village (Calvados) and has been empty since September 2022.

“The facade of the building is particularly interesting in terms of architecture, hence the desire to preserve it,” Pascal Chrétien, deputy mayor for urban planning in Ouistreham, told The Connexion.

“It was built in 1897, most notably to house the gendarmerie until 1970, the date at which a new gendarmerie came into service.”

Ouistreham mairie has announced the date for sale as November 21–23.

The benefits of auction

Ouistreham mairie decided to sell the building because they no longer had use for it and thus could not afford to maintain it.

“We don’t have a particular project for this building, and restoring it to standards, especially energy standards, would require heavy investment that the town cannot bear,” said Mr Chrétien.

After deciding the building had to be sold, the next choice was how and after consideration it was decided an internet auction was the best route.

“Other communes have used this method and it seems to us that the auction is a good way to showcase the property,” said Mr Chrétien.

“The best thing is that the auction company manages the whole process from the preparation of the building, to putting it online and advertising it, the auction itself as well as identifying those projects which would fit with the specifications.

“The town does not have the ability to embark on this type of procedure alone.”

Value for money

The starting price for the auction has been set at €118,970 including VAT, while the Estates Department has estimated the value of the property at €300,000, plus / minus 10%.

The reason behind the price is, despite having a lot of potential, the property is in "a poor general condition", and thus requires work.

"The property is subject to a danger order: water leaks led to the partial collapse of the ceiling in one room on the ground floor," notes Agorastore, the online auction platform organising the sale.

How to get involved

A visit to the building is mandatory to participate in the sale and there has been a lot of interest so far.

“Currently more than 50 people have come to visit the building and it will be necessary to arrange an additional date to meet viewing requests,” said Mr Chrétien

Potential buyers must check the online advert and sign up for a slot.

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