FRANCE 1 Stick to what you know
If you’re planning to buy in France, it’s unlikely that you’ve made such a life-changing decision on the basis of a single visit so stick to an area you love and perhaps have visited at diff erent times of the year. Remember, France is huge and the choice of properties is bewildering, so narrow your search area and stick to a region you know you want to live in.
2 Size isn’t everything!
It’s easy to be seduced by a huge property with countless bedrooms and endless hectares of land but remember maintenance is both time-consuming and horribly expensive so don’t be tempted to bite off more than you can chew. We chose a manageable sized property (six beds) plus grounds of under four acres. T at way, we’ve been able to run the business without any outside help and never have any horrible surprises when the utility bills drop onto the mat!
What we’ve learnt...
From running a French B&B for ten years
You maybe recognize and from
the recent series of A Place in the Sun: Home or Away? choosing between buying a two-bed property near the sea in Bournemouth or Sicily. Aſt er running a successful B&B and gîte business in Normandy, France, they are moving on but not before sharing some important pointers for anyone thinking about doing the same thing. From plying the chimney sweep with Calvados to courting the local mayor, this makes essential reading...
3 Shop around for workmen
If you choose a “project” always ask for at least three quotes for building and renovation work and make sure you have a written devis (estimate) before work is started. Never be tempted to pay workmen cash in hand; not only is it illegal but you’ll fi nd that a guarantee is much more reassuring in the longer term. Opt for local artisans, who understand local planning laws and traditions, and note the three price bands: one for locals, one for the English and the highest for Parisians!
4 Learn the lingo
Speaking French isn’t essential but having at least some grasp of the local language gives you an important sense of control, particularly when dealing with health and fi nancial matters. A partner always taking the lead in French discourse can lead to the other feeling overly dependent. Take lessons;, don’t try and teach the other: here lies the second step on the road to divorce!
5 T e story so far…
Ten years ago, Paul and Chris eschewed their daily commute around the M25 for a new life in Normandy. T ey swapped their Sussex cottage for a rather lovely 19th- century maison de maître between Vimoutiers and Gacé. With Paul’s background in tourism and marketing, and Chris’s 18 years’ experience in the airline industry, they were ideally qualifi ed to run a B&B and gîte business, aſt er some careful renovation. Now they feel it’s time for a new adventure and decided to put their property on the
market and move to Sicily. “Sicily just feels right,” says Paul. “T e weather is gorgeous, the architecture is stunning and we can fulfi ll our dream of living by the sea. Chris and I fi rst met on a fl ight to Catania 20 years ago, so in fact, it feels like we’ve come full circle.”
Have tradesmen on standby
Make sure you have an excellent relationship with plumbers and electricians as you can guarantee that a tap will drip, a pipe will burst or the lights will fuse on changeover day! Have their numbers close to hand and always off er them a bottle of the local wine/cider once the work is done – it’ll help move you to the top of the list next time you need them in an emergency! We even served a chimney sweep Calvados at 10am.
6 Expect the unexpected
We could write a book about our Fawlty Towers tales of our lovely guests; our favourites being the couple who, having taken part in a moto-cross event on a horribly wet day, were worried about coming into the house in their muddy clothes and knocked on the door in their underpants!
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