Looking for a country house for sale in Isère (38)? Between the Chartreuse massif, the Vercors and the banks of the Rhône, the department offers a contrasting rural architecture: Dauphiné-style farmhouses in river pebble and stone, valley manor-style houses, mountain chalets to renovate, country houses with garden and land overlooking the surrounding mountains. Depending on altitude, it may serve as a main home close to a dynamic job market or a holiday home geared towards the mountains. This page brings together the country houses for sale in Isère published on ma-propriete.fr by private sellers, estate agents and notaries.
To help you decide, we present the actual prices of country houses in Isère, the areas worth knowing from Grenoble to the surrounding mountains and the Grésivaudan, and the criteria that determine the value of a house in the countryside. Our complete guide to buying a country house in France completes these benchmarks, from surveying an old building to financing.
How much does a country house cost in Isère (38)? According to DVF data (notarised sales) analysed by the ma-propriete.fr observatory, the median price of a country house in Isère (38) stood at €275,000 in 2025, with an average price of €279,107 and a median price of €2,629/m² of living space (2,287 house sales in rural municipalities over the year). The price range is wide: 10% of houses sold for less than €170,000 (floor price, 1st decile) and 10% for more than €400,000 (ceiling price, 9th decile). The typical country house here offers 110 m² of living space on an average plot of 2,597 m², i.e. around 0.3 ha.
This market is well above the regional median (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: €230,000) and well above the national median (€189,200). Since the second half of 2020, the median price has risen from €240,000 to €275,000, i.e. +14.6%; over one year (2024-2025) the change is +2.4%.
| 2025 indicator | Isère | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | France |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median price | €275,000 | €230,000 | €189,200 |
| Average price | €279,107 | €246,927 | €207,100 |
| Floor price (1st decile) | €170,000 | €98,000 | €90,000 |
| Ceiling price (9th decile) | €400,000 | €410,000 | €340,000 |
| Median price per m² of living space | €2,629/m² | €2,200/m² | €1,830/m² |
| Average living space | 110 m² | 109 m² | 108 m² |
| Average plot size | 2,597 m² | 3,243 m² | 3,181 m² |
| Number of sales in 2025 | 2,287 | 16,528 | 150,313 |
A departmental average hides large gaps. A smallholding to renovate, a restored longère with its outbuildings, a farmhouse on several hectares of land or a manor house with parkland do not sell at the same price, and the location matters as much as the building: coastline, tourist area, peri-urban countryside close to a job market or deep countryside. The table below shows the median price of country houses in Isère (38) by type of municipality (cumulative sales from mid-2020 to 2025) and its change between 2021 and 2025.
| Type of municipality | Median price 2020-2025 | Median price per m² | Change 2021-2025 | Sales 2020-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inland tourist areas (hinterland, mountains) | €262,180 | €2,658/m² | +7.6% | 651 |
| Peri-urban countryside (city catchment area) | €295,274 | €2,809/m² | +5.1% | 7,548 |
| Deep countryside (outside urban influence) | €242,400 | €2,346/m² | +8.3% | 6,866 |
These benchmarks help you assess a listing, estimate a property before putting it up for sale, or set your budget for a holiday home or a permanent move to the French countryside. To go further, see our observatory of country house prices in France (national, regional and departmental analysis, downloadable annual report) and work out the full cost of your purchase, including French notary fees, with our notary fees calculator.
The Dauphiné-style farmhouse, a stocky building in river pebble and limestone, under a shallow-pitched tile roof on the plains or slate at altitude, shapes rural building in the Isère. On the foothills of the Chartreuse, Vercors and Belledonne ranges, the wood-and-stone chalet gradually replaces the plains farmhouse, with steeper roofs and wide eaves suited to snow. In the Bas-Dauphiné, towards Bourgoin-Jallieu, rammed-earth farmhouses are more common, an economical material well suited to the local climate. Some Dauphiné farmhouses still keep an outdoor bread oven, still used during village festivals.
The land varies greatly with altitude: garden and orchard on the plains, meadow and woodland at mid-mountain level. Outbuildings (barn, cowshed, hay store) are common, as are isolated hamlets offering open views over the surrounding mountains and, on a clear day, the Belledonne range. Many of these outbuildings deserve a roof-structure survey before renovation, as snow load places heavy strain on old roofs.
Around Grenoble, served by a TGV station, and in the Grésivaudan along the Isère river, the country house benefits from a dynamic job market but strong land pressure. Towards Vienne and the Rhône valley, to the north-west, the market remains more moderate. The Vercors and Chartreuse ranges, close to Grenoble, attract buyers for their natural setting despite winter access constraints. Towards Voiron and La Mure, further south, the countryside offers more space for a given budget. Towards Bourgoin-Jallieu and the Bièvre plain, to the west, the market remains more moderate than in the immediate vicinity of Grenoble.
The Grenoble metropolitan area and the Grésivaudan remain noticeably above the departmental average, while northern Isère towards Bourgoin-Jallieu and the south towards La Mure and the Oisans offer more accessible country houses, away from the pressure of the Grenoble basin. Professionals arriving from the Lyon area often compare these areas before choosing between a strong job market and a mountain setting.
Three factors dominate: the distance to Grenoble and its TGV station, altitude and aspect (sunlight, winter access), and the condition of the building (roof, damp in pebble walls, insulation and energy rating, often a weak point for unrenovated old farmhouses). A renovated Dauphiné farmhouse in the Grésivaudan and a chalet to renovate at mid-mountain level can differ significantly in price for a comparable size. In mountain areas, it is also worth checking road snow-clearing arrangements and the distance to shops in winter.
Also check the private drainage system in mountain areas, the local plan zoning and natural hazards (land movement, avalanche risk depending on altitude), the fibre-optic coverage for remote working, and winter road access for properties at altitude. The risk of land movement, more pronounced on the slopes of the Vercors and Chartreuse, is also worth checking. First-time buyers unfamiliar with mountain property should also budget time for these checks before signing. Sellers can usually confirm the roof's last inspection date and snow-load rating on request.
On ma-propriete.fr, filter Isère country houses by budget, living space and land area, set up an email alert so you never miss a new listing, and if needed widen your search to all country houses for sale in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is also worth comparing lowland areas, accessible year-round, with the mountain ranges, more constrained but sought after for their setting.
