REAL LIFE


Christina and David Perez have rented across France


The Youngs’ dream home is near Carcassonne


“The house we’ve ended up in couldn’t be more different, yet it’s perfect for us now”


is very good and the food is so tasty and fresh.” The house near Carcassonne


came about as the result of ‘pure luck’ according to Ann. “I wanted a village setting – we have several cats and needed it to be safe for them. And we’re used to living with quite a lot of land, which can be difficult to get. The house we found is a split-level property with 180m2 of space. It sits at the top of a village, with a hectare of land above. The road coming up is almost private. We have an amazing view of the château, and a swimming pool.” Having dedicated much of his previous career to horses,


James is now thriving in a new occupation as a videographer, creating videos of motor racing for his YouTube channel, as well as maintaining the four local gîtes that the couple run between them. “All of our properties


were the right house at the right time. We thought we’d stay in the dream home we’d built, but the house we’ve ended up in couldn’t be more different. Yet it’s perfect for us now. We miss our friends, but they come to stay and we’ve been made to feel very welcome in the new area we’re living in.”


TRY BEFORE YOU BUY Christina and David Perez: “We rented before buying, and did a virtual ‘tour de France’ before settling!” When Christina Perez, 49, moved to France with her French husband David, 45, she knew very little about the country. The couple had met in the US and after marrying in 2005, had lived there together, welcoming children Eliséa, now 16, and Matys, 13. But in 2008, David began to get homesick, and in 2017 the family decided to make the move back to his home country. “Initially we thought


we’d buy, but it was difficult to secure permanent employment,” explains Christina. “In the end, David found a year-long contract and we thought we’d just get here and work it out. We


ended up renting a gorgeous apartment in Bordeaux, with views of the Monument aux Girondins. It was neo-classical on the exterior, but it had a modern interior.” However, as he was on a


temporary contract, the family had to move again in April 2018, this time to Lyon. “We rented an apartment in a manoir just off the river,” says Christina. “It was Haussmann style, the interiors were from the late 18th century. It was fairly snug at 125m2


, but I loved it.” Finally in 2019, David found


a permanent job in Mulhouse, Alsace, and the family prepared to settle down. However, this time they were unable to settle as easily. “The architecture was very different, and we had a duplex apartment on the fourth and fifth floor that was terrible in the summer. It was so hot,”


4


Room with a view – the lounge in Ann and David’s current home


The exterior of the apartment in Bordeaux, where Christina and David rented FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2025 31


© SHUTTERSTOCK, ANN AND JAMES YOUNG, CHRISTINA AND DAVID PEREZ


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