Owners Brigitte Demassougne and her husband decided to sell the property in this way after becoming dissatisfied with local estate agent methods.

The couple - who have lived on the seven-hectare site for 20 years - are set to retire soon, and wanted to sell the property in an original way. They are hoping to sell up and “move closer to the seaside”.

Anyone interested can take part in the lottery draw game online, for a fee of just €13. To play, you must also answer two simple questions, and guess the value of three objects. The winner will later be chosen at random.

In just five days, more than 1,500 people have taken part, including entrants from France, Canada, Belgium, and the UK. The entrance fees will be protected in a separate online account, until the end of the game. It is set to close to entries at the end of the year, with the option to extend until May 2020.

Ms Demassougne said: “This is quite an expensive property [and] everything is in a perfect state. But [this way], someone without a lot of money could get it.”

The site is located about 80km south-east of Périgueux, in the commune of Cénac-et-Saint-Julien. As well as a pool, lake and horse stables, it also has two stone outbuildings, and seven hectares of land.

Set deep in the countryside, the house is also always surrounded by birds of all kinds, and squirrels, Ms Demassougne said.

She added: “It is a beautiful location.”

All the details on the property, how to enter the competition, plus the terms and conditions, are available online here.