In 2001, Justin Saunders decided after setting up his own internet mapping company, that adding a couple of extra miles on the commute for a better life would be worth the effort... although this commute was to be from France. Here he describes the experience of buying and living in France and whether it has met his expectations.
August 2001
Living in a cottage in Surrey had suited our needs but it was getting smaller and the easy commuting distance of London was becoming increasingly longer. The countryside was delightful but we were getting fed-up with the monotonously dreary weather, the high prices for food, fuel and many other necessities, the unreliable travel facilities and the grumpy unsociable neighbours.
I had recently been concerned with the launch of an innovative new mapping service on the internet with every prospect of surviving the recent downturn in the fortunes of such companies and I already had an office at home where I spent hours in front a computer communicating with the office and cyberspace. There seemed no reason why much of my future contribution should not travel the extra mileage across the channel. I was quite prepared to commute to and from Britain on a regular basis but what about the family? It was absolutely necessary that my wife and two small children would fit into the new environment and lifestyle involved. Would the locals accept them? Would language be a problem? Would medical treatment and schooling be adequate? I knew that the food wouldn't be the problem!
We had identified a region whilst on holiday in France the year before and searched the internet and various agencies for the ideal house (or chateau). We eventually found a property through an English agent who kindly sent us photos of almost every room, architectural drawings and a history of the house. A quick flight to Toulouse, a viewing of the house and several others (to get a comparison) and we had made up our minds that it was for us.
Swapping a small cottage in England for a magnificent "maison de maitre" overlooking a river, with its five bedrooms, a pigeon tower, an additional cottage (the size of our Surrey cottage), a large swimming pool, and in a picturesque village location wasn't a difficult decision to make; we even had some spare change left over.
Buying the house in France turned out to be relatively painless (even in a foreign language), but selling in the UK was a nightmare. The difference being that once you are committed in France there is no going back, but at the same time you don't risk losing the property to anyone else. Our solicitor (notaire) in France (recommended by the local agent and another English couple who had just gone through the same process) dealt with both parties in this case so the transcripts weren't to-ing and fro-ing between different legal parties. The problem we faced in the UK was that the original party making the offer couldn't decide whether to go ahead or not, so left us in limbo. We had set a date to be in France and fortunately it all went to plan.
On the appointed day we set off in the car packed with additional passengers in the form of dolls, a deaf border collie with a passport and other favourite toys. The journey via Eurostar and northern France passed uneventfully and we trundled through the Dordogne and into the Lot region. We reached the house and have since settled in and are now happily at home in the village of Albas feasting on deliciously prepared duck complimented by fine Cahors wines, as we gaze across a wide expanse of river, vineyards, sunflowers and walnut trees in the distance. Our neighbours - from the local villagers to the chateau owners - have been hospitable from the outset. Our social calendar is full with both local and international friends and family and our two little girls thrive on the friendliness of the local children and are gradually mastering the language.
My work has continued as expected but I spend more time in England than anticipated as the company grows and as people still feel that they need to see me in person. I hope that this idea will become old-fashioned as soon as possible!
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Justin Saunders has been a friend of Stanfords for many years. A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), he has been working in the digital mapping industry since 1986. He is technical director and founder of eMapSite.com
For information on Justin's holiday homes in the Lot region, visit his website: www.lotfrance.com
Author: Justin Saunders
Date: 31 July 2008
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