This art deco building in the southwest France commune of Varzay is a fixer-upper on a monumental scale, with no shortage of original features, including the tiled signage that speaks to its former life as a railway station.

The French property is for sale via Espaces Atypique for €245,000 and is partly renovated, with its top floor already home to a one-bedroom apartment overlooking the building’s grassy site. The rest of the railway station will need a lot of love to steer its adaptive reuse: the downstairs station hall and luggage room need a serious clearout.

However, what lies beneath has enormous potential, with high ceilings and plenty of light to work with. Period checkerboard floors and original fireplaces are intact, and arched window frames are ready for a fresh coat of paint.

There’s also an attic and a vaulted brick cellar – home to some long-abandoned bottles of wine – for the would-be owner to work with, all levels connected by a winding and well-preserved staircase.

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