Leap of faith

Buying your first ever property is a huge milestone and for some in the UK, it’s just not an option. So how about hopping straight onto the property ladder in France? Hannah Evans speaks to some bold Brits who made the leap.

- Hannah Evans

Chloe Turner (22) and her partner Simon Robinson (27) have a story that, for the most part, is the same as many young couples in the UK. Born and raised in Cornwall, they grew up in the same area and both spent their teens and early 20s working various jobs in the hospitality and healthcare sectors. Simon worked his way up to becoming the manager of a local pub, and the couple nurtured a dream of one day setting up their own hospitality business together. They moved in together, saved hard and in July 2018 became the proud owners of their first home as a couple. Here’s the twist – instead of buying a two-bedroom new-build on the outskirts of Truro, they had just purchased a run-down, sprawling house in Charente.

“One day in January 2018 Simon and I were sat on the sofa thinking about our careers, wondering whether we’d stay in our jobs or start our own business by buying a cheap pub or hotel,” says Chloe. “We started looking at businesses for sale in Cornwall, but after we discussed commercial mortgages with a broker we realised how stressful it would be having such a large mortgage looming over us.”

It then dawned on the couple that they could get an awful lot more for their money across the Channel. Simon already had ties to France thanks to his parents’ holiday home in Charente, which Chloe had also visited. So in summer 2018 they made a plan to start searching for properties, starting down in the Midi-Pyrénées and working their way up to Simon’s parents’ place.

They found La Roseraie on the penultimate day; a “complete shell” in the little village of Courcôme, but with all the potential to become a stunning home and gîte business. After purchasing the house for €94,000, Simon and Chloe set to work renovating their home in a project set to span the next few years.

THE FIRST STEP