A considered decision to live in France

A few years ago we decided we wanted to buy a house in France with a large  garden to live a more self sufficient lifestyle in the  Limousin region.

We had never tried growing vegetables or food of any kind, but we hankered for a more fulfilling way of life and our house in France with land enough for a smallholding would be the start.

Why a Limousin property in particular? its cheap, really countrified and they grow really big cabbages.

How did we know? we saw it on Grand Designs yes that's how carefully we considered all this. Our previous experience of life in France was holidays in the Loire Valley which was nice but our property search revealed that buying a house in that area was out of our price range.

So we gave it some thought, and booked a hire car and flight to Limousin France and a Bed & Breakfast.

We were lucky in our choice of Bed and Breakfast in the Limousin. We were looking for folks who spoke English, somewhere on the beaten track for our Limousin property search and an evening meal so when we ran low on money before the end of the week we could still eat.

We found all those things plus a really nice down to earth couple who were making a life for themselves in France and who are still firm friends. This was lucky for us.

I want that House in France

We made an appointment to view various properties before we got to France. The first house in France that we saw was detached and in the middle of nowhere - typical getaway dream I suppose. By the time we went to look at it we were already starting to see the advantage of a village house but our thoughts were confirmed following the estate agent and realising we had zero chance of navigating our way there without a guide and just how isolated we would be.

So it was time to start going round the estate agents looking for alternative properties and something we could afford. We were having one of those "no you go ask" days so just wandered about looking in windows. Second lucky break we met Elizabeth in an estate agents (BMI) in Bellac found our  house in France and another friend. She has moved on now to be self employed check out Limousin Property Shop if you are thinking of a buying a house in France

We told her how much we had to spend and what we wanted. This is always an embarrassing thing to do when you've not got a lot, but she put us at our ease and got the folders out. It's amazing how many Limousin properties  estate agents have on their books. Whilst we chatted with Elizabeth we noticed a house for sale in the folder and the picture  was of a bush. Being the class fool I couldn't help mentioning to Elizabeth that 35,000 euros' was a bit steep for a bush. It turned out that the wrong picture was in the folder and the house and land had been for sale for a year but had been empty for ten years. We'd seen the house picture on the internet before we went to France but discounted it because it was not detached.
The details were minimal this is quite usual with French estate agents in general the Limousin property market is not filled with the kind of hype that we're used to. There is a much healthier attitude towards property ownership, it feels like a house in France is a home first and an investment second.

As it happened the estate agent had the keys to the property and Elizabeth was free to take us up there that afternoon. We thought we were looking at a tiny Limousin property with a 2000m² garden. When we arrived after a drive through lovely countryside which got us more and more excited, there was the house plus a barn (which is on the details but we hadn't noticed) and a definitely not 2000m²garden. According to Lawrence whose male brain recognises things like areas.

Elizabeth by this time was chatting away to the next door neighbours and Madame led us down the path at the side and showed us the small patch of woodland beyond the garden hedge which was also included.

This house in France just ticked all the boxes on our revised wish list
Small Limousin property with neighbours
Big enough garden for growing vegetables
Barn or outbuildings
Patch of woodland and orchard.

Having seen the house the next step was to be sensible and go away and think about it. Elizabeth encouraged us to look around the area, look at some other properties all good advice which we pretended to take.

We had a quick drive around the area then went up to the nearest small town and bought sticky buns.

We rang the next morning and put in an offer. The agents came back to us with a price between the two and we arranged to go in and sign the compromis de vente. While we were signing up and looking at the plans and chatting we noticed a field/orchard was owned by the same people and also up for sale, so we put in an offer on that too. This was rejected but they came back with a slightly higher price and included another patch of woodland and an odd 400m2 down the lane.

When we got back to the UK of course everyone had to listen to our story and watch the video and look at the pictures and study the plans, whether they wanted to or not.

Just as they thought they were safe we got a letter from the agents saying that the owners had "thrown in" another parcel of land. This is "The Woods that Legend Spake Of" 1½ acres of pine trees (which according to neighbours blew down in the big storms of ‘79) which is still uncharted territory.

So in total our “Limousin property” consists of
House
Garden
Barn
Woodland adjacent to garden mainly sweet chestnut
Orchard with about 5 apple trees, two pear trees, two cherry trees and a walnut tree
Woodland down the lane (over stood chestnut coppice)
400m² patch down another lane mainly brambles
"The Woods that Legend Spake Of"

So of course Lawrence has to roam around it saying “Get off my land you is worrying me sheep” in a very unconvincing West Country accent. It's the law!

 . . . more on our house in France and buying property in the Limousin

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