At a time when the rural delights of central France are becoming ever more appealing to British property purchasers – think Burgundy and Limousin – it's surprising that the department of Indre is still relatively ignored. The southern-most department in the Centre-Val-de-Loire region – more commonly referred to simply as 'Centre' – Indre is far more famous for its quality goat's cheeses than it is for its lifestyle delights. Crottin de Chavignol, Selles-sur-Cher, Saint Maure de Touraine and Valencay are all much heralded brands of cheese produced in this area of France, and all have helped to put the department on the map: at least as far as cheese buffs are concerned.

But just because Indre – named after the river which flows through the department – is still relatively undiscovered as far as overseas property purchasers are concerned, this isn't to say that it has nothing to offer potential buyers in terms of lifestyle. "Indre is a hilly region where there is plenty to do, including walking, cycling, horse riding and a plethora of other outdoor activities," enthuses Niclas Dowlatshahi of Leapfrog Properties. "It offers a very relaxing, carefree way of life, which is close to nature and excellent for outdoorsy types," he adds.

Given the fact the department borders the increasingly popular Limousin region, it would be all too easy to draw comparisons between the lifestyle in Indre and its extremely rural southern neighbour. But while the two locations certainly do share some similarities – such as the climate, which tends to be warmer than that of Britain and Northern France but not as scorching as Southern France – Trisha Mason of French property specialists VEF says that there are also some marked differences. "The architecture in Indre bears far more resemblance to the more sophisticated Pays de la Loire region [which borders the Centre region to the west] than it does to Limousin," she explains. "In fact, the proximity of Indre to the chateaux of the Loire is, I would say, one of Indre's top attractions." Not that the architecture is the only difference between Indre and Limousin, according to Mason. "The Indre is not as rural as its neighbour," she continues. "The villages and towns in Indre still have a life even in the winter. It's a very French way of life consisting of market squares, pavement cafés, and long conversations in boulangeries. "In fact, when you walk around the small towns you realise that the area is obviously geographically closer to Paris than Limousin and that this does make a difference," Mason adds. Part of this apparent Parisian influence could be down to the fact that in recent years, Indre has become increasingly popular with second home purchasers from the French capital. With the department being located just a two-and-a-half hour drive from the city, more Parisians have begun to look for holiday or weekend retreats in Indre as prices in Paris have spiralled beyond the budgets of most of the capital's residents. The department's fairly lively capital, Chateauroux is located in the centre of the depart. So, are there any signs that Brits are looking to follow the lead of Parisians and starting to look for properties there? "It [Indre] is slowly starting to become more popular," answers Dowlatshahi. "More people are starting to find out about how good the lifestyle is and that property prices there are still very low." Mason concurs: "British buyers are always looking for the hidden parts of France, usually attracted by the possibility of better value property. Some buyers also want to be somewhere where they probably won't have British neighbours. How many of us look down our noses as those areas of France where there is too much English spoken?"

Where Dowlatashahi and Mason both speak of 'better value' and 'lower-priced' property, they're certainly not kidding. "Housing in Indre is approximately 10 per cent dearer than in Limousin, but still one of the cheapest areas in France," says Mason. "On average properties are currently around 30 per cent cheaper than they are in Loire," she adds. What's more, it seems unlikely that the property market in Indre is unlikely to go the same way of many others in France and experience capital growth increases way beyond the budgets of most buyers. "I predict that Central France will only see price rises of around 5 per cent for the whole of 2007 and possibly much the same in 2008," continues Mason. "This compares to a continuing growth of closer to 10 per cent in the south of France."

With this in mind it's arguably fair to say that if you're buying for investment purposes, the Indre is unlikely to be at the top of your wish list. However, if you're looking to buy a holiday home or permanent residence, then a little can go a long way. "For 80,000 euros you can purchase a house that doesn't need any work doing to it," says Dowlatshahi. "For 150,000 euros you'll have almost everything you need: a big garden, four bedrooms or more and, again, no renovation work to carry out!" With regards to the types of properties that the few overseas purchasers who have discovered Indre are currently snapping up, it seems traditional French stone-built properties are king. "New build is really not favoured by Brits looking in this area," says Mason. "The attraction of Indre is the countryside and the cheaper property prices, which means that most of our clients in this department are looking for rural properties in the traditional style." Dowlatshahi agrees: "Buyer's wishes have changed a lot in recent times. Ten years ago we sold houses needing complete renovation for approximately 25,000 euros, now we sell properties that are habitable immediately. However, these properties are still character stone-built houses. In fact, I would say that more than 80 per cent of the properties available in Indre are traditional French houses, not new builds."

It is likely to be in and around the areas close to the department's larger towns and cities – including Chateauroux, La Châtre, Eguzon, Le Blanc, Levreux, and Valençay – where a majority of purchasing interest will be centred. However, the department is also home to two of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (the most beautiful villages in France) – Saint Benôit du Sault and Gargilesse – while villages close to the Indre's Brenne National Park, known as 'the country of a thousand lakes', are also likely to be popular areas with overseas buyers. "Brenne is a mystical, tranquil and very special place to spend time," notes Mason. "You don't have to be a bird watcher to enjoy the wide open expanses of water and reeds, but if you are one, there is hardly anywhere better in France to enjoy your hobby."

If there is one major downside to purchasing in Indre – aside from if you're looking to make a huge financial profit on your property - it's that the department is not yet served by low-cost airlines. However, this isn't to say that Indre is particularly difficult to reach. The nearest town to welcome such a service is Tours – Ryanair offers flights there from Stansted – which is located in the Indre-et-Loire department which borders Indre to the west. Moreover, as already mentioned, Paris is not too far away either, and if you're not too keen on flying you can simply take a train from London to Paris and then drive to your property, or even catch a TGV connection from Paris to Tours and drive from there instead.

Whether over the coming months and years Indre will experience a similar rise in popularity to that already experienced in other central areas of France is as yet unknown. But what is for certain is that there is far more to this central department than quality goat's cheese.

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French property going green
Making a living from a French gîte complex
Changes to French Property Law

Article published on 16 April 2007