France - Midi-Pyrenees Escape to the Continent

This spectacular bridge behind me has broken a world record,

cost more than £341 million to build,

and was designed by a British architect.

But what was the reason behind its construction

and where is it in the world? Find out in just a moment.

Today we're helping a Lincolnshire couple who have plans to make

a permanent move abroad to satisfy their desire for a healthier

lifestyle. And it all seems to get off to a positive start.

Love the windows, the aspect, the view. I love the trees.

-You love everything.

-Everything.

Welcome to Escape to the Continent.

Today I am in the Midi-Pyrenees region of the south of France,

and this is the Tarn Valley.

And the beautiful construction you can see is the Millau Viaduct,

which at 340 odd metres high, is taller than the Eiffel tower

and the tallest bridge in the world.

It was built to join a very inaccessible part of France,

with the main motorway that goes from the north of Paris

down to the south and Mediterranean.

And it was designed by the British architect Sir Norman Foster,

who wanted to create the illusion of the delicacy of butterflies,

and you can certainly see the wing motif in the seven arches

that cross the valley.

It's a beautiful piece of architecture

but it's also a great symbol of the Entente Cordiale

between Britain and France, which is what our show today is all about.

Situated at the bottom

of south-western France,

the Midi-Pyrenees is

France's largest region,

spanning some 17,000 square miles.

The area is essentially rural,

and with its mix of fertile farmland and hot summers, it's not hard

to see why this is the country's leading agricultural region.

This vista eventually gives way to the stunning hills

and crags of the Aveyron, a perfect home for the livestock

which are the source of much of the area's delicious dairy products.

At the heart of the region lies its capital, Toulouse,

a thriving city and home to a third of the region's population.

In contrast to the lively capital,

the region has a variety of historic villages,

including the world famous Roquefort.

The Midi-Pyrenees offers an intoxicating mix of scenery,

good weather and welcoming locals, and with so much on offer,

it's no surprise that many thousands of British expats

choose this region as their permanent home.

So what is it that has attracted our buyers today to this

beautiful bit of France?

Roger and Sylvia live in the south Lincolnshire

village of Market-Deeping.

They've spent 20 happy years in their four bedroomed detached house,

but can no-longer resist the magnetic pull of the continent.

For years now, we've felt different in France.

We've been going there for many, many years.

There's like a real sense of...

Almost like feeling at home somehow.

Although Roger and Sylvia's children have left home,

they're still a close-knit family, and Sylvia's convinced that the

accessible Midi-Pyrenees would offer an ideal location.

We've chosen the area because of its good road links and rail links.

And air links. We can pop back whenever we are needed.

Our buyers will both have comfortable pensions to

fund their French dream, but Roger would also like to continue his work

as a psychotherapist, and feels the Midi-Pyrenees would offer

the perfect environment to branch out with his business.

Part of my dream is to offer workshops,

initially raising self-awareness, a little bit of group therapy,

maybe a bit of yoga, a bit of artwork,

and the whole thing accompanied by French cuisine and fine wine.

Other considerations in the move are Hetty,

their motorhome, for which they'll need ample parking space.

And Rosie the dog, who already has her pet passport.

With Roger and Sylvia's house on the market,

they're almost ready to pack up and go.

All that's left is to find out how much they have to spend.

Our budget for the house in France is round about...

£200,000.

Our buyers are excited about starting their search

for their new life, and have taken the two hour flight to Toulouse.

We're meeting up 46 miles northeast in the attractive city of Albi,

to find out more details about their dream move.

-Welcome to Albi, guys.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

We're in the heart of the Midi-Pyrenees,

-but you've been here before?

-Yes, we have.

You're both great fans of France. How long have you been coming here?

-We've been coming 32 years.

-Moving here is quite a big thing.

What sparked the idea to come and actually live here?

A new adventure in our lives, and to live our dream.

And tell me a bit about the spec of the house,

like how many bedrooms, how big, what sort of style?

Our ideal place, which is perhaps mission impossible,

is to have this beautiful old stone place,

ideally with a swimming pool, a little bit of land.

Maybe three, or possibly four bedrooms. Not isolated.

We're looking for a sanctuary for Sylvia and myself,

potentially offer that to others.

-So this is your therapy work.

-Yeah.

So long-term you're looking to have a little business model

-there of having people to come over and stay?

-Yeah.

I mean initially, the idea of running a five day workshop

called "Growing Old Disgracefully".

I dread to think what's going to happen on that five day workshop.

Oh, wonderful things.

Fine food, fine wine, a little bit of meditation, yoga.

That's the dream.

And what about your budget? How much have you got to spend?

In the region of £200,000.

Well we have three properties to show you

and I hope that you like them.

-Follow me.

-OK.

We've got three impressive properties lined

up for our buyers, the last of which will be a mystery house,

which may not quite offer up their requested tranquil location,

but could give them more than they bargained for.

Our first property lies 65 miles northeast of Toulouse,

in the rural community of Castanet.

It's just a few minutes drive from the astonishingly striking Najac.

Our first house is just minutes away, down a secluded private drive.

This is house number one.

Maison numero uno. What do you think?

Lovely. Quintessentially French. Love the windows, the aspect...

-Everything.

-Everything.

-It's very pretty.

Is this too remote?

Erm, possibly not.

One of the issues for me is that we have a rather large motorhome and

it's almost like "how would we get Hetty, our motorhome, up here?".

-Well, this is obviously, you know, something to think about.

-Yeah.

Is it going to be Hetty or your house?

-Well, you'll want to go inside, so shall we?

-Yes, wonderful.

Magic, yeah, thank you.

That's a positive start,

despite some reservations over where the motorhome might live.

This beautiful 19th century farm building has recently

undergone extensive renovation, and I'm hoping

its interior will strike the right cord with our buyers.

Come on in.

-Your possible French home.

-Oh, wow.

-What do you think, Roger?

Beautiful open area, yeah.

The area for this large table for

when all the family comes which is, you know, great.

Good view from here out into the garden.

The thing about it is, it's nice so that

when you're in the kitchen, you can actually talk to your family.

Roger and Sylvia's children are a real consideration

in the French move and this property does lend itself to visitors.

To the side of the dining room, there's a perfect guest wing.

The bedroom features attractive stone walling,

whilst the newly tiled bathroom has a light and fresh feel.

So plenty to digest as we make our way through the dining room

to another impressive open plan space.

Let's go through here into the sitting room.

-It's a very simple layout. You're not going to get lost.

-Yeah.

-Very cosy.

-I like the stonework.

However, the stairs straight out of the sitting area...

it's like "hmm, not sure about that".

Not sure, yeah.

And also I like to see a focal point like a wood burning stove

or something like that.

Yes, unusually, they've taken down the hearth, perhaps

-because of the stair coming down.

-Yeah.

But you could easily re-insert it.

There's a chimney there so you could put a log-burner in.

-Yep.

-Let's look upstairs.

-Lovely.

There may be concerns about the exposed stairway,

but hopefully the upstairs will win them over.

It features a newly fitted bathroom, and the first bedroom is

dual aspect, offering up another light-filled space.

But I've saved the best room until last.

-This is, if you like, a little tower on top of the property.

-Oh, yes.

You can see the lovely wooden rafters.

-This room of course has the views.

-Hm. Yeah, it's charming.

If you wanted to have people to stay to do your course,

how would you configure it?

For example, would you have the downstairs bedroom as your quarters

and have this all upstairs as belonging to your guests?

Er, well, no, not really.

Potentially we would have accommodation in the grounds,

on a temporary basis.

-So you're thinking of maybe having them in sort of tents or...

-Yes.

The wish list seems to be evolving.

I think Roger's vision of glamping

could be a tall order on this hilly site.

However, the gardens do have a peaceful feel,

borders of lavender spill onto an attractive terrace, while a rich mix

of fruit trees eventually give way to a larger area of woodland.

It feels like it has all the right ingredients for Roger

and Sylvia's sanctuary.

OK, you may have spotted the jewel in the crown.

Oh, yeah, the swimming pool. Wow. Lovely.

Looking at it though, my only concern is, knowing my grandchildren,

they would be walloping down there and then over the edge.

We are on a little bit of a slope.

-Obviously this is quite a hilly bit of France.

-Yep.

But you've got two and a half acres of land, which is quite a big plot.

Big chunk, yeah. And I guess one of the issues is with loads of land,

how much work does it entail?

There may be concerns over the outside space

but I do have an idea up my sleeve for Roger's potential business,

which could just win them over.

-Underneath the entire property is like a vast cellar space.

-OK.

You could very easily sort of put constituted doors on the front

and turn it into a huge meditation hall, yoga hall, meeting space.

-So, another question is of course, how much does it cost?

-Hmm.

I think around about £189,000.

Sylvia?

Eh, I think a little bit more, around £200,000.

In this particular instance, Roger you should defer to your wife,

-because she's exactly right.

-OK.

-It's on the market for exactly £200,000.

-OK, yeah.

-Hm.

At £200,000, you get a lot of house and grounds for your money.

-We are moving on. We've got more properties to look at.

-OK.

-I guess you're probably quite pleased about it.

-Very pleased.

For our next property, we're heading west into the neighbouring

department of Tarn, and the rural community of Jouqueviel.

Our house is found down a country lane

in a peaceful farming community.

-This is the next one.

-Oh, gosh!

-Come with me back here.

-This looks intriguing, Alistair!

-Yeah.

And I think it's got lots of quirk.

It hasn't got much land, but it has got enough room to park Hetty.

Oh, Hetty will be very happy, yeah.

I'm intrigued.

Kind of, just over your shoulder there's like a wow view

along the way and I'm thinking, "hmm! I want to know more!".

Since you mentioned the view...

Roger and Sylvia seem captivated,

so before we get to grips with the house, I'm whisking them

through an intriguing passageway to the back garden to show them

this property's crowning glory.

THIS, I think, is what this property's all about.

-Oh, wow.

-It's breathtaking.

-It's the Valley of the Viaur.

Absolutely amazing.

You won't get any complaints from your many visitors.

-No. I'm speechless.

-Are you?

-It feels very tranquil.

-Yeah.

The gardens exude calm, and there are charming shaded spaces,

and a stone dining area, complete with a traditional bread oven.

There's also a stone outbuilding that's been

converted into a bathroom with an open shower, WC, and washbasin.

Turning our attention, back to the main house,

its reverse living layout could also offer up some interesting

opportunities for Roger and Sylvia.

Underneath here you have two guest bedrooms,

so basically this whole downstairs area could function

-for either your family or your retreat guests.

-Hm.

Things are looking promising.

I just hope the interior matches up,

as we head into the first floor through the raised wooden porch.

-The compromise is that the inside is not huge.

-Right.

-This is the sitting room, dining room AND the kitchen.

-Hm.

What are your thoughts?

Yeah, a little bit disappointing having seen the outside space

and then coming into this small inside space,

but I want to see more of the house.

Creating a dedicated living room would mean remodelling this floor.

As it stands, there are two bedrooms leading off the living space.

The master is at the front,

and leads onto a spacious covered terrace.

It's this area that could afford a solution for Roger and Sylvia.

While this is such a beautiful view,

it seems like this is wasted on a bedroom.

And since we've got a kitchen jammed in there,

you could push this room out

and maybe have a small kitchen-dining room here.

Yeah. I think it's doable.

Good.

Despite this higgledy-piggledy layout,

our buyers continue to make the right noises,

and I've got one more surprise up my sleeve,

as we head outside to a secluded spot in the garden.

What about this then?

-Well, this is a surprise. A pool with a view.

-That's exactly what it is.

Yeah. Every morning, breakfast here with that view. Wonderful, yeah.

Well you need to know the price, so what do you think that is?

I think around £215,000.

-And I reckon at least £210,000.

-This house is on the market for...

£194,000.

-Oh, crikey.

-What a surprise!

Our property is £6,000 under Roger and Sylvia's maximum budget.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-I was just taking in the lovely, lovely landscape.

-Yeah.

I think you'd be doing that a lot if you lived here.

We certainly would.

It's no surprise that thousands of British expats have made the

journey across the Channel to make this region their permanent home.

I'm keen for Roger and Sylvia to gain a deeper insight into what this

life-changing move could mean, so I'm introducing them to a couple

who have already made it.

Carol and Philip Houseman moved to Lunac in the Aveyron

earlier in the year, having fallen for the area on an extended visit.

Oh, he's doing the French thing, you see.

Carol has actually set up a holistic treatment centre in her home, so she

should have plenty in common with Roger, as we sit down for a chat.

Well, I thought this would be a great chance to kind of

compare notes, cos you're six months ahead of these guys.

-It was a very sudden move. You moved quickly.

-It was a sudden move.

We came out on holiday and fell in love with the place

so from there, it just seemed to snowball into lurching into France.

What exactly do you want to do when you're here?

Our dream, which we've had for a few years now,

is to have our own personal sanctuary in France, maybe offer

workshops for five days with the title "Growing Old Disgracefully".

-I think that's a fabulous title.

-You could team up.

-Yeah!

So, our idea is to have these yurts, or similar tent-like structures.

-So you'll be wanting a bit of land then as well?

-Oh, yeah.

What's the story with the land?

Are there any pitfalls about owning land here?

There's an issue in buying it.

-It has to be offered to the local farmers.

-Oh, yeah.

But they have to buy the entire property, not just the land.

Because it will have been in the community and they'll have known

that it's on for sale, that they would have been offered it anyway.

It just has to go through by law, really.

So, how is your French?

The most difficult thing for me around the language is that

it's that sort of intimacy of conversation that I can't have

with somebody who is French at the moment. And it can be quite lonely.

What about the practicalities?

Because obviously your French is not top-notch.

Where do your clients come from?

My clients come from England

because I've had a very busy practice in England

and I've ran workshops in England and the struggle has always been to

find a venue that has that level of tranquillity.

-Have you had any concerns about being remote?

-No, not really.

We would rather live on the edge of the village rather

-than in the village because of the view.

-What about the snow?

Is it very severe?

We are officially up a mountain here, and we did think that that

would be a problem, but the French highway system is very, very good.

They clear the roads immediately.

What do you most miss about not being in England?

The only thing I miss is the lack of decent beer.

Our children!

-Oops!

-Oops, oops!

-Are you talking about draught bitter?

Draught bitter, you can't get draught bitter, I'm terribly sorry.

The beer may not be up to scratch but Carol and Phillip seem to feel

they've made the right move,

and have offered our buyers a realistic insight into local life.

Roger and Sylvia will also need to bear in mind a few practical

considerations when planning their purchase.

If the property has been recently renovated,

it should come with a builders insurance certificate.

This will cover the works for up to ten years after completion.

For our mystery property, we're heading to the heart

of the Tarn-et-Garonne department, and the community of Laguepie.

This is a traditional village sitting in a stunning wooded valley.

Before we arrive at our last house, I'm going to introduce Roger

and Sylvia to some of the villages attractions.

Look where I've brought you. To the heart of Laguepie.

Do you know this village?

Yes, we have actually briefly visited before.

For the mystery house,

-we thought we'd bring you right into the community.

-Yeah.

Cos this is a great village

-and you can see it's got fantastic medieval ruins.

-Yeah.

This castle was sacked by the English. So we've been here before.

They seem to like the location,

and I'm sure they're picturing a house in a quiet spot,

but this is the mystery house, and it was never going to be

an obvious choice for the sanctuary our buyers had in mind.

-The mystery house is this building here.

-Gosh!

-Oh, wow!

With the shutters and the balcony and the geraniums.

Oh, it looks a really imposing building and so beautiful.

-Typical French.

-It's like a little chateau.

-Yeah.

-Four floors.

-Oh, gosh.

This townhouse is a piece of history.

It was actually built for a chestnut merchant back in the 19th century,

and being the mystery house, there's another big surprise in store.

Step into Ali Baba's Bazaar.

Oh, wow. This is just my cup of tea.

I love antiques, you know, bric-a-brac,

and I'm rummaging around.

The present owners as you have probably guessed are antique

dealers and they've turned it into an antiques shop.

Clearly none of this will be here

but do you see this beautiful doorway and the high ceilings?

-Gosh, yeah.

-Basically, you have a shop downstairs.

-Any thoughts on that?

-There's acres of space.

-Yeah.

Roger's idea about his workshops would involve doing yoga

and this space would lend itself to that.

But I think the thing that you'll love is upstairs.

This is a colossal house built on a grand scale.

The first floor features a hidden hallway

leading to a charming balcony.

There are also to quintessentially French salons, complete with

traditional marble fire surrounds, and original wooden panelling.

A contemporary twist comes in the form of a beautifully

renovated shower room, with glazed brick tiles throughout.

-This is the kitchen.

-Oh, wow. Speechless!

-So the very splendid sort of larder cupboard there.

-Yeah.

The double hearth. And these lovely tiles. Beautiful tiles on the floor.

Yeah, they're beautiful tiles. And the colour.

Typically French, like a lavender blue, isn't it?

I'm really really surprised with the amount of space that there is here.

Something that we've never ever considered.

-It wasn't in your wish list.

-No.

-A grand terrace.

Let's have a look at the beautiful...

For your breakfast, you come out onto the south facing terrace.

-Oh, this is lovely.

-Oh, wow.

-It's really pretty.

I love the decorative ironwork as well and the only thing I'm

thinking is that it's a house fit for a king and queen.

-Let's continue the tour of your palace.

-Lovely.

The regal theme continues through to the second floor.

Four double bedrooms offer up high ceilings and original flooring.

Two of them are to the front, benefiting from

stunning views over the wooded valley.

I'm pausing in the master bedroom to see if Roger

and Sylvia are keeping up with this grand property.

How is it striking you so far?

There's a lot to take in, but it's all very positive.

Are you having a bad vibe about the house?

Not a bad vibe about the house, but, you know,

practical things really, like, how does one clean all these windows?

But the windows do look clean, Roger.

Roger's polishing skills might be pushed to the limit,

as there's also an unrenovated attic and side annexe,

which could be converted into a further three bedrooms.

But we're heading outside to the enclosed courtyard garden.

Considering we're in the centre of the village, it's a peaceful space.

Lemon trees and lush planting flourish in the Sun-filled

southerly aspect.

And there's one more architectural delight on offer.

Come into the garden. The secret garden at the back of the house.

-With its very own Art Nouveau...

-Oh my goodness!

-..dovecote.

-Lovely, it's charming.

-It really is.

-Are you charmed, Roger?

-Erm...

Half charmed.

I think part of it is like it's huge,

so many rooms to decorate, so many rooms to...

It's true, it is a big property. But how much do you think it's worth?

-Around £230,000.

-Roger?

I think for me, erm, seeing all that you get,

my guess would be something like a quarter of a million.

It's on the market for £178,000.

-Gosh!

-Crikey! I'm really surprised.

-Yeah.

-For me, it opens up all sorts of doors and possibilities,

thinking swimming pool just down there and how might it be?

The mystery house is £22,000 under Roger and Sylvia's maximum budget,

and is by far the biggest property we've seen.

We're going to leave this place and find a quiet spot

so we can sort of tie all the loose ends together

and think about all the houses we've seen.

-OK, that's good.

-Good.

-Ready?

-Yep.

-On we go.

-Oh, it's a whirlwind week.

-It certainly was, yes.

-It's gone so quickly!

-Very enjoyable and very informative.

Tell me what you've learnt.

I think it's plain to me that we would like access to a city.

Well that alone is a really valid insight.

Are you going to follow any of them up?

What we're going to do is

to come across here with Hetty, our motorhome.

And look at certainly a couple of the properties we've seen.

-Do some more research.

-So you've talked a lot about Hetty.

I get the impression that you love moving around to different

parts and exploring France.

I was just wondering

whether you really feel the urge to root yourself in one place.

Well I think that's important,

because France is such a large place and the possibilities are endless.

Then all that remains for me is to wish you bonne chance.

-Merci.

-Merci.

Our adventures with Roger and Sylvia in the Midi-Pyrenees are coming

to a close and I really hope that they put down roots here.

It seems like they have a lot of desire to get to France, although

there's a part of me that also thinks they love the freedom

to roam with Hetty the motor home around this massive country.

Whatever they decide, I wish them all the best,

and I hope that you join us next time for more

Escape To The Continent.

Au revoir.

Roger and Sylvia have had lots of interest in their Lincolnshire

home and are waiting for a sale to fund their move.

In the meantime, they're planning their next research

trip to the Midi-Pyrenees to continue their search.

If you too are planning to escape to the continent and would like

our help, you can apply online.