What is an « échoppe bordelaise »?

What is an « échoppe bordelaise »?

The échoppe bordelaise are a very popular type of property desired in Bordeaux because of the stone
they are built with : very big limestones with sculptures moulded into the stone above the openings of
the dwelling (windows and doors), with gorgeous little gardens, located in the center of the town and
close to amenities, schools and public transport.

The échoppe bordelaise have become, over the years, the preferred style of homes for the Bordelais but also the Parisian citizens who move to Bordeaux.

Some of the owners of these dwellings have preferred to maintain the original characteristics, meanwhile others have had them redesigned, by architects, to extend the rooms to gain and create further space, either by renovating the basements or the attics.

These types of dwellings are mostly found on the other side of the stone bridge (Pont de Pierre), in the neighbourhood of the Bastide but also in the nearby towns and neighbourhoods as Bègles, Talence, the train station district, Bouscat, Caudéran, Saint Augustin…

The history of the échoppes bordelaises began in the 15^th Century when the retailers and artisans worked but also lived in their échoppes. In the 18^th Century, the Bordelais decide to use these stone properties solely to live in.

At that time these dwellings were bungalows with low ceiling heights and small spaces, with a long wall on the façade leading onto the street, designed and developed in length with a large hallway leading onto multiple small rooms that lead one into the other and the main sitting room to the rear leading out onto the garden. They mostly also have a basement.

There are two different types of “échoppes”:
● The simple échoppe with a façade of approximately 5 to 6 meters long, lateral hallway leading onto a bedroom at the front, to a dark room and to the common room next to the
garden to the rear.

● The double échoppes have a façade of approximately 8 to 10 meters long, a central hallway that links to the others rooms of the property.

Coldwell Banker, specialised in luxury real estate in Bordeaux, offers you multiple échoppes for sale in the city.
Our agency Coldwell Banker offers you a large portfolio of properties for sale in and around Bordeaux.