Second time lucky?
Many people move to France hoping to purchase a ‘forever home’, but what if your needs change? Gillian Harvey meets three couples who found ‘the one’ after trying others on for size
Ann and James Young initially lived in Normandy, the epicentre of horse sports
NORTH TO SOUTH Ann and James Young: “We built our forever home in Normandy – then moved more than 900km away!” Professional horseman James Young, 63, and his wife Ann, 65, a buyer’s agent, were used to living in different locations, with James’ profession taking him from the UK to the US, and Qatar over the years. But in 1999, the couple decided to purchase their forever home in Normandy. “We chose Normandy as it’s the epicentre of professional horse sports in France,” explains Ann. “There are races, showjumping, stud farms – everything.” The property the couple
The couple’s first house in France – they converted the garage into stables
found was on the site of a former karting track, with a clubhouse, garage and the house itself – a traditional Normandy home with 190m2 of space. They converted the garage into stables and the clubhouse into a gîte. The area proved a great choice. “Our village was
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fabulous and our neighbours were great. We had a very active social life; most of our friends were French, with just one other British couple.” In 2010, Ann and James
decided to sell the property and build their dream home in the same location. It was a 350m2 house with colombage-style exterior and modern interior, underfloor heating, triple glazing and modern fixtures and fittings. They moved into a gîte as a stop-gap, while the work was being done. However, the build took
a long time to finish and by 2017, when it was completed, something had changed. “I told James I didn’t want
to do it anymore,” says Ann. “I couldn’t cope with the physicality of the horses and I also fancied living somewhere a bit warmer.” One thing was certain,
however, the pair wanted to remain in France. “We love the people and the lifestyle, the daily routine. The quality of life
Ann and James waited a long time for their Normandy new-build, but things had shiſted for them by the time it was ready They now live in the sunny south near Carcassonne 30 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2025
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