This is the delapidated cottage as we found it. We cleared out decades of rubbish, floorboards and old farm implements and and made it ready for renovation.

We tried to employ local labour to do the renovations but could not get anyone willing to start work in the cold weather, so we set to and did the work ourselves. We sourced materials from local DIY merchants and building suppliers. With our limited knowledge of the French language it was difficult to make our needs understood but we persevered and eventually managed to get the necessary supplies to start our renovations.

 It was a great learning curve,quite often frustrating and annoying not to be able to explain what we wanted but it made us determined to learn the language. We met both helpfulness and adversity. Some of the locals we met were downright unfriendly but in the main people were helpful and we made some very good friends.

All through the cold winter we worked long hours on refurbishing the property. It was hard work, often dangerous and sometimes fun. Finally, after the work was finished, we furnished the gite and made it ready to let out as holiday accommodation.

A new beginning - life in France