From down under to the Limousin countryside, and back again

Robert and Carole-Ann Pill, a retired couple in their sixties, have the travel bug, and they have it bad.  Hailing from Victoria, Australia, they’ve so far globetrotted their way around the UK, Ireland, the USA, Spain, Italy, Greece, Mexico, Fiji and more besides. However, since retiring and having more time on their hands, another idea developed- putting down roots for part of the year in France, thus being able to enjoy the best of the weather both in Australia and in France!
As Carole says, the air fare to fly to France (around 4,500 Australian Dollars) costs as much as travel across Australia, so it’s simply a question of different priorities, and for them, France took precedence.

Research is key when decided where to buy a property in France, and you can never do enough of it- the Pills researched for a year and a half, and watched classic shows such as Location, Location, Location and Grand Designs which whetted their appetites for a project of their own.  Could they do something similar they wondered? On their next trip to Europe, they headed to the Limousin area of France, having been inspired by an episode of Grand Designs where a couple renovated a historic stone house in the Creuse, which had been burned down by the Germans in 1944. After seven painstaking years, the DIY novices had recreated a beautiful home and chambres d’hôtes… Robert and Carole-Ann’s plans weren’t as grandiose, but they loved their three days in the area. Returning several months later once their house in Melbourne was sold, they began viewing, staying in a local gite whilst they did so. Of course, they fell in love with the very last house they saw! “We just walked in and knew it was the right one”, says Carole-Anne.
Their idea made perfect sense- buy a smaller property back in Australia (the children having flown the nest so it was rather too spacious for them) for six or seven months of the year, with the rest of the time spent in their French home.
The Pills took possession in May, unsure of what they’d find when they opened the door- “only the proverbial kitchen sink was left!” remembers Carole-Anne. In a strange twist of fate, they went to a brocante in Bourganeuf and recognised some of the kitchen units that were previously in their house!
Another entertaining episode took place when they pulled down a wall, leaving them covered in half a century’s worth of debris- who should knock on their door but the mayor, welcoming them to the little village!
As for their neighbours, many were really rather curious about the couple who’d come from the other side of the world to put down roots in their quiet and inconspicuous corner of France. “Some old ladies would walk past and stare at the house!” laughs Carole-Anne, “we always say bonjour to people and have gradually worn some down”. She mentions a woman who gradually got friendlier with them until one day she started chattering away in very fast French- “I just nodded along and said oh oui! to everything, which went down ok.”
The house itself was in habitable condition when they moved in but needed updating. There were four bedrooms, and one was subsequently turned into a living room. Robert being pretty good at making things, he constructed all the cupboards. Carole-Anne became a dab hand pulling wallpaper off the walls and redecorated a treat. The study and master bedroom are still a work in progress, and the attic has been left alone for the moment.  “We also have a huge barn, currently used as garaging” they say, so there is still potential for more living space.
As for any tough moments, the Pills say that –touch wood- there haven’t been any major issues.  “When we came for the settlement we got stuck in Guéret and were late for the notaire’s. Then the agent didn’t turn up and we needed a translator…other than that the worst we’ve had is the lightning taking out the phone and the internet during a bad storm.”
The Pills are also keen to improve their French and are planning to attend classes in La Souterraine. Daily life involves taking each day as it comes, whilst also setting aside one day a week for a drive- so far they’ve visited Oradour-sur-Glane the tragic town left as it was in June 1944 when the SS slaughtered all the inhabitants, Boussac, Cahors, Beaulieu sur Dordogne and the lovely Vassivière leisure lake. A variety of family and friends will also be staying with them throughout the summer.

The Limousin is a popular area with those seeking a holiday home or a permanent move due to its attractive prices, yet not totally overrun like other areas. It remains verdant, quiet and chock-full of quaint villages where not much has changed in the past fifty years. Budget properties abound, and even with €60,000 you should be able to find a decent habitable property with an outbuilding or two and a little garden (a quarter acre if you’re lucky). As the budget increases, so do your options- around the €100,000 mark you may even be able to find cottages with a few acres of land. A traditional mill house, with easy to maintain garden, a garage and lovely views over the Gartempe River is priced at €129,600.  It offers a good sized lounge with oak beams, fireplace and wood burning stove (48 sqm), a kitchen-diner (24 sqm), a bedroom with a window over the river and a balcony, a second bedroom with en-suite and a store room which could be turned into further accommodation. Set on a no through lane near Rancon in the Haute Vienne, it would be the perfect blissful retreat.
The Creuse is one of the most popular departments of the Limousin and here you’ll find all sorts of character properties- If you’re keen to start up a gite business, perhaps a character stone house with over half an acre of garden with two gites and chambres d’hôtes would be ideal. The main house has seven bedrooms including several en-suites, with one gite having three bedrooms and the other, two. The property is close to the popular Vassivière lake, 15 minutes from Bourganeuf (price: 243,800€).
If your budget stretches further, a charming 3 bed stone property set in over 3 acres of parkland with fenced paddocks ideal for horses, and a barn to convert is on the market for 315,000€. It’s located not far from Aubusson, the historic tapestry town.

The Limousin has a lot to offer as the Pills discovered. Green and lush with sloping hills, peaceful villages and bargain properties, with similar temperatures to the Charente and fewer expats than the Dordogne, no wonder they and many like them found their dream home there. And with Limoges and Brive airports serving the region, the area is also very accessible, yet another reason that makes it so attractive.
With a little bit of research and a few trips to the Limousin to decide on your chosen patch, you too could be the owner of a little corner of this sleepy part of France…

Their website: www.dessoft.com

You can also look at our properties for sale in Limousin.

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