Helen Diaper, 76, and her husband Terry, 76, bought the rural hamlet of Lac De Maison in Poitou-Charentes, south-west France
A couple ditched their retirement plans in the UK to purchase an entire hamlet in France alongside their daughter’s family. Helen Diaper and her husband Terry, both 76, snapped up the rural hamlet of Lac De Maison, in Poitou-Charentes, south-west France, after being persuaded to make the move by their daughter Liz Murphy, 48, and her husband David, 57.
The two families joined together to acquire six 400-year-old houses, two barns and three acres of land. Helen sold her four-bed property and Liz sold her £400,000 three-bed Manchester home – and together they bought their new village for £450,000.
They have since converted three of the properties into holiday lets – sleeping 19 people in total – while also renovating their own home and the grandparents’ house. Helen and Terry made the move with them and now get to see their grandchildren “every day” rather than once every two months.
The couple also noted that the French tax system was “better” than that of the UK, with tax deductions available when employing a cleaner, gardener or caregiver.
Helen, a retired senior practice nurse from Nottingham, said: “It was a big surprise in many ways. I’ve always loved France and always wanted to be here, so Terry and I decided on a big adventure and to go for it.
“Of course I could then keep an eye on Liz and make sure she doesn’t get up to anything. The grandchildren, Tom and Charlotte, are growing up beautifully.
“It’s nice to be with them and to have that experience of them, watching them grow and being involved in what they’re doing. I think the ambience of France is less stressful than in the UK.
“We are very much in a country with not much to do. But I love the laid-backness of it”.
After spotting the massive plot of land, Liz and David decided to sell their three-bedroom house and relocate with their two children – Tom, 14, and Charlotte, 10 – in December 2020. The couple had previously felt stuck in the “rat race” juggling “busy” nine-to-five jobs, and persuaded Helen and Terry to take the plunge alongside them.
Stepdad Terry said it “never occurred” to him to leave their “nice” life in Nottingham behind – but now views it as “one last adventure”.
“We liked the idea of a French lifestyle,” the retired computer programmer said. “It’s easier going over here, it has a nice culture and everywhere is spotlessly clean.
“We didn’t really consider the financial aspect of moving because we were very keen to beat the Brexit deadline. Also at that time French properties were selling very quickly so there was that additional time pressure as well.
“Obviously we all knew that French property prices were so much cheaper than the UK and our understanding was that other costs would be roughly about the same. It’s very difficult to make a fair comparison between the cost of living in France as opposed to the UK as our circumstances have completely changed, moving from a city to the depths of the countryside.
“So, for example, we do much more driving to do our regular food shopping. However, I think that the price of foodstuffs is roughly equivalent.
“Our electricity bill is high, but that should reduce dramatically now that we have solar panels. The French tax system is better for my wife and me as pensioners. Also we can get tax deductions when we employ a cleaner, gardener, or caregiver.”
Liz and David have spent the past six years getting the gites “up and running” and have extended their parents’ home in the process.
Liz, a business owner from Altrincham, Manchester, said: “Now we’ve had five years really with lots of renovations and building work tackling issues and problems, but now we’re able to sit back a bit – not relax but actually enjoy ourselves a bit more. It’s really nice.
“The kids lived in Manchester and mum and Terry in Nottingham. We’d see them once every couple of months, but now the kids get to see them every day.
“They’re as much a part of family life as me and Dave are. It is really nice as a daughter. It’s nice to have mum here, but also as they get a bit older I think for my peace of mind it’s nice knowing I’m here if anything goes wrong or there are any problems I’m straight away here. I’m not having to catch a flight to go home.”
The whole family lives mortgage-free, though Liz admitted they had spent “more than they thought” on renovation work.
Liz said: “We spent more than we thought we were going to. But everything we are putting into it is to future-proof it for others when they want to come and live here.
“It was blood sweat and tears, but worth it in the end, a change from being in the rat race. With properties of this size and age, I don’t think renovations ever finish.”
Friends and family regularly make the trip to France during the peak Airbnb summer season, while Liz and her family head back to the UK at least once a year. Yet the family remains content with their relocation and firmly believes it was the right choice for their future.
Looking ahead, they intend to move to a smaller home to better support Helen, whose health is becoming “progressively worse” – but are determined to remain together as a family unit.
