France - Dordogne Escape to the Continent

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

but years ago, it was the frontline in a bloody conflict that

raged for a hundred years.

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

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

with what could be their first property purchase together,

and they've got some pretty good ideas about water.

It just looks like a very nice, big pond as opposed to a lake.

And we get some watering eyes, too.

We got tears!

-I was expecting that from Carol, but we got Warren.

-No, no.

-It's lovely!

-That's great.

Welcome to Escape To The Continent.

Today, I am in the Dordogne, in the southwest 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 is a more peaceful invasion taking place

in the form of British homeowners keen to own a slice of what

is affectionately being called Dordogne-shire.

The Dordogne lies within the larger Aquitaine

region in the southwest 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.

However, the French still cling to the area's traditional

name of Perigord and its people as Perigordins.

Dordogne's lifeline is it's 300-mile long

river from which it takes its name.

It dissects the undulating hills across the southern

quarter of the region.

The capital is the ancient town of Perigueux,

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

in the architecture, from Roman remains to medieval dwellings.

Its most famous site is the imposing cathedral Saint Front,

with its five Byzantine bump-studded domes, said to be inspired

by St Mark's Basilica in Venice.

More than 1,000 chateaus 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 50%

of all property investors in the Dordogne.

What about property prices in this part of France?

Well, the average price for a detached house in the Dordogne

is £101,000, which is under half the average back home.

And there are regional differences.

If you go away from the main city, Perigueux, to the north,

then you can knock 10% off your price.

However, getting a good bargain is not the only reason to come

to France. Let's find out what drew our buyers 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.

Warren likes fishing and I like fishing, and I have a fishing lake

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

Warren is a townie and I'm a country bumpkin,

and I am teaching him how to be a country bumpkin.

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

and they're desperate to live together.

Warren's urban base in Stockport, Greater Manchester,

is out of the question for country Carol,

but her bungalow holds too many memories of her late husband,

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

If we don't move now, we're not going to move.

And 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.

They've pinpointed the Dordogne as it gives them

an opportunity for a new beginning in a warm climate

and still within close proximity to friends and family.

I think the Dordogne is near to perfect for us

because it's a quieter way of life.

For what we like doing, there is opportunities.

As this will be the first property purchase together,

it could throw up some differences of opinion.

Myself, I would want more out of the house.

And I would what more out of the land.

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

We're hoping to be able to spend quality time with them

in an environment that's different to the one they've got here.

Carol has owned a fishery for many years

and is keen to continue with the fishing lake business.

And at the very least,

her plan is that water will be a key feature of the new property.

When you've got a piece of water,

you're never without something to do, ever.

Whether it is just sitting, looking at it, or watching

the wildlife on it, or fishing it, or playing in it...

I'd be lost without it.

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

We've thought about gites and letting them out

for the summer period.

It'd be another income.

Both their current homes are on the market

and they're hoping for quick sales

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

To get what we are looking for as far as the lakes and the water

and the gites perhaps, we're going to have to spend

somewhere in the region of 250 to 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 chateau, we are

meeting at Chateau de Jumilhac, in Jumilhac Le Grand,

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

-Carol and Warren, welcome to the Dordogne.

-Hello.

-Thank you.

What beautiful weather you've brought with you.

So, the move to France is quite a big one...

-Cos your French is not great? Do you speak any French?

-Oui-oui.

A little tiny bit. Basic, very basic, yes.

-Willing to learn.

-I'm learning by CD.

I travel a lot to Carol's, back and forth each week,

so I have a two-hour journey.

-And I've always got the CD to learn French.

-And how is it going?

-It's going OK.

-And I know water is very important.

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.

Somewhere where we can put boats on it or a canoe, fish it.

In an ideal world, we'd like to pick up where Carol

lives at the moment, bring it to the Dordogne, put it down.

-That'd be glorious.

-Yeah.

-But 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.

The more the merrier, really.

-Because you were talking about also gites and having...

-Yeah.

Some sort of business.

I mean, 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'd be really good.

-Yeah.

Are you up for a project or would you like something ready

-to move into?

-Up for project definitely.

-Yeah, me too.

-You too?

-Yeah.

Can you foresee any sort of differences of opinion

about the houses?

Carol will go for something that's really quirky,

where I don't mind something that is different,

but it has to be liveable, and has to be workable.

-So it is the fine line between quirky and different.

-Yeah.

-No, it's just quirky.

-Just quirky. So ignore Warren, listen to you.

The budget - how much money have you got to spend?

Around 350, perhaps going up to 400.

Well, the Dordogne has come up charms.

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

-Good stuff.

-Perfect, lovely. Thank you.

Our buyers have a budget of between £350,000 and £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're also seeking the potential for 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 four impressive French properties

and we'll conclude our search with a mystery house, which

while challenging what they think they want, is a sizable proposition.

And with their relationship only a year old,

buying a home together and moving abroad will definitely be unfamiliar

territory, so will we find them their vie en rose?

Merci beaucoup.

We're beginning our search in Saint-Paul-la-Roche,

which lies on the north-easterly border of Dordogne and Limousin.

The name La Roche, or The Rock,

relates to it being the site of one of the purest

deposits of crystal and quartz, which was formed by meteorite hit.

Today, the village contains local amenities,

including a restaurant, town hall and post office.

The property we're showing is a five-minute

walk from the village centre and has an impressive history,

dating back 900 years,

that should appeal to our buyers' request for something quirky.

-House number one. That's a fairytale.

-I can't wait to go in.

-Tell me what you see, what is it that you...?

-I feel first.

I've got a really lovely feeling in my tummy about this place.

It's lovely. It's like Hansel and Gretel.

Let me tell you a little bit about it,

because it is a 12th century Knights Templar building.

The present owners are an English couple who have completely

kind of brought it back to life.

It was almost in ruin when they bought it.

And it was just the old part here.

-This portion, this extension, they put on.

-Right.

Is your heart loving it or...?

My heart is jumping all over the place.

-What about you, Warren?

-I'm thinking about maintenance and insurance.

-But it is a fantastic looking place.

-Shall we have a look inside?

-Yes, please.

-Yes, please.

-I can't wait.

Well, that is a decent initial response,

but let's see if we can allay Warren's

fears about upkeep by showing him and Carol inside the historic house.

Of course, your eyes have to adjust from that bright French sunlight.

This was the guards' room, they still call it the Guards' Room.

You've got the 12th century floor underneath your feet,

the enormous 12th century fireplace.

It just looks so... It's been left for years like this.

-You know? It's superb.

-Superb, yeah.

-Can you imagine that?

You had absolutely roaring fire there and just sat. Yeah?

The present owners have got lots of things, you know,

they've collected lots of antiques, there's lots of furniture,

and they are happy to sort of negotiate some of these big

pieces being in the price of the house.

It is all very much in keeping, isn't it?

Every single thing that is in here is in keeping with this building.

-Let's leave this floor and venture up a floor.

-OK.

The modern extension to the left of the property houses a big

kitchen with free-standing units and a rustic French farmhouse style.

On this floor, there is also a double bedroom with bathroom,

featuring a pestle pink roll-top bath.

But we are sticking with the antique features

and heading up a floor to another sitting room.

Most unexpected! Oh, this is something else.

-Unbelievable, isn't it?

-Yeah.

The downstairs was sort of the working area,

with the Guards' Room,

and this is where kind of the governor had his quarters.

You've got the lovely restored stone surrounding the log burner

-which heats this room.

-Radiators definitely would go in here.

-Well, you do have to remember it gets cold in the Dordogne.

-Yeah.

The winters are cold, it can be -18 outside.

-So you need to think about things like heating.

-Mm-hm.

Anyway, let's look at the room upstairs, see what you think.

OK.

The house is laid out over three stories

and set apart by ancient wooden steps.

Up on the top floor, are two bedrooms,

one of which is being used as a study,

and possibly the most rustic bedroom, which we have saved them.

This is the master bedroom.

At the moment, you have got a walk-in wardrobe here

and a basin and toilet in there, so no shower,

but there is the plumbing so you could put one in.

Oh, definitely, yes.

Yes, that's not a problem.

Warren, what do you think of this space up here?

It's a huge bedroom, huge. It's fantastic.

But it has only got three bedrooms,

-so why hasn't this been converted into two bedrooms?

-Oh, no.

No, no, no. This is the sort of room that you could call your home.

Carol is already calling this home

and she has yet to explore the outside space,

so I'm hoping they will be equally impressed by the garden

and parkland, although I fear it may be lacking one key feature.

Outside.

-We've got a cruel tease.

-Yes, I can see it.

-You know where I'm pointing.

-You're pointing at that lake.

I can see some water.

Which sadly doesn't belong to you.

This was a property where we weren't able to give you the water

-that you desire.

-Yes.

But you do have 2.5 acres of land, so it follows the boundary down

there and sort of halfway along that orchard and then around here.

-And also this giant barn.

-That will be useful.

-With a little bit of,

you know, work, you can perhaps build something on.

-Yeah, I'm sure you could.

-You wanted to build a gite.

-But it doesn't replace the water.

-It does not replace the water.

What do you think the price of it is?

It's very difficult, there's nothing to compare it with.

-I mean, it's a unique property.

-I'm going to say 325.

I would say 375, may be pushing the 400.

This house is on the market for...

-£300,000.

-Wow!

-Yes.

-That's well done.

-Well, why don't you have a look around?

Cos there is this land at the back and also the outhouse.

-Walk on in and then I will catch up with you at the end.

-Thank you.

Thank you very much.

This unique Knight's Templar property is priced comfortably

under our buyers' budget.

Set over three floors, it includes...

Although it doesn't offer a lake,

it does have 2.5 acres of land with stunning views.

-I can see a workshop, perhaps a conversion.

-Yeah.

You would spend most of your time in here and we'd never see you.

I think so. I think it would be a good workshop going on there.

When I walked in here, I just couldn't believe my eyes.

It is like going back in time, literally. But the landscape...

..didn't do anything for me at all.

Carol wants a lake. That's what she needs. She needs a lake.

-Ah, there you are, you two, sunning yourselves.

-Yes.

-I'm afraid I'm going to have to stir you into action.

-OK.

Come with me.

We're house hunting in France's Dordogne region with Warren

and Carol, from northern England.

It is an area with a rich heritage in food products and they are

kicking off the day at the market of Perigueux - a foodie heaven.

This is so amazing, I just want to live here.

-This is marvellous.

-This is fabulous.

At home, you never see anything like this.

-You never see so many varieties.

-Absolutely not, no.

-It's just unbelievable, isn't it?

-I've never seen anything like this.

And all you can hear is French - no English, no tourists.

Parlez anglais?

-Anglais?

-A little?

-Is it cheese or fish?

-Uh...fish.

-Fish.

-OK.

-Thank you.

-Merci.

-Merci, merci.

I love French markets, they're amazing.

I'm hoping that Warren and Carol are warmed up

for the nice petit dejeuner

here in France because we have got some great properties lined up.

And it was very clear that yesterday,

although the house was off the scale of quirkiness,

it didn't have that all-important water,

so we are turning on the taps on the rivers and lakes and we are

hoping that they are going to find their dream house today.

For our next property offering,

were heading west to the village of Saint-Saud-Lacoussiere.

With Carol and Warren looking to integrate into French life,

there is a host of social activities on offer,

which include petanque in the village square as well as a yearly

culinary festival dedicated to local mushroom and veal delicacies.

Almost all the villages in the Dordogne have a war memorial,

and this one is dedicated to the resistance fighters

of the Second World War.

Village amenities include a selection of bars,

a boulangerie, a pharmacy and a general store.

And we're viewing a classic 19th century French manor house nearby.

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

"I've got a good feeling."

-Ho-ho!

-That's fantastic.

Because this is one of the grandest houses in the area, in the village.

It would have been sort of the mainland owner's house.

Obviously, the vantage point is amazing.

It looks out down over the village.

-So we have got 12 acres of land here.

-Wow.

-That sounds...

-that sounds good.

-What do you think about the property?

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

-Very much. I need to go in.

There is so much energy.

-It looks...

-And it is big.

-It's interesting.

-It's big.

-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.

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

-Oh, yes.

-Lovely.

-Does it match up to expectations from the outside?

-Better, definitely better.

-It's lovely.

When the owners bought the house in 2005, it was

sort of decorated in the 1970s,

and they wanted to bring it back to the 1870s,

so without sort of making it old-fashioned,

they've taken a lot of the furniture, the sort of big,

dark French furniture from that period,

but put it into a modern setting, so you've got

all the modern fixtures and fittings.

You've got a gas oven, which is bottled gas, you've got,

again, an old but brand-new wood burner there in the hearth.

And new tiles throughout all new fixtures and fittings.

-Very tasteful.

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

Let's go look at the dining room.

-This is a grand room.

-Wow!

-This is the best.

-So impressive.

-It's beautiful. Very tasteful.

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

putting this huge mirror to bring the daylight...

-to double the daylight.

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

I like everything, it is so tastefully done.

At the back, they have put on an extension quite some time ago,

but they have sort of made that the almost snug-family room.

So there is sort of a log burner and a TV and the sofas.

-This is perhaps more of a formal room.

-I'm impressed, very impressed.

-It's just typical, old French style. It's gorgeous.

-Yes.

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 is lovely.

-Isn't this great?

-And it is now, as you can see,

a self-appointed apartment.

It has got a little kitchen, a bathroom...

-Actually, the owners have rented it out as a holiday let.

-Yeah.

-You get about 120, 140 euros a week.

-How relaxing.

For you guys, I was thinking it'd be much more suitable either for

guests, family,

or you could reinstate this as the master bedroom.

Yes. I like everything to the eye, everything.

-Love it.

-I'm picking up on the feeling.

-It's got a nice feeling to it.

-It has.

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

The house seems to be hitting the mark,

and there is 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've saved a feature that could

whet their appetite for this property even more.

Peaceful.

-Absolutely peaceful.

-And in this instance, yours.

-Are there fish in here?

-There are some fish.

Obviously, it's not a massive lake.

It's not really big enough for a commercial fishery,

but there is some black bass, there is some carp.

Right, yeah.

-Is it big enough? Is it enough water?

-Mmm... No.

Not really.

What do you think, Warren?

For a fishery, no,

but it's big enough for friends and family to come and fish.

Yes. It's lovely if we didn't want to exploit it a little bit.

It just looks like a very, very, very, very,

very nice, big pond as opposed to lake.

It's good to know your true feelings.

I'd like you to explore,

but first, what do you think the price of the property is?

Um...

I'm thinking it's really going to touch the 350 mark,

so I'm going to say...345.

-Warren?

-375, again.

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

just under £320,000.

So a lot of land, a lot of potential for this one, I think.

-Yeah.

-So, why don't you have an explore?

And if you get lost, just shout and I will come and find you.

-We'd love to explore it. Absolutely.

-Thanks very much.

This classic French home, once again, comes in under budget.

Set over three floors, plus a large cellar, it has...

And whilst the lake hasn't passed the test for Carol in terms

of size, there are...

So this is the actual sitting room.

-Yeah. Use this as the TV room.

-Yeah.

-I think this is where you'd spend most of your time.

-Yeah.

It's quite quaint. It is a bit small, though.

I could live in this house, definitely.

As far as Carol not having the same feelings for this property,

I think I could persuade her to come and stop here.

It looks as though the water element is taking priority to

everything else. It is so important to me.

And it would have to be in view of the house as well.

I would go 50-50 between the water and the house.

Oh, beautiful French weather.

If you'll close the door, we're all done here, so let's head to the car.

Carol and Warren have chosen the Dordogne due

to its abundance of glorious lakes and rivers, one of which is

the 120-mile long river, Dronne,

which winds its way through the region.

Because our couple have such an attachment to the water,

we've sent them to meet guide Magali Manier, who's giving them

a tour from a unique perspective.

This is one of the major tourist activities to discover

the region from the river.

Do you have to have a permit to do this?

-No, you just come and meet a canoe-renting company.

-Yes.

There are many canoe-renting companies in the area.

Canoeing along this stretch of river takes them along towards the island

town of Brantome, which is known as the Venice of Perigord.

Evidence suggests Brantome has been inhabited for over 40,000 years,

but it wasn't until the medieval period

when Benedictine monks really established it

by building an abbey here.

It's 11th century bell tower is said to be the oldest in France.

Other charms include a 16th century elbow bridge,

as well as riverside cafes and attractive parkland.

So, it is a very famous town in the area, with a lot of tourists and...

Because the city is really beautiful.

And you'll find some craftsmen.

There are markets also every Friday mornings.

Are there many fish in this river?

On this river, yes, but maybe up to the river or down the stream

in the town, but, yes, there are many fishermen in the area

and places to fish, either on the rivers or on small lakes.

And after, you can go to a nice restaurant to taste your fish.

And now that our buyers have paddled down the river,

let's hope we can tempt them

with a property which showcases an equally impressive water feature.

It's back to the house hunt.

Our next destination is La Bucherie,

a 45-minute drive northeast of Brantome.

Within this peaceful hamlet are a handful of handsome homes

built from the local honey-coloured limestone,

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.

-I'm going to cry.

-That's brilliant.

-You've got tears!

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

-No, no.

-It's lovely!

-That's great.

Aw! I'm all emotional now. It's a beautiful property,

I'm so excited about showing you this one...

-It's fabulous.

-..particularly after what you said about the last one.

This is lovely. Oh, my, oh, my!

-It's a picture, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-We won't sleep tonight.

-It's a postcard.

Can I just fill you in on some of the info?

Cos I think it's going to really wow you.

3.75 acre lake.

-Right.

-Wow.

And there's a fully functional,

and quite profitable in fact, fishing business.

-Oh...

-Put it there.

-It's unbelievable. It's...

-Yeah. See what I mean about a pond and a lake?

Right, it's spot on.

There's so much to show you,

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

A wonderful start and we've 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,

which is where the current owners live.

Wow.

Whoopie!

So, they've got all their living apartment on this floor,

these incredible views out of the lake.

And they have got a study and a bedroom here.

So they live quite simply here, it is not a massive layout,

-because they have got all the apartment upstairs.

-Yes.

-Which you can explore later.

-Right.

But what do you think about this sort of view

and this sort of set up?

-I don't even know.

-Go on, have a look.

Right.

I just am lost for words.

Almost speechless, you were almost speechless there.

It's the first time.

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

-It's fantastic.

-Yeah, it is, I'm just lost for words.

It's a fantastic property, fantastic setting.

Let's have a little wander into this part.

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

All new units, big triple hobbed gas range.

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

It's more than acceptable. We could work with that easily.

It's not massive, but, I mean, I think this is so gorgeous,

with the dapple of the light coming up as you're eating your breakfast.

Or when you look at the ceiling - you're on a riverboat, aren't you?

Yeah, you are. It's...

It's eerie, eating and looking out there.

I could stay here now and not go anywhere.

Warren's crying in every room now.

I got really excited about showing you this property,

not only because of the business,

but also because of the potential of extending your living space,

because I am conscious this is smaller than you're used to.

So I'm going to show you something now,

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

and that is a 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.

I know it doesn't look like much now,

but I want you to put on your imagination...

Because this is the ground floor

when you're looking from the other side of the lake.

-See, these are the shuttered windows at the bottom.

-Yes.

And the house is directly above you...

So the spiral staircase comes into it.

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

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

make this the kitchen-diner.

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

-Don't you think that would be amazing?

-Yes.

-Yes, definitely.

-Absolutely.

-So gorgeous.

-Definitely.

-Yeah, that just makes it so quirky. I'm hooked.

This, I think, is great potential.

Let's go and talk money.

-Out again.

-Right.

Besides the privately fenced garden, are acres of woodlands,

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.

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

Yes, it is.

It's, as I say, almost 4 acres of water

and about the same acreage of woodland and land.

-Lovely, isn't it?

-Yeah.

I'm actually not sure anything I'm saying is going in.

-You're sort of gazing around in a swoon.

-Mesmerized.

I'm looking at the fish rising and I keep gazing around.

How much does it cost, your dream house by the lakeside?

-I'd say maybe 425, 450.

-Mm-hm.

I'm going to be really cheeky. I'm going to say...

380.

This property, with four acres of lake, four acres of land,

potential to develop and a business is on the market for...

£275,000.

Wow.

It's a hat trick! More tears from Warren.

It's unbelievable.

That's great.

-Oh, dear. This place has been waiting for us.

-It has been waiting for you.

Hurry up. It has only just come on the market, you need to act quickly.

Offer is going in.

Well, before you do that, go and look at the rooms upstairs.

If you go to the other stairs,

-that takes you into the fishermen's apartment.

-Right.

-Have a wander around as usual and then I will meet you afterwards.

-OK.

This lakeside property is priced at £125,000 below their

maximum budget and offers our buyers everything they want on paper.

It comes with...

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

I'm really, really struck on this place. It's beautiful.

All's you need to do is keep your cheque book in your pocket

and leave the negotiating to me.

And you won't see a tear then.

-Oh, it's great.

-It's fabulous.

This house is perfect for so many reasons.

It's got a huge lake, there is a business already attached to it.

There is a rentable place to the house.

It's just perfect in every way.

It definitely is the home in the Dordogne for Warren and I.

And if anything beats this, I'd like to see up.

-Big applause for your lovely toy. Happy?

-Absolutely.

-Ecstatic.

-Ballistically happy with it.

-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.

With Carol and Warren hoping to immerse themselves in French

life, they're taking time out to reflect on their experience

in the market this morning and the prospect of learning the language.

It is times like that when I would like to live right in town

so I could go shopping every day for fresh food.

Well, as long as we're not too far away,

-there'd be nothing to stop us popping into town as it were.

-Yeah.

-We're going to have to learn the language a lot...a lot more.

-Right.

Yeah, cos they're not going to, you know, put up with me pointing

at everything and saying...

-Cheers to us living in France.

-There you go.

Warren, from greater Manchester, and Carol, from Yorkshire,

have been partners for just 12 months and are hoping to make

a life-changing move to the Dordogne, in southwest France.

They have a property budget of up to £400,000 to find

their first home together.

But before our buyers commit to a property purchase in France,

there are a number of practical considerations to bear in mind.

It is 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.

And if you don't speak the language, it is advisable to find

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

Ultimately, you should make sure that you seek up-to-date

expert advice.

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 ex-pats Charli and Nick, who have

been living here for ten years and run their own angling operation.

-So, this is Warren and Carol and this is Nick and Charli.

-Hi.

So, we are going to pick your brains if that's all right.

Yeah, 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 find it difficult, do you find it hard work?

Our busiest time is the spring and early summer, when the grass

is growing quick, so I have to get extra help on Saturday,

on the 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 than they would do in the UK.

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

-Yeah.

And the cons, really... Well, being seven or eight hours

south from Calais, you have to try and get the people here.

You have to have something quite special to warrant them

travelling coming down this way.

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

of the fish you want, it can cost anything from 5,000 to 50,000 euros.

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

-Here he comes.

Let's have a look at him, then.

Oh! He's lovely!

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

I think a fish touching 30 pounds

would cost between 800 and 900 euros.

That's a handsome fellow, he's lovely!

OK, that has 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 health-care system is amazing.

I couldn't have asked for better, really.

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

You need to get what is called a Mutual, which is

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

-Is that expensive?

-It can be.

-It can depend on your age.

-Right. That's against us.

-But if you haven't got it, it could be a lot more expensive.

-Right.

Obviously, these guys are hoping to sort of have a lake

and, you know, this is the land of a thousand lakes,

is there a danger of there being too many fishing lakes

-or is there the demand?

-I think there is the demand.

There is the demand because the catfish-ing world is huge.

There are lots of lakes here, but they've all got something

special, they're all a bit different.

I think there's enough anglers to go around.

Well, how about the integration?

Cos the 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 are interested in, join a club and twice a week,

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

-You have got to attack it.

-Do you have any sort of regrets?

BOTH: No.

We miss people, there's certain people we missed,

but we don't miss...

But we have found with family, our family, when we lived in the UK,

would live ten, 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.

You have got four generations living under one roof,

-cos your grandma is here.

-Yeah.

-And your children.

My children, my parents, yeah. Four generations.

That's good, that's really good.

-It can be.

-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'd be difficult for you to leave them.

I'm going to have to force you to drink up cos we've got

-houses to see.

-Oh.

-This has been lovely.

-It has been lovely.

-Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules.

-Pleasure.

Our buyers might now have a better understanding of la vie Francais,

but having discussed the idea of relocating a whole family,

I think Carol is now realizing how much

she would like her children to move here with her permanently.

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'll 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, well, essentially we're throwing down a gauntlet -

we're giving them a huge project, and I mean huge,

just to challenge how ready they are to retire.

I'll give you a clue, though, it's not a river.

Our search concludes near the village of Marval,

which borders the Dordogne and Limousin.

In addition to an attractive church and large chateau,

are local conveniences, including a small shop, post office and library.

A mile away, is a substantial French farmhouse that comes with

a sizable 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?

-Well, I'm just lost for words.

Where we have brought you is a holiday complex.

This property, including this lovely old house, has 17 bedrooms,

12 bathrooms,

scattered over this house

and six chalets spread out over 22 acres of land.

Looking at it and the way you have described it

and what you have said, it just got my adrenaline absolutely up to here.

It's a business. So to make it work,

-you'd have to probably engage with that.

-Right.

-Yeah.

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

-Yes, yes...

-Yes, yes, yes. You are yes girl now, aren't you?

Come on, let's go have a look inside.

While Carol doesn't seem at all phased by the size,

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

I'm not sure you were expecting this in your living room.

-Yeah!

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

-I'll beat you now.

It's a pool table and a bar.

This is really the centre of the social life of the holiday complex.

You have the log burner and the open beams. It's massive.

I daresay that

there'd be hundreds of things that you could do with this place.

-It's a surprise.

-It's a big, big surprise.

-I mean, it'll take a while for me to slot things in in my mind.

-Yeah.

Yeah, you have really knocked me for six.

-You seem to be running ahead with yourself.

-I am.

-Is Warren keeping up? Are you on the same page?

-No, I don't think I am.

I think I need to slow down a little bit

and take it in and try to make sense of it.

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.

-A lovely working kitchen.

-It is a working kitchen.

-Absolutely.

What is interesting about this property is

the owners are willing to negotiate all the contents.

To keep it as an up and running business, you've got all the beds,

all the extra things that you'd need to make it work.

So that's something to bear in mind

if you are feeling a bit daunted by the scale of it.

But this is a huge kitchen.

Beautiful skylight bringing in lots of light.

It's airy, it's clean.

It's a working kitchen, you can see it is. It's not a show kitchen.

It's not something that is there to look at, it's something to use.

Warren, I'm wondering whether you are looking around here

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

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

If you wanted to, you could scale things down

and just have the chambre-dortoir, the guest rooms in this building.

The top floor has been converted into sort of family accommodation.

And the middle floor, so slightly bigger rooms, are...

-Well, you could use them as B&B rooms.

-Mm-hm.

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 the quirky feeling! It's lovely.

Since you have got two family rooms, there is

sort of a double room here, a double room here, and an en suite

sort of shower and bathroom there, and the same again at the back.

This is...this first bit is just half of the attic space?

-It is the same again at the back?

-Absolutely, yes.

That's big.

-It's a big house.

-It's 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're getting the gist of it,

but you have only seen the half of it, so let's keep going.

You bet.

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, Warren, let me see your face. Let me look at it.

-That is a good size.

-That is lovely.

It's...everything now.

Everything, everything that I've said is here.

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

That's it your view of your 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 of the house.

-I'm still trying to take it all in, the size of it.

-Yes.

-It's huge.

-It is.

-It's really big.

-It is an undertaking. Now, the property

yesterday, you know, you can move in and live very happily.

This would be a lot of work

-to maintain and to maybe bring up to scratch.

-Yes.

What do you think it costs?

Well, you know our budget is up to 400,

and I'm thinking it's going to be a little bit above that.

I think it is going to be about 425.

I'm just going to say that...

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

Mm-hm.

Well, this is on the market for...

Hold your horses.

..358.

That's good.

-Is that a smile of relief, Warren?

-That is.

-More expensive?

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

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

-Yeah.

-As you say, it is not perfect condition.

It needs...needs a little bit of work.

At the end of the day,

if we can put anything into it and make it better, that's a bonus.

If we can make it work as it is, that'll do for me.

Good. Well, why don't you go and explore and you might have to do

-some Chinese burns on Warren to convince him.

-OK.

And I will see you in front of the big house when you are done.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

I'm not at all convinced that Warren is 100% on the same page as Carol,

as much a she might say that he is.

I think he might have some reservations. We'll find out.

Our mystery house has left them plenty to consider.

For £350,000, they get...

But a lot of work.

-Rubbish!

-It's a lot of work.

It's not a lot of work, Warren, it's just a bit untidy.

-Let's have a look inside this one.

-Yeah.

There's nothing wrong with this. I've got to say that this is for us.

It is what we're looking for. It is what we want to do.

My main concern is that the size of this

and what we'd be taking on. As opposed to coming to retire here,

would 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.

I don't see it as a project, I see it as a way of life, I see it as a home.

And the idea of coming over to France was

to have family coming with us

if they still want to come.

And that is what excites me.

My idea was to come up to France and retire.

Um... Work half the time and enjoy the sunshine.

I think taking on a place this size and this enormity, I think

it is more than a full-time job, and I'm not getting any younger.

-Ah, there you are, perfect timing.

-Hello.

-Finished your wandering?

-Yes, yes.

-Good. Are you ready to go on?

-We are.

-Yes, we are.

Get to the car.

France is one of the biggest wine producers in the world,

and whilst Bordeaux has remained the wine-making hub of the southwest,

the lesser-known Dordogne vineyards, particularly those dotted around Bergerac,

have enjoyed a renaissance in recent years.

There are over a thousand producers in the area,

and amongst the most famous is the Monbazillac appellation.

It's highly regarded for its full-flavoured, sweet wine,

from a mixture of the Semillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle grapes.

'Set within the heart of its expansive vineyards is a striking 16th-century chateau,

'where I've come to meet our guide, Laurence Rea,

'to hear what makes this tipple so unique.'

This is a Dordogne sweet wine. Why is it different?

We have a climate with misty mornings and sunny afternoons,

and this climate gives a fungus, and this fungus gives a sweet wine.

-And can we see some of the grapes - are these the ones here?

-Yes.

Oh, my gosh, they really ARE rotten.

Because the fungus grows on the skin, like that. That's typical.

If you take this...

You see, you haven't

lots of water in the grapes,

but the juice is very concentrated in sugar and aromas.

-Would you eat that?

-Yes.

-So er...like one of these?

-Yes.

-Oh, they're so mouldy!

It's the same fungus you have in the blue cheese, Roquefort.

-Ah, that's good, I love blue cheese.

-You like Roquefort?

-Mmm.

-Yes? You like that?

I'm not sure, "like" is taking it maybe a little too far.

When is the time when it's best to harvest it?

So between October and November...

but we don't pick all the bunch, we pick part of the bunches.

Having eaten the rotten bit, I need to taste the sweet bit.

-It's better to drink a glass of Monbazillac.

-SHE LAUGHS

'Legend has it that in the Middle Ages, the local Saint-Martin monks

'discovered that fungus could enhance the sweetness of the wine.

'So they neglected their vines,

'and let what has come to be called the noble rot affect the plants.

'This fungus, combined with the soil blend of limestone and clay,

'gives the wine its distinctive flavour.

'And now that I'm familiar with the ingredients -

'I think it would be wrong not to sample this delicacy.'

How would you serve it, you would serve it just as a glass...?

Yes, we serve the glass,

and after the aperitif we continue to drink Monbazillac with foie gras.

Ah, of course!

Everything with foie gras and Monbazillac together.

-Then let us try a little bit.

-Yes. I think it's the best

if you want to know the sweet wine.

The colour is very gold,

and we often say that this wine is the gold of Perigord.

-And the smell is very good.

-Yeah.

So when you smell,

you have fruits,

flowers, and after, oak.

Yes. A little bit of fungus.

You have the fungus, which gives a typical aroma,

and this wine is aged in oak barrels so it gives a typical flavour.

What about the tasting - any tips about the actual tasting?

You have to put some air in your mouth,

and like that you can have more flavour.

OK, so...

In all your mouth you have the flavour of this wine.

You taste fruits...

Definitely fruity.

..you taste flowers...

-No fungus, I don't taste any fungus.

-No! No.

Cheers. Very good.

-I might have to take a bottle of that home with me.

-Yes, of course.

'I could while away many hours here -

'but there's a pressing issue to be addressed with our buyers.

'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 that prospect.'

-It's been a long week.

-Yes.

You've seen lots of lovely properties.

It's been a success.

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

-Yes.

We're definitely going to end up retiring in France.

It's been so lovely following the two of you round the houses,

cos you've got such great characters and you're obviously so in love, and it's very nice to see you

sort of looking out and sizing up the houses.

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

You were blubbing uncontrollably as you went round, Warren,

and you both seemed like this was like, the dream house.

I still like that house...

..but it didn't tick every single box.

But I could have made it tick the boxes.

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.

And that's what I need to do.

So, Warren, you were weeping as we walked round the house

and you seemed to really love that house.

Yeah.

It really made me emotional,

I really thought it was definitely the house for me.

It's still my number one choice.

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

and it's er...

We're going to have to work together on this.

I don't fancy moving into the 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, then it's the right choice.

If not, then we're going to have to downscale

and hopefully look at the one on the lake,

because there's absolutely nothing with that, it's beautiful.

You both seem a bit downcast by having to choose between these two

but in a way they're both goers, they're both options -

if one doesn't work you can choose the other one.

The problem I think is that WE'RE not going to decide on those options.

Those options are going to be set by other people

and their response to what we tell them.

-And I think I could certainly live in either of those two houses happily.

-Yeah.

And I know Carol could.

So one of those two houses I think will be...

will be our next house.

Yes. I would really hope it's the last one.

I hope that everything comes together for that to work.

So what needs to happen now?

Well, if it's going to happen for the mystery house,

I'd like to get on with it.

Well, I hope you sort it all out soon,

because erm...France is missing you already.

So come back, you'll be an adornment to the Dordogne, the both of you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

There's something so special about these escapes to the continent,

partly cos it's such a big move it throws up lots of big emotions.

And it's been interesting being with Carol and Warren

as they've 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, 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.

If you wish to escape to the continent and would like our help,

please apply online at bbc.co.uk/beonashow.