EXPERT
See
BEAUX VILLAGES at the French
Property Exhibition Stand 35
€176,550
CASTANET, TARN-ET-GARONNE A charming stone three-bedroom home set in a quiet hamlet in the heart of the Rouergue countryside, and not far from one of the most beautiful villages in France. The property has been beautifully renovated, while retaining lots of original character features.
CASE STUDIES
Many of my colleagues at Beaux Villages have made the move to France and worked hard to integrate into their community. Here are their stories:
Rachida Low, property consultant in Charente, and her husband David
and fi nd that the favour would be quickly returned. Now, we’ll regularly dine at each other’s houses. I’ve helped out with English lessons in the village too, and take part in yoga and pilates. I’m now president of the village
association and help to organise village functions. David oſt en fi nds himself volunteered for the setting and clearing up! Recently, I’ve been asked to be on the village council, so have become a French citizen to allow me to do so. Joining sports clubs and helping out at local events are great ways to integrate.
I moved to France over 20 years ago with my husband, having run a pub in England. We sold our business in the UK as we wanted a new challenge and I’ve worked in an estate agency ever since. I took a language degree at
university so am fl uent in French, but David not so much. He gets by because he loves talking to people and takes the time to chat as he is retired. He fi nds Google Translate a godsend! When we fi rst moved over
to France, we found having our dogs was a great icebreaker. We would walk them in the village, and people would oſt en stop to talk to us and fuss over the dogs. We would then invite our neighbours over for an aperitif
Alice McCall-Judson and her husband Justin, both independent property consultants in the Dordogne
home really quickly. If we need help or support in any way we can call on our neighbours or a wider network of people to come to the rescue – and it’s nice being able to do that for others too. Having children has made
integrating seamless – it happens so naturally when they fi rst start going to school. You get to know everyone over time as it’s such a small community and I can’t drive from A to B without waving at someone in the car, which I love! Justin is bilingual, while I
take lessons and have built my confi dence by speaking to other French mum friends. As well as this, we frequent the boulangerie nearly every day and go to the weekly village market. Justin also volunteered as a pompier when we fi rst arrived and we got to know everyone through that. I’ve found that there are always
clubs to join – the choir, walking/ cycling or sports clubs. We’ve just joined the tennis club and are meeting even more new people through that. If you’re stuck for ideas, ask your local mairie or look at Facebook groups.
I live in the north of the Dordogne with my husband, Justin, our two little girls, who are three and fi ve years old, and various cats and chickens! We’ve lived here nearly fi ve years now. We have great neighbours and that has helped France feel like
Jacqui Reddin-Williams, independent property consultant in Charente- Maritime, and Maynard, her husband I’ve lived in France for 29 years now, having moved over with my husband and two children, who were fi ve and nine years
€390,000
VOUZAN, CHARENTE Nestled in a fantastic country location, yet just a short drive from the city of Angoulême, is this detached fi ve-bedroom, three- bathroom modern property. It has a large garden, lovely 8x4m saltwater swimming pool and village amenities are close by.
old at the time. We wanted to give our children a simpler, more old-fashioned childhood. I’ve always spoken pretty much
fl uent French, but Maynard didn’t speak any. He learnt quickly how to speak fl uent but very bad French! It isn’t about accuracy – it’s about making the eff ort. It was very important for
me and my family to integrate into the community and even now I still help newcomers get introduced to their neighbours. When we fi rst moved over I gave free English lessons in exchange for help with French for my kids and that helped us get to know people quite quickly. French people think we drink tea every day at 4 o’clock, so invite them for tea and they will invite you back for an apéro! I also show dogs and volunteer
at the local refuge and I think that is great for integrating – getting a hobby or becoming a volunteer. I would say to others wanting to integrate, just smile and say bonjour – a smile is understood in every language!
34 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: January/February 2024
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