Trading Raincoats for Rosé: Our Adventure Buying a French House
Bonjour, world!
We are a couple from Yorkshire, UK, who have embarked on the wildly exciting, utterly terrifying journey of buying a house in France. Picture this: stone cottages with wisteria creeping over the door, sun-drenched vineyards stretching to the horizon, and evenings spent sipping rosé on a terrace as the cicadas chirp and the scent of lavender fills the air. Sounds idyllic, right? Well, it is. And it’s also a whole lot of paperwork, language fumbles, and moments of “did we just do that?”
This blog is our chronicle of this grand adventure, from deciphering estate agent jargon (turns out, a “maison de charme” might not actually be charming) to navigating the intricacies of French bureaucracy (let’s just say, we’ve developed a deep appreciation for rubber stamps). We’ll share the highs and lows (hopefully more of the former!), the hilarious blunders, the unexpected discoveries, and all the heartwarming moments that come with chasing a dream in a foreign land.
Why France, you ask? Well, after years of grey skies and drizzle, the allure of sunshine, good food, and a slower pace of life became too strong to resist. We craved a simpler life, one filled with baguettes and marchés, lazy afternoons by the pool, and maybe, just maybe, learning to make our own wine (though that might be one challenge too far!).
But it’s not all croissants and châteaux. Buying a house in another country throws up its fair share of hurdles. We’re grappling with legalities we barely understand, battling dodgy internet connections in remote villages, and trying to master enough French to avoid accidentally buying a goat farm (although, let’s be honest, that wouldn’t be the worst mistake).
We’ll be sharing our tips, our blunders, and all the little discoveries that make France so utterly magical. We hope you’ll laugh with us, cry with us (maybe when we get the electricity bill), and maybe even be inspired to chase your own foreign-fixer-upper dreams.
Alors, on se lance? Let’s do this!
P.S. Follow us on our social media channels for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes shenanigans, and even the occasional live Q&A session. We’d love to hear from you!
À bientôt,
We can’t wait to share the rest of our adventure with you! Stay tuned for our next blog post, where we will share with you how this dream began.