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"We live in an old farm property with three gîtes on site. The gîtes have not been let out for over ten years and needed to be renovated. What with that, getting the gardens under control, establishing a new business, learning the language, dealing with French paperwork, looking after four dogs and having friends and family to stay, we keep pretty busy” says Zara.
The old farm property called Le Hutereau is in fact a 400 year old former farm in the heart of the unspoilt French countryside which has been converted into a main house and three holiday cottages. Each one is named after a grape variety which is grown in the local area, Sauvignon, Chenin and Muscadet. “The gîtes are in a separate building, which used to be a barn which was constructed in the nineteenth century. We live in the main house, but we’re always available to provide local knowledge and advice on where to go and what to visit, there is so much to see and do here” says Simon.
Adjusting to a new culture and language has provided a few challenges for the couple but nothing that they have felt could not be overcome. “At first it was difficult to know where to go to buy DIY materials and furnishings, but we soon found our way around. Everyone one that we have met in France since moving over, whether English or French, has been very helpful”.
Having worked as a renovator and landlord previously Zara says that renovating in France can be quite different from the UK. She advises “make sure you have enough French to be able to set up the basics, such as electricity, oil, water and the like. Finally, just because something is done in a particular way in the UK, do not assume that the same process will apply in France: most of the time, it won’t!”
The couple say that forward planning and thorough research are important for anyone considering running a gîte in France: “We worked on the premise that gîtes will not provide us with a full income and that
Read our special Gite feature in this issue Page 92