I sold my three bed pit in Manchester and bought an entire French village

Collapsing on the sofa after putting her two children to bed, Liz Murphy felt like she was on a never-ending treadmill.

She and husband David would drop children Tom and Charlotte, then nine and five, at the school’s breakfast club at 7.30am before going to work.

They then rushed to collect the children from the after-school club at 6pm and returned to their three-bed semi-detached house in Manchester, where they made tea before finishing more work at home.

“I was kind of a workaholic,” says Liz, 47, whose job was in marketing for a local radio station. I did these jobs from nine to five, but in reality my hours were much longer than that.

“I was always on my computer at home and had no quality time as a family.

“When we settled down at night, we were exhausted.”

It wasn’t until Covid hit and they were both laid off that Liz and David, 55, who also worked in local radio, made the dramatic decision to move abroad.

“The weather was gorgeous that spring and we were sitting outside with the kids playing around us, enjoying the barbecues,” Liz recalls.

“I remember saying, ‘I wish we could do this all the time.’

“Dave suddenly said, ‘We could.’ It was a real light bulb moment.”

The couple had talked about moving in the past, but it always seemed like a pipe dream.

“Suddenly, I realized that I was missing out on the children’s childhood because we were working so much,” says Liz.

“It was like a switch went off in me and I just said, ‘Let’s do it.’ With the children still young, it was a case of now or never.

“We knew we’d need a vacation spot because neither of us were close to retirement age and we still needed an income.”

The couple put their house on the market in September 2020 for £355,000 and began looking for a place in France, where they have holidayed many times and enjoyed the relaxed lifestyle.

Every year, more than 20,000 Britons emigrate to France – and their numbers have increased since the pandemic. It is the second most popular European destination to move to after Spain.

Liz and David looked at dozens of properties online and shortlisted ten. They then spent a week in France visiting everyone.

“Like we won the lottery”

Their fourth sighting was the historic rural hamlet of Lac De Maison in Poitou-Charentes in south-west France.

Set in stunning countryside, it consisted of six 400-year-old houses, two barns, a swimming pool and three acres of land.

“I had already narrowed it down on paper, thinking it was too remote and too big,” says Liz. “We didn’t need a village, but it was so cheap at €450,000 (£400,000 in 2020) that we decided to have a look.

“When we arrived, we fell in love. I knew right away that was it. You go down a long way and all the properties are in a big horseshoe shape at the end.

When we arrived, we fell in love. I knew right away that was it

Liz

“On the day we visited, the weather was glorious and the pool glistened in the sun.

“It had everything a Brit wanting to move abroad could ever dream of.

“It was already an established vacation rental business and there were reservations for next year. It was important because I needed the income.

“I canceled all other viewings and made an offer. Less than five months later, in January 2021, we moved.”

With money from the sale of their Manchester home, the couple bought the village at the asking price, splitting the cost 50-50 with Liz’s mother Helen Diaper and stepfather Terry, both 73, who chose to move in with them and they sold. .

“We went from a small three-bed property with a tiny garden to this huge hamlet and all these houses,” says Liz. “It felt like we won the lottery.”

The couple spoke only “pigeon French” when they arrived, while the children started school barely knowing a word.

“My language skills were very basic,” says Liz. “We did some online classes before we came out, thinking we’d take care of it when we got here.

“Both children went to primary school in the locality, where English is not spoken.

“For six months, they hated it – and they hated us for bringing them here, away from their friends.

“We felt really guilty, but we knew it would be worth it in the long run.

“It’s amazing how quickly he learns. Within six months, they knew enough to get by and are now fluent. They both love it here and say they wouldn’t want to go back to the UK.

“Charlotte, nine years ago, was so young when we moved here that she doesn’t remember much about Manchester. She considers herself French. Tom, 13, has a great bunch of friends and has more freedom here than he would at home.

“I spend more time outdoors than in the UK, especially in the gardens and pool.”

The family immersed themselves in the French lifestyle, making friends with their neighbors as well as other nearby expats.

The school and the nearest shop are just under two miles away, but Liz doesn’t mind. There is only one problem.

“You can’t get a good takeaway curry where we are in France,” she says. “Other than that, I don’t miss our old lives.

“It’s a real gift to be able to work for yourself. We have to be careful and stay on top of budgets because there is no set income every month.

“But if we wake up one morning and want to go out for coffee, that’s what we do. There is no boss to hold us to account.”

The pair renovated three of the properties, spending around £300,000, which also came from selling family homes.

“We have no regrets at all”

“I lived in a caravan for four months, which was tough,” says Liz.

“We had to spend a lot of money on things like electricity, water and pipes. We had tradesmen, but we worked ourselves to save money. I learned a lot from the craftsmen as well as watching YouTube videos.”

However, with properties dating back to the 17th century, costly problems can arise.

It’s been hard at times, but it’s a gift to be able to share this experience with my best partner

Liz

“Last winter we had a water main leak and we had to put in excavators,” says Liz.

“The rain was torrential and we were up to our knees in water trying to fix it.

“It was one of those moments where we wondered if we had done the right thing and thought about packing up and going home.

“A few weeks later, it was resolved. We have no regrets at all.”

This summerthe couple’s three holiday homes are almost full and they have big plans for their village.

“We want to continue the renovations and start improving our own home,” says David.

“We would like to start installing solar panels and be self-sufficient energy.”

Despite the challenges, the move brought the couple closer.

Liz says: “It’s been hard at times but it’s a gift to be able to share this experience with my best mate – and it’s wonderful to see the children growing up so close to their grandparents.

“The sun isn’t bad either. We certainly don’t miss the gloomy weather in Manchester.”