France - Dordogne Escape to the Continent

This gently-flowing river may seem like a picture of tranquillity,

but years ago, it was the front line in a bloody conflict

that raged for 100 years.

Find out more about that and where I am in just a moment.

'Today, we are taking a couple across the Channel, to entice them

'with what they could be their first property purchase together

'and we get some watering eyes.'

We've got tears! I was expecting it from Carol,

but we got it from Warren.

-No, no!

-Oh, it's lovely.

-That's great.

Welcome to Escape To The Continent.

Today, I'm in the Dordogne, in the south-west of France,

and this is the river that gives the area its name.

600 years ago, the English ruled this part of France

and they waged a bloody war against the French,

which became known as The Hundred Years War,

and ended in 1453, with the French victorious.

But our love affair with this part of France goes on unabated

and, now, there's a more peaceful invasion taking place,

in the form of British homeowners keen to own a slice

of what has affectionately been called "Dordogneshire".

The Dordogne lies within the larger Aquitaine region,

in the south-west of France, and covers an area

roughly the same size as Devon and Dorset combined.

In 1790, the French Revolution

created the newly-formed Dordogne Department

and it's here that you can see the region's history

reflected in the architecture,

from Roman remains to medieval dwellings.

More than 1,000 chateaux pepper the landscape,

with Renaissance examples in the north

and medieval strongholds in the south.

With a countryside that is reminiscent of rural England,

coupled with an average of 2,000 hours of sunshine a year,

it is easy to see why the British

account for almost 40% of all property investors in the Dordogne.

Let's find out what drew our couple here today.

Romance blossomed for our couple just 12 months ago, over the internet,

after their shared interest in angling

brought Warren to Carol's ten-acre home in Yorkshire.

I've got a fishing lake

and Warren came fishing here and we got to like one another.

At the moment, their respective homes are almost 70 miles apart

and they are desperate to live together,

so they have decided on a completely fresh start, across the Channel.

I'm looking forward to retiring

and I can't think of a better place to retire than the Dordogne

and I can't think of a better person to retire with than Carol.

SHE LAUGHS

As this will be their first property purchase together,

it could throw up some differences of opinion.

For myself, I'd want more out of the house.

And I would want more out of the land.

I would be looking forward to having family come and stay.

Carol has owned a fishery for many years

and is keen to continue with a fishing lake business

and, at the very least, her plan is that water

would be a key feature in the new property.

When you have got a piece of water,

you're never without something to do, ever.

I'd be lost without it.

And they have other ideas about how to increase their revenue further.

We have thought about gites and letting them out...

-Yeah.

-..for the summer period.

It'd be another income.

Both their current homes are on the market

and they are hoping for quick sales,

so they can fund all the elements they want for their new home.

To get what we are looking for, we're going to have to spend

somewhere in the region of £250,000-£350,000.

Carol and Warren are concentrating their search

in the north of the Dordogne

and, as the region is known for its abundance of chateaux,

'we are meeting at Chateau de Jumilhac, in Jumilhac-le-Grand,

'to understand the finer points of what they are after.'

Carol and Warren, welcome to the Dordogne.

-Hello.

-Thank you.

-Beautiful weather you've brought with you.

Tell me about your desire for water.

I don't think I could live without water not too far away.

I'd rather have it on the doorstep.

In an ideal world, we'd like to pick up where Carol lives at the moment,

bring it to the Dordogne and put it down.

-That would be marvellous.

-Yeah.

What about the actual house?

How many bedrooms, for example? How big?

We'd like a minimum of three bedrooms,

but there again, the more, the merrier.

Yeah, the more, the merrier, really.

Cos you were talking about also gites and having...

Some sort of business.

Although we are retiring to France,

we don't actually want to stop work completely,

-so if we had a little gite to run, that would be really good.

-Yeah.

Are you up for a project or would you like something ready to move into?

-Up for a project, definitely.

-Me, too.

-You, too?

-Yeah.

Can you foresee any... any differences of opinion

about the houses or...?

Carol will go for something really quirky, where, um...

I don't mind something that is different,

but it has to be liveable.

The budget. How much have you got to spend?

Around the 350, perhaps going up to 400.

Well, the Dordogne has come up trumps.

We've got lovely properties lined up, so let's go and see them.

Our buyers have a budget of between £350,000-£400,000.

For that, they are hoping to find a character property

with a minimum of three bedrooms,

although Carol would prefer more, to accommodate family.

They are also seeking the potential from some rental income

from an on-site holiday property

and at least five acres of land that should include a lake,

and they would be happy to take on a project.

We are showing our house hunters three impressive French properties

and we'll conclude our search with a Mystery House,

which, while challenging what they think they want,

is a sizeable proposition.

We are beginning our search in the village of Saint-Saud-Lacoussiere,

which is an hour's drive north of Perigueux,

and we are viewing

a classic 19th-century French manor house nearby.

It's funny, as you were coming down the lane, you were singing,

# I've got a good feeling... #

Ho-ho!

-It's fantastic.

-This is one of the grandest houses in the area.

Obviously, the vantage point is amazing.

It looks out, down over the village.

-We've got 12 acres of land, here.

-Oh, good.

-That sounds good.

What do you think about the property?

It's from the 1870s, so high French style.

Very much.

-And it's big.

-That's interesting.

-Do you want to look inside?

-Please, yes.

To the front of the house, there is a terrace with a view,

shaded by lime trees.

Let's see if Carol is as excited by what is inside.

-Oh, yes!

-Lovely.

Does that match up to expectations from the outside?

-Better. Better. Definitely better.

-It's lovely.

You've got all the modern fixtures and fittings,

you've a gas oven, bottled gas,

you've got all new fixtures and fittings.

Very, very tasteful.

Fabulous. It's really fabulous. I want to see some more, now.

Let's have a look at the dining room.

-This is a grand room.

-Wow!

-This is for best.

-So impressive.

-It's beautiful.

-It's a clever trick, isn't it?

Putting up this huge mirror, to bring double the daylight in.

Absolutely, and look at it - it's wonderful.

I like everything. It's so tastefully done.

At the back, they put on an extension,

quite some time ago, but they've made that

the more snug, family room.

I'm impressed. Very impressed. It looks gorgeous.

Upstairs on the first floor are two grand double bedrooms and a bathroom

and further up still, in the eaves,

is more accommodation, in the impressive loft conversion.

These are the original 1870s staircase

that brings you right to the top of the house, what was the attic.

Wow! It's lovely! Ain't this great?

And it is now, as you can see, a self-appointed apartment.

It's got a little kitchen, it's got a bathroom...

I like everything to the eye. Everything.

-I love it.

-I'm picking up on the feeling.

-It's got a nice feel to it.

-It has.

It doesn't feel strange. It just feels homely.

The house seems to be hitting the mark

and there's more space on offer.

In addition to an extensive cellar, there is a double garage and,

with the right planning permission, there is an opportunity

to convert the existing stable into holiday gites

which would fulfil Warren and Carol's request for a project.

But I have saved a feature that could whet their appetite

for this property even more.

Peaceful. Absolutely peaceful.

-Are there fish in here?

-There are some black bass,

there is some carp.

Is it big enough? Is it enough water?

Mm...no.

THEY LAUGH

Not really. What do you think, Warren?

-It's big enough for friends and family to come and fish.

-Yes, yes.

It is lovely, if we didn't want to exploit it a little bit.

It just looks like a very, very, very, very nice, big pond,

as opposed to a lake.

It's good to know your true feelings.

What do you think the price of the property is?

I am going to say...345.

-Warren?

-375.

Well, this property is actually on the market for...

..just under £320,000.

-Wow.

-So, a lot of land,

a lot of potential with this one, I think.

Yeah.

This classic French home comes in under budget.

Set over three floors, plus a large cellar,

it has a kitchen, dining room, lounge, three bedrooms,

two bathrooms and a double garage

and whilst the lake hasn't passed the test for Carol in terms of size,

there are 12 acres of woodlands to explore.

Oh, beautiful French weather.

If you close the door, we are all done here,

so let's head to the car.

Our next destination is La Bucherie,

in the heart of the Perigord-Limousin Regional Natural Park.

Within this peaceful hamlet are a handful of handsome homes,

which look out onto an attractive pastoral landscape.

I'm hoping this quiet setting will suit Warren and Carol,

who want a rural outlook, without feeling too isolated.

And a short stroll away is a show-stopping lakeside property.

I'm so excited to show you this one.

-Oh, yes. That's more like it!

-That's it.

That is much more like it.

You're going... We've got tears!

-I was expecting them from Carol, but we got Warren!

-No, no...!

-Oh, it's lovely.

-That's great.

It's a beautiful property.

I was so excited about showing you this one.

-LAUGHING:

-Oh, my oh, my!

It's a 3.75 acre lake.

-Right.

-And there is a fully-functional fishing business.

-Oh...

-Put it there!

THEY LAUGH

It's unbelievable.

You see what I mean about a pond and a lake?

Spot-on.

So much more to show you,

so let's get over there and take a look.

A wonderful start, and we have only just scratched the surface.

I have a feeling I won't need to FISH for compliments as we look inside

this charming 50-year-old house, which is divided into two apartments.

The upstairs can be hired out to anglers

and includes a large living and dining area,

a kitchen and double bedroom, with a shower room.

But we are kicking off in the ground-floor apartment,

where the current owners live.

Whoopee. Whoopee!

So, they have got all their living apartment on this floor.

These incredible views out over the lake

and they have got a study and a bedroom here.

What do you think about this sort of set-up?

-I daren't even look.

-Go on, have a look!

Oh, right...

Well, I'd just sit here all day and just look out there and...

Fantastic. A fantastic property. Fantastic setting.

Let's have a little wander into this part.

There is a brand-new, French-style kitchen here,

all new units, a gas range.

Yes, it's a lovely. It's workable, it's clean, it's modern...

It's more than acceptable.

You look at the ceiling, you are on a riverboat, aren't you?

Yeah, you are. It's...

Sit here eating and looking out there and...

I could stay here now and not go anywhere.

I think Warren is crying in every room!

THEY LAUGH

So, I'm going to show you something now,

and I'd like you to bear one thing in mind.

-And that is, spiral staircase.

-Mm.

-OK?

Warren and Carol were keen to take on some sort of building project

and I have got an idea in mind that could make good use

of the existing basement.

ALISTAIR CHUCKLES

I know it doesn't look like much, now,

but I want you to put on your imagination,

because this is the ground floor and the house is directly above you.

So, the spiral staircase comes into here.

And, with a little bit of money and love and architecture,

you take the whole thing out to the water's edge,

with decking, and make this the kitchen diner.

You wouldn't want a job, here, would you?

THEY LAUGH

Don't you think that would be amazing?

-Yes.

-Yes, definitely.

-Absolutely.

-So gorgeous.

Let's go and talk money. Out you go.

Besides the privately-fenced garden are acres of woodland,

with camping facilities for anglers.

This property really seems to have the foundations in place

for our buyers to land both property and a business.

Aw, it is a lovely spot. I shouldn't be partial, but it is a lovely spot.

As I say, almost four acres of water

and about the same acreage of woodland and land.

-Lovely, isn't it?

-Yeah.

How much does it cost?

I'd say...425?

I'm going to be really cheeky. 380.

This property is on the market for

£275,000.

Wow!

SHE LAUGHS

That's a hat-trick. More tears from Warren!

-It's unbelievable. That's great.

-Oh, dear.

This place has been waiting for us.

This lakeside property is priced

at £125,000 below their maximum budget

and offers our buyers everything they want on paper.

It comes with two self-contained apartments,

offering two kitchens, two lounge-diners,

three double bedrooms, two bathrooms, a basement

and, to top it all, a certified fishing lake,

which can generate a steady income of up to 2,000 euros per week.

-Big applause for your lovely tour. Are you happy?

-Absolutely.

-Ecstatic.

-Blissfully happy with it.

-Oh, God! We love that.

But I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you away.

I know. I'm going to take you away, but you can come back and visit

and pay for it any time you like.

-Just saying. Come with me.

-Great.

Carol is hoping to continue running a fishery in the Dordogne,

so to get a better idea of what is involved in France,

we are introducing our buyers to expats Charlie and Nick,

who have been living here for ten years

and run their own angling operation.

So, this is Warren and Carol. This is Nick and Charlie.

-Nice to meet you.

-Hi.

-We are going to pick your brains, if that's all right.

-That's fine.

I think it might be good if perhaps you two go and look

at the whole lake, cos you've got some beautiful lakes.

Thank you.

Nick has been fishing and working on this lake for nine years,

so this is a great opportunity for our buyers

to learn about the reality of running this type of enterprise in France.

So, what sort of fish have you in here?

At the moment, we have a mixture of carp and catfish.

Do you find it difficult? Do you find it hard work?

The busiest time is the spring, early summer,

when the grass is growing quick.

A five-hour changeover between parties coming and going.

What are the pros and cons of setting up a fishery in France?

I think the pros is the weather.

It's that much hotter down in the south of France

and the fish grow to bigger proportions

that they would do in the UK.

-The English anglers want to catch the big carp, really.

-Yeah.

The cons - being seven or eight hours south from Calais,

you have to try and get the people here.

Would you say it'd be better to start a business from scratch

or look for an existing fishery?

It may be better to look for an existing fishery,

because to stock a lake from scratch,

depending on the size and the size of the fish you want,

it can cost anything from 5,000-50,000 euros.

-This looks like it's going to be a nice fish.

-Here he comes.

Let's have a look at him, then.

-They are ready.

-Oh!

-Oh!

-He's lovely.

So, how much is a fish like that going to set you back, then?

A fish touching 30lbs would cost between 800-900 euros.

What a handsome fellow, he's lovely!

OK, that's been really, really helpful. Great.

'Now that Carol and Warren

'have more information about running a business in France,

'we are regrouping, so that our couple can learn more

'about the practicalities of everyday life.'

-You guys have been here ten years. You've had kids here.

-Yeah, three.

-How has that been?

-Fantastic. Yeah, brilliant.

The healthcare system is amazing.

Yeah, couldn't have asked for better, really.

So, would you need to pay for some medical insurance here?

Yeah, you need to get what's called a mutuelle,

which is a top-up of insurance, which you would have to pay for.

-Is it expensive?

-It can be.

-It can depend on your age.

-Right.

This is the land of 1,000 lakes.

Is there a danger of there being too many fishing lakes

or is there the demand?

I think there is the demand.

I think there is enough anglers to go around.

How about integration?

Because, you know, Dordogne is famous for having so many English people.

When we first moved into the area, I joined the local football team

and I was the only English player there,

so whatever you're interested in, join a club and twice a week...

Combined with French lessons, you'll learn it within a year.

You've got to attack it.

-Do you have any, sort of, regrets?

-No.

-No.

We miss people. There are certain people we miss,

but we don't miss...

We found, with family, our family, when we lived in the UK,

we'd live ten or 15 miles away,

we'd bump into each other year after year

or see each other at Christmas, but now, they come out and spend

quality time, for a month.

Carol, you are planning on having your daughter and son...

I'd like to, yes.

At the end of the day, it is down to them,

but they have shown a really massive desire to come with Warren and I.

-I'd like that to happen.

-It'll be difficult for you to leave them.

Well, I will have to force you to drink up,

because we've got houses to see.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules.

I think all this talk of family seems to have made Carol realise

how much she would like her children to make the move with them.

But relations aside,

there are a whole host of practical considerations

to bear in mind when relocating abroad.

It's necessary to set aside

up to 10% of the advertised price of a property for legal fees.

Some of this fee will go towards a notaire,

who are the equivalent of solicitors,

who work for both the buyer and the vendor and remain impartial.

If you don't speak the language, it's advisable to find

a bilingual notaire, who can help explain the whole process.

It's the last day of our property search with Warren and Carol

here in the Dordogne and I have to say,

it is pretty much a foregone conclusion

that they will go for that house by the lake.

I have never seen a response like that to a property -

tears and punching the air and dreams fulfilled.

But we do still have the Mystery House to go,

so we are going right to the north of the Dordogne

and giving them a huge project,

just to challenge how ready they are to retire.

I will give you a clue, though. It's not a river.

Our search concludes near the village of Marval,

which borders the Dordogne and Limousin.

A mile away is a substantial French farmhouse,

that comes with a sizeable lake,

and, as Carol's desire to have her family move with her is growing,

this property would certainly accommodate them,

as well as giving her and Warren

the foundations for the gite business they have requested.

-What do you think?

-Wow. I'm just lost for words.

Where we have brought you is a holiday complex.

This property has 17 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms,

scattered over this house, and six chalets,

spread out over 22 acres of land.

I've just got my adrenaline absolutely up to here.

Come on. Let's go and have a look inside.

Well, Carol doesn't seem at all fazed by the size,

but let's see if the interior will put things into perspective.

Not sure you were expecting this, in your living room.

-A pool table. That's a pool table!

-I can beat you at that!

-Look at that.

-It's a pool table and a bar.

This is really the centre of the social life

of the holiday complex.

-It's massive.

-There'd be hundreds of things you could do with this place.

Let's look at the kitchen.

The house really does offer all the facilities for a workable hotel,

with a utility room and WC on the ground floor,

but I'm not sure Warren is convinced.

-Oh, lovely working kitchen.

-It is a working kitchen.

-Absolutely.

This is a huge kitchen.

A beautiful skylight, bringing in lots of light.

It's airy, it's clean.

Warren, I'm wondering whether you are looking around and thinking,

"Oh, my goodness, it's huge."

I'm concerned about the finances and the running costs and...

If you wanted to, you could scale things down,

and just have the chambres d'hote, the guest rooms, in this building.

Upstairs are three double bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor,

but I am leading us up to the loft space,

which has been transformed into a further three bedrooms

by the current owners.

Mind your heads.

This is...this is the quirky feeling. It's lovely.

Essentially, you have got two family rooms.

You've got a double room here, a double room here

and an en-suite shower-bathroom there

and the same again at the back.

-That's big. It's a big house.

-It has 17 bedrooms, it's got to be!

-Yes, indeed.

-It's just got to be big.

I just want to wander off and just look everywhere.

Well, you are getting the gist of it, but you've only seen the half of it.

-So, let's keep going.

-Let's.

This property really does come into its own with the outside,

which has a massive 22 acres of lush woodland

that encompasses a river, swimming pool

and, most crucially, a lake.

-Here it is, what you have been waiting for.

-Oh...!

-It's the lake.

-Come on, Warren, let me see your face!

-Let me look at it.

-That's a good size.

That's lovely. It's...everything, now.

Let's go and look at one of the chalets.

That's the view of the lake for your guests.

You have five freestanding wooden chalets like this,

scattered through the land,

and then one, sort of, attached to the house, next to the house.

I'm still trying to take it all in, the size of it. It's huge.

-It's really big.

-Well, it is an undertaking.

What do you think it costs?

I think it's going to be about 425.

I'm going to go to the top of our budget and say 400.

Mm-hm.

Well, this is on the market for...

358.

CAROL SIGHS

That's good.

WARREN LAUGHS

Is that a smile of relief, Warren, that it wasn't more expensive?

Yeah. No, no, that's...

That sounds like we've got some money left to do things.

For £358,000, they get 17 bedrooms in all,

if you count the six holiday chalets.

It also provides 12 bathrooms, a swimming pool, open barn,

22 acres of land, and a six-acre lake.

-It's just a bit untidy.

-Let's go and have a look inside this one.

This is for us.

It's what we are looking for, it's what we want to do.

My main concern is the size of this and what we'd be taking on.

As opposed to coming to retire here,

we'd be coming here to run a big business.

And I know we'd have help, I know we'd have help,

but it's still...

We'd be taking it on.

Ah, there you are. Perfect timing. Finished your wandering?

-Yes.

-Yes, yes.

-Good. Are you ready to go on?

-We are.

-Yes, we are.

I think our Mystery House might have reinforced Carol's feeling

that she'd love her family to relocate to France with her

and that property could accommodate the prospect.

But now our buyers have seen all of the houses we have to offer,

'I'm keen to hear what they think of them.'

-It's been a long week.

-Yes.

-We've seen lots of lovely properties.

Personally, myself, I feel it's been a success.

-It's really reaffirmed our desire to come here, definitely.

-Yes.

It seemed to me that it all came into focus with the house on the lake.

You both seemed like this was the dream house.

I still like that house, but...

It didn't tick every single box.

OK, let's talk about the box it didn't tick, which I think -

-and I might be reading between the lines - was your family.

-Yes.

We could have accommodated them easily, but not comfortably.

Warren, you seemed to really love that house.

Yeah. It really made me emotional. It's still my number one choice.

But, you know, it's not just about me.

We have to work together on this

and I don't fancy moving into that house on my own.

So...

You loved the Mystery House.

The Mystery House gave you scope to have all your family.

Hopefully, they might come out and want to join in with us.

That's the big thing.

And if they do, it's the right choice.

If not, then we are going to have to downscale

and, hopefully, look at the one on the lake,

because there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's beautiful.

I hope you sort it all out soon,

because France is missing you already. So, come back.

You will be an adornment to the Dordogne, the both of you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

It's been interesting, being with Carol and Warren,

as they have discovered all these things

that they perhaps hadn't thought about when they first arrived here in the Dordogne.

So, I hope they get home and make some decisions

and make it happen, because France needs them.

And we, of course, need you,

so make sure you tune in next time for more Escape To The Continent.

Carol and Warren remain very keen on both the Mystery House

and the lakeside property, but still need to sell their homes

before they can make that dream a reality.

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