Vendee Escape to the Continent

This pretty renaissance town dates back to Roman times

when it was a busy coastal port but now lies 20 miles from the sea.

Find out why and, of course, where I am in just a moment.

Today, we're helping a couple from London find a new family home

on the Continent and the properties we've got

lined up are definitely worth making a song and dance about.

Gosh, who'd have thought a semi in Penge to a chateau in France.

You could search the whole of Europe

and you probably wouldn't come up with anything similar.

Welcome to Escape to the Continent.

We're in Western France and this is Fontenay-le-Comte.

Now, it's hard to believe but this peaceful town was once

a busy port up until the Middle Ages.

But when the marshlands around here

were drained by Benedictine monks for cultivation,

the sea gradually receded leaving miles of winding river between

here and the coast and spelling the end to its trading prowess.

Nevertheless, with its medieval walls

and magnificent Cathedral, this town is packed full

of history and culture and is affectionately known as the

jewel in the crown of this region called La Vendee.

About an hour and a half away by plane from the UK, La Vendee

is a department lying on France's West Coast.

It's about the size of Devon but with just half

the number of inhabitants and no major cities.

The landscape here is dominated by flat farmland,

often stretching as far as the eye can see,

peppered with the occasional charming village like Vouvant.

A microclimate blesses the region, with an average of seven hours

of sunshine a day. So besides agriculture, La Vendee

is also known for tourism.

Some of the most beautiful beaches in France are found

here along with popular resorts like Les Sables-d'Olonne.

The coastline also has a reputation as France's

premier destination for boating.

Inland, the 5,000 hectare Mervent Forest provides excellent

terrain for walkers and cyclists, while nearby the Marais Poitevin

is a vast area of marshland that can be explored by canal.

If all that wasn't enough for expats,

there are excellent transport links

to back home by sea and by air.

Despite its obvious visual appeal, when it comes to property,

prices in La Vendee compare favourably with the rest of France,

as homes here cost around 10% less than the national average.

They're also significantly cheaper than back home,

where an average three-bedroom detached house

costs £270,000.

Here, you'll find six bedroom farmhouses on the market

for the same money.

But what exactly are today's buyers looking for?

Well, let's meet them and find out.

Today's house-hunters are David and Elaine from south-east London.

They've been together for 13 years after meeting the traditional

way on a boozy night out.

We met at a club called the Clapham Grand.

There she was standing in the club

and she actually deigned to speak to me and I couldn't believe my luck.

That was 13 years ago and now we have three children.

The oldest one, her name's Harriet, she's 11 and then there's a middle

one, Archie who has to endure two sisters.

He's ten and Scarlet who's six going on 16.

For the past ten years they've been living in Penge,

in a house they renovated themselves

but now they're tiring of city life.

Penge is lovely but it's London

and it's very intense,

the pace of life is such.

-Life is quite mundane really, isn't it?

-Yeah.

You, sort of, wait for the weekend, fit in a couple of activities

and then another week starts.

As soon as you poke your nose out of the door,

it costs a small fortune when there's five of you.

As a family we belong to Penge Bike Club.

The cycling is the one thing that they can all do together

but, I think, we want to do more.

They think the answer is a move abroad where they hope

they can build a different kind of life for the children.

I think one of the attractions, hopefully,

is that they spend more time outside.

I think you learn more from climbing trees

and falling down and the sort of things I used to do as a child.

You know, we're so divorced from that sort of lifestyle

and I'd like to go back to that.

They've got their heart set on our nearest neighbour, France.

France is close, having been there many times you understand what

it is you're going to do over there.

Their values are quite similar as well.

So, the transition for a family, I think, is quite easy.

Their house is already under offer

but with David currently working as a self-employed tiler in London,

the move may not be that straightforward.

We need to move somewhere that is commutable.

David, for at least a couple of years, is going

to continue to work in the UK.

And there's the children's education to think about.

Our main priority, when we move to France, is really to establish

the children in schools, to make sure that the schools are suitable,

that they're happy in the school.

I would say it is the biggest risk we've ever taken.

We're leaving quite a reasonable lifestyle, a lovely house.

We're taking a gamble.

If we sell up and move out of London, we're not coming back.

I think it's time to change. It's a big world

and there's lots more out there really, so let's go and do something.

We're focusing our search in the countryside around

Fontenay-le-Comte,

an area full of great properties and well-served by two airports,

so useful for David's trips back to the UK.

But with a whole family to think about,

are they ready to take the plunge?

Time to find out.

Well, David and Elaine, welcome to Western France.

-Are you looking forward the next few days?

-Oh, gosh, yes.

-Yeah?

-No, it's quite exciting.

-How are you feeling?

The move would mean packing up a house, shifting a house,

so a little bit apprehensive.

I like that, the reality check straightaway.

We know that France is hugely popular with Brits

searching for a new life abroad.

I think it is the number one destination.

Why does it so appeal to you as a family?

You get so much more for your money and just the climate.

I mean, I envy the French, a 35 hour week,

I think that's a wonderful thing.

Is part of this search about finding that new career over here?

Yes, I think so.

I don't want to be too static for too long.

I think it would be nice to do something else.

Let's talk about the children because they're an important part of this move.

They're one of the reasons why you want to try and live in France.

How difficult do you think the move will be for them?

I mean, they're getting older, Scarlet is still quite little

but I think they, once set in the right direction, will

establish themselves hopefully and then from what I know when you live

in France, if you join associations or different clubs then that will

enable them to get a broader range of friends and us too really.

So let's talk about this French property,

what exactly is it that you're after?

Nice high ceilings, a stone property preferably.

How many bedrooms?

A minimum of four. You know, I'm quite up for a project if possible.

If we can expand a property and perhaps, you know, get some income.

So if you're going to expand the property, are we talking gites,

holiday lets, holiday homes?

Yes, something like that possibly.

See, the impression I'm getting is that you're actually very flexible,

nothing seems to be set in stone.

Yeah, it would have been easier had we maybe had a tick list with things to find

and then you could have just gone straight to the source but hopefully

a variety means that we're blown away.

Now, let's discuss your budget because it is rather healthy.

Yes, we're looking to spend £600,000,

ideally as little as possible.

Yes, so if we can come under that budget you'll be happy , will you?

Yes, because that would give just more money to do it up.

And that's the game plan, isn't it?

Get a perfect home in the right location, relatively close to

a school and then David could work full-time in France?

-Ideally.

-Ideally.

Well, we do have some splendid properties lined up to show you.

-Are you keen to get going?

-Yep.

-Oh, yes, please.

-Follow me.

-Great.

With their £600,000 budget, David and Elaine are looking for...

We've got four properties lined up which we hope will give them

everything they're looking for and more.

At the end of each house tour I'll be asking them

to put a price on our carefully selected offerings

and along the way we'll be giving our buyers the chance

to sample authentic day-to-day living in France.

Last but not least, we'll be lording it up with our Mystery House,

chosen to challenge their property wish list.

Our first property is in the west of our search area

in Saint-Aubin-la-Plaine.

This remote hamlet has a shop and a bar

and the all-important primary school.

While, a few miles away, the larger village of Sainte-Gemme-la-Plaine

offers a wider choice of amenities.

The house is on the outskirts Saint-Aubin,

surrounded by fields of crops.

So, let's introduce you to your

first property here in Western France.

It's a Vendeen farmhouse.

-Wow!

-I like it.

-No, it's stunning.

So the farmhouse itself is about 180 years old.

It's lovely, you know, it's got a permanent feel to it.

And just on the left there's a huge barn.

-That looks as if it's got a huge footprint.

-Yep.

-You might have noticed the swimming pool behind us.

-Yep.

So you haven't looked at any French homes, how does it rate so far?

-Exciting.

-Very nice.

-Yeah? Shall we step inside?

-Yes.

-Oh, yes, please.

The classic style of the farmhouse seems to have met with

approval from David and Elaine

and the interior doesn't disappoint,

with large spacious rooms and plenty of original features.

So just off the hallway, which has a real old authentic feel

leads us into our living room.

-Lovely.

-Lovely.

-Look at the fireplace.

-The beams are huge.

I think with a beam in a house, it makes it feel like a home.

It's got the feeling of the period farmhouse.

The floor is unusual that it's concrete and not tiles.

I think I would have rather have had a lovely original farmhouse floor.

Yes, I'm with you on that.

You can tile directly over the top, you know,

put in nice natural stone on the top.

-You see, we have a man that does, haven't we?

-Well, there we go,

entering my field of expertise.

-I like that, I like that you see the potential straight away.

-Yep.

Excellent, that's a good start. Well, if you'd like to follow me.

'Heading in the other direction, the hallway leads into a

'large dining room, a useful utility room and finally the kitchen.'

I would call this quite a typical French kitchen,

-as in, not extremely large.

-Very small.

Well, bigger than the one I've got at home.

But you do have that utility room next-door.

You could open it out.

This room, I think, could work as, sort of, the utility room/larder

and then in the room next-door, in the dining room,

that could be a big open-plan kitchen.

You put that kitchen in the dining room and it would be magnificent.

Do you like it so far?

I'm not overly enamoured by it.

-David?

-There's nothing wrong with the place at all but nothing's really

grabbed me yet.

But there is something special next-door that I'd love to show you.

While the layout downstairs might benefit from a rejig,

upstairs is perfectly formed.

Situated off a central corridor are four good-sized double bedrooms

and there's a family bathroom.

But it's what's outside that I'm hoping we'll win David

and Elaine round because behind the farmhouse is an entirely

separate building, recently refurbished to a high standard.

So you've probably guessed by now that the surprise is you've got

a four bedroom gite, all en suite, beautifully appointed.

It's still quite neutral but you wouldn't need to do a thing.

-It's nicely done.

-So this is one big gite with four bedrooms?

-Yes.

-Wow.

A really large kitchen and utility room

and if that wasn't enough, they've got their own summing pool,

which can be heated in the summer months.

Wow, fit for purpose.

It is fit for purpose. And, at the moment, the way it works is

the owners actually rent out the farmhouse and the gite,

only during the peak of the summer months

and they make about £30,000 a year.

-Wow, that surprises me that it's that much money.

-Yeah.

I know, we'll get a tent and we can live in a tent

and rent out both out and

I'll retire.

The business potential of this property has got them thinking.

They're starting to open their minds to the opportunities

this farmhouse offers and there are more of those to discuss.

So I've brought you to the front of the farmhouse because here you

really can get to appreciate your land and some of the outbuildings.

Your own pool, and the gite has its own pool, about seven acres of land

and the barn.

Now, the barn's been renovated,

it's had a brand-new roof put on at a vast expense.

Inside there's just storage.

If you wanted to, you could convert that into a second gite.

I like the barn. I like the barn with the prospect of

that being our home.

So are we thinking, convert the barn for you and the family

and renting out the farmhouse and the other gite?

It's certainly a possibility.

So starting off with this, sort of, flexible idea that you had,

we've now got a business underway by the sounds of it, Elaine.

This is set up perfectly that one exists separately from the other.

-But there's one part of the jigsaw that we have to discuss...

-Money.

Well, that's a very good part but I was going to say the children.

-Oh, oh!

-Schools, you know, we've got this dream, we've got

this adventure going on

but they still need a little bit of an education, don't they?

So there are quite a few schools in the surrounding areas.

You've got three areas, Sainte-Gemme, Saint-Aubin and Lucon.

And between them they go from primary

all the way through to secondary.

So now we've got to discuss money.

How much do you think the asking price is?

-540,000.

-That was very definite, I like that. 540,000. OK.

500,000.

500,000? You have been thinking about it, haven't you?

I think you're going to be slightly surprised.

The asking price is

just over £416,000...

-Wow.

-Wow.

-..on today's exchange rate.

That's staggering.

Way, way under your budget.

416,000.

Which would give us a huge amount to do the work on the barn,

-which, you know, makes it viable.

-Yeah.

There you go, ready-made business on your doorstep.

How are you going to top it? That's going to be the problem.

Go and have another wander around, be my guest, take your time,

enjoy, it's only our first property, remember.

I'll see you in a minute.

Priced at £416,000, this property includes...

Coming in at around £185,000 under budget,

even after fees and taxes

there'd be plenty left in the pot to convert the barn.

As for the location, it's good,

close to schools but in a rural spot with plenty of land.

-Whoa!

-Great working space.

What I like most about the property is that you could

live here and run a business without feeling that your business

took over your day-to-day life.

I think the kids would love it. One, swimming pool - heaven,

two, I think they would be ecstatic.

The work that we would need to do to this house would please David

-because I could see a small digger being involved.

-Yes!

Yes, I've always wanted to have a go at a digger.

How are you feeling? You've had a little time

to wander round on your own, got used to the shock of the price?

Excited.

You view it differently when you know that you've got the budget to

make alterations and finish certain jobs.

So, yeah, really excited.

I'm delighted us, we've started off on a high.

We've got more properties to show you over the next few days,

but now we're going to take you to your accommodation tonight

because we thought, well, rather than put you in a hotel,

it might be nice to take you to a village, a town,

so that you can immerse yourself, have some time on your own

and really get a flavour of what life here might be like.

-Ready to go?

-Lovely.

To accommodate our buyers during their stay, we've chosen

a gite a few miles east of Fontenay-le-Comte.

We're hoping a couple of days by themselves in this pretty

stone cottage will give them a taste of their new life in France.

-There are the keys.

-Thank you.

Your suitcases are already inside.

So enjoy and I'll be seeing you in the morning to show you

some more properties.

-Bye.

-Bye-bye.

-Bye.

-Oh, this is nice.

-Oh, yeah, it's lovely.

Shall we have a look upstairs?

Yeah, after you, honey.

Time for our couple to get the bags unpacked,

make themselves at home and kick back.

So I wonder how the children are getting on without us?

Oh, I imagine they're driving everyone crazy.

They'd enjoy that house this morning.

And we're quite near the coast as well so the opportunity to

go to the beach each day.

Only, what, about 20/30 minutes drive?

-Let's have a "cheers" to France.

-Cheers.

It's day two of our house-hunt in the La Vendee in Western France.

With a generous £600,000 budget,

our couple from south London are hoping to find a traditional French

home for their family,

preferably with business opportunities attached.

So what will today's properties have to offer?

When we first met David and Elaine, I got the distinct

impression that their plans for this move were fluid, to say the least.

But after showing them our first property,

that splendid farmhouse with ready-made gite,

the fact that it was a home

and a business in one, well under their budget,

well, I think things became a little clearer for our couple.

Yesterday's property was a rural retreat,

today we're going to show them a town house

in the heart of a community.

We've come to Maillezais, a small town

seven miles outside Fontenay-le-Comte.

With its pretty streets lined with stone buildings

and an impressive ruined abbey,

Maillezais is one of the most popular tourist destinations

in the region.

It also lies on the edge of the marshland,

known as the Marais Poitevin.

Another big draw for visitors who can explore the area

by boat along a network of canals.

The village itself has a handful of amenities including

a restaurant and a cluster of shops.

-Good morning to you.

-BOTH: Morning.

Now, what has happened to the weather?

-Home from home.

-Yes.

It is a little bit but I'm feeling optimistic,

I think it's going to clear as the day goes on.

I'll cross my fingers as I say that.

Now, you might be wondering why we've brought you to this village of Maillezais

and we're standing next to this beautiful ruined abbey.

This is part of the story

because your future home could be in this village.

Shall we go and take a look at our next property?

-Yeah.

-Yes, please.

The property is an impressive town house

in a great central location.

So how about this as something a little bit different?

-A bit different, yeah!

-It is, isn't it?

This house was actually owned by the local landowner.

He owned 250 hectares.

The courtyard, the building,

I can see it being an important building once upon a time.

A great feeling of space, you know?

To have this amount of room in front of a house in a village.

You can tell it was a wealthy owner, can't you?

Before we step inside, I just want to point one thing out to you.

It was built in about 1837

but in the 1850s the next-door neighbour built a taller property,

so they had an extra floor put on just so that everybody was

reminded of their wealth and status within the village.

We have high aspirations for the two of you.

-Shall we go inside?

-Yep.

-Yes, please.

So come on through.

What you get, I think, straightaway as you walk into

this property is the elegance, the grandeur.

Just look at that sweeping staircase going up.

Much more formal than the farmhouse, you know,

-a more elegant way of living.

-Yeah.

Well, let's see if you like it as we go through.

I'll just leave my umbrella there and we'll start the tour.

A long corridor runs along the front of the building,

off it is an unusual octagonal study.

Further along it leads to the impressive centrepiece of the house,

a fabulous double dining room with open fire.

THEY GASP AND LAUGH

This is a large property.

We've already walked past one room and you have this magnificent room

which, as you probably have noticed, has a real French style about it.

-Gosh, you don't see that from the hallway, do you?

-No.

And if you look over there, that's a pot-auge.

That's where they would have actually cooked the food.

So if you brought your guests in, if the knew you had one of those,

you had serious money and status.

You don't find many houses like this in South East London.

-No.

-No. It's a bit staggering really.

Could you imagine yourselves living in here?

-Yeah.

-Yes.

Especially with the fire and food. Fire and food go well together.

That's such a lovely fire place.

All right, well, let's show you the kitchen.

You might have to manage expectations

a little bit with this one.

I don't go in the kitchen.

Now, come into your French kitchen.

ELAINE LAUGHS

It's not quite the same as next-door

but it has a certain amount of charm,

I think is the word I'm going to use.

Bijou.

-Elaine's spellbound.

-It's rotten.

We can rip it out.

Well, you said you don't mind doing a kitchen,

you don't mind little bit of a project.

No, and I guess if you inherit someone else's kitchen, you live

with it until you know that you're going to put a new kitchen in.

You've got quite a lot of space, you've got a larder

you've also got a utility room to your right.

If you wouldn't mind leading the way, David.

'Again, the kitchen has been something of a disappointment

'for Elaine and David but I'm hoping the stately grandeur

'of the rest of the house will make up for it.'

So, the house...

-Oh, it's posh again.

-..keeps giving.

It's a, you know, gorgeous light room.

The farmhouse was rustic whereas this has elegance.

Are you sure you haven't taken us to Versailles?

NICKI LAUGHS

Through there you've got an orangery.

So years ago they'd have brought it in the trees, the orange trees

perhaps the lemon trees, olive trees in the winter months

to keep them protected from the frost

and then they'd have gone back out in the summer.

But that's not all.

Upstairs on the first floor you have six bedrooms.

If that wasn't enough, you've got an additional bedroom

which is en suite at the very top of the house.

-So seven...

-Seven bedrooms.

-Yeah.

The owner of this property has run a B&B successfully

for many years here.

She can earn between 45 and 50,000 euros a year.

-Gosh, they make a lot of money, don't they?

-Yeah.

With so many bedrooms, this property does offer real

earning potential but running a B&B is hard work and not for everyone.

The good news with this town house

is that there are the other options too.

So, you also have this magnificent walled garden.

So lots of space for the children to play, very, very private.

You wouldn't know you're in the middle of a village, would you?

But there's more, there's quite a lot more with this property.

You have this magnificent home but if you look to our side,

you can just see the door there, that's a one bedroom en suite.

You have a workshop, it also has a gite.

When I say gite, it's one bedroom, it's got a kitchenette,

it does need modernisation, I'm not going to lie.

But there's the potential to rent that out.

But there's also a business at the moment in an outbuilding.

Over the last few years an architects has been there,

so there's revenue there.

You run out of superlatives.

THEY LAUGH

I'm sorry you do.

But we're going to have to now try and put a price on this property,

the town house as I like to call it.

I don't know.

Well, I think it's got to be towards the top end of our budget.

-So I'm going to say 580,000.

-OK.

I would say 540,000.

Well, the asking price is £523,000.

-Wow.

-Good Lord.

Now, that is surprising.

The icing on the cake has to be the schools

because you've got two primary schools in this village.

One private, one state but the secondary schools

and further education are about 12km out and the bus stops

practically right outside this property.

Be my guest, have a good look around, get thinking

and I'll catch up with you when you're ready.

-OK.

-Thank you.

This really is a remarkable property.

It's got character, it's got charm, there's history attached to it

but it's also got bags of potential.

On the market at £523,000,

this extensive property has...

It still comes in well under their £600,000 budget.

I have never been to a house like this before.

-Ah!

-Oh, Look at that.

It's a wonderful, wonderful property and the size

and the scale of it is immense.

-Is the kitchenette in here?

-Yeah, it's through that way.

I think you could live in it straight away

but the scale of the renovations

that you'd have to do over the course of one, two, three years

would be immense.

Do we have enough money to do it justice

and how would we get it to work?

If it was just my heart, we'd buy it straight away

but you have to use your brain.

I'm confused.

Ah, well done, you've finally looked at everything.

Well, it took some time but, yep, we had a good look around.

-It's a splendid property, isn't it?

-Magnificent.

-Lots of potential.

-Bags of potential.

Even more to think about. Let's go.

We're heading back into Fontenay-le-Comte where I've

arranged for David and Elaine to meet a British couple,

Jill and Kenny Pearce,

they're among the 400,000 expats who have already made France their home.

Kenny and Jill, great to meet you.

Thanks for inviting us here this morning.

Can I introduce you to David and Elaine.

ALL: Hello.

They're hoping to follow in your footsteps, not literally,

but make the move here.

-We've been here for eight years now.

-And you've got children as well?

We have, yes, and they've obviously been through the schooling system here as well.

Well, we've organised something a little different for you.

-Knowing how you love to cycle...

-Did I say that?

You must have done once because I've got the bikes behind us.

You lead the way, we'll follow.

In fact if David and Elaine are keen for the family to get out on their

-bicycles more often... Everyone ready?

-Nope.

..then La Vendee could be just the place for them.

The region has been promoting cycling heavily

and there are over 600 miles of cycle routes.

The one we're trying out today has only recently been designated.

It leads from Fontenay-le-Comte to the village of Chaix

where the Pearce's live.

Following the banks of the River Vendee,

all the way along a quiet road, and where cars are banned.

-This is fantastic, isn't it?

-Beautiful.

Is this what you had in mind, your new life over here?

Definitely.

-It's quiet, it's beautiful, it's flat...

-By water.

..and the ease with which the children could go out cycling

in a relatively safe environment.

Is it a lot safer? Could you send your children out cycling

and not worry so much?

-Yes.

-Yes, I would say so. We have anyway.

-Ready for the next stage?

-Go on, then.

-Lead on.

LAUGHTER

Kenny and Jill's children were also of school age

when the family moved to France.

Just like David, Kenny is a tradesman, a joiner

who's had to find work locally.

So, as we settle down for lunch at their home,

there's plenty to discuss.

So the fact that you have a young family...

How difficult was it to find the school for the children?

-Not difficult for us, no.

-Was it not?

-No.

Because we liked the area and, obviously, we enquired here

and we were accepted in there very easily.

We just went to the mayor in the local village, in Chaix,

and he then put us forward to the primary school in Chaix.

-It was as easy as that.

-So the mayor did the introduction?

-BOTH: Yeah.

Did any of the other children speak English at the school or is it completely French-speaking?

Completely French-speaking.

Because it was a small school as well,

they were treated like superstars,

you know, something different.

They had so many friends, straightaway.

Here the children are children so much longer.

That's what we wanted for our children.

We wanted them to, you know, have a proper childhood.

They're not 18 at ten, they're ten-year-olds.

Exactly, that was exactly our premise.

How's their French?

Our children's French is exceptional.

-They never had a problem with it, did they?

-No.

They didn't come home from school feeling a bit peculiar because

everyone else was chatting around them and they weren't too sure?

I think we've got to accept that they got friends quite quick.

What about the two of you?

-I get by.

-Do you?

-I've got get-by-French.

The two main things when you move is, one, you want to

settle your children but, two, you need to work.

How hard have you found business over here? Because you're in quite a

similar industry, aren't you?

-I've always found work.

-Have you?

-Yeah.

To be fair, though, you will find most of the work

-is the expat community.

-It's always expats.

-Why is that?

The French tend to want to give their money to their own.

And when it comes to working, do you need to register?

If you were to register as a tiler here,

that is all you'd be allowed to do officially.

-You wouldn't be allowed to work as anything different.

-OK.

And you will get the gendarmes occasionally when you're on jobs,

-they will come and look for your work card...

-Really?

..to prove what you're doing.

-To make sure you're doing the skill you've got the card for?

-Yes.

So over all, are you pleased you made the move

and quite happy with your life here?

-It's a lot slower way, isn't it?

-A slower pace of life.

I know everybody says that, it's a bit of a cliche, but it is true.

You will have the wobbly moments

when you may be missing family and friends

and you have a bad day, or something,

and you, sort of, question yourself but overall it's worth it, isn't it?

It's a different way of life.

It's further encouragement for David and Elaine.

But if they do go ahead and buy in France, there are a few details

they should bear in mind.

Fees and taxes on house-buying can add up.

In most cases totalling between seven and 10%

on top of the purchase price.

If they do decide to run a gite, they must ensure it's

registered with the local mayor.

They should also be careful not to overestimate their likely income

as it's a highly seasonal business

and they can expect few guests outside the summer months.

When it comes to the children's schooling,

although state education in France is of a high standard,

it could be worth considering the subsidised private schools too,

which can cost well under £1,000 a year.

Our next house is located near Saint-Hilaire-des-Loges,

a delightful village lying eight miles east of Fontenay-le-Comte.

Saint-Hilaire has a good selection of amenities,

including a bakers and butchers.

It also has two primary schools and a college.

In the countryside nearby is our property.

Not just any old house but a chateau.

LAUGHTER

Now here is your next property.

-We'll stay here.

-Yeah?

-Yeah, that's it, done.

I like a good strong first impression.

They just get bigger and bigger.

I mean, there must be a limit, surely?

I must admit as you walk round the corner,

-it takes your breath away, doesn't it?

-It's vast.

The original part of the property dates back to around the 1100s

but the actual chateau itself was built around 1350.

-Do you like the idea of being lady of the manor?

-Yeah.

-Yes?

Which one of us?

LAUGHTER

-You can fight over that title.

-OK.

-I guess you're keen to get inside?

-Oh, yes.

-Yes, please.

-Come on.

With centuries of history in its walls

and built from local stone, this place has character in spades

which recent modernisation has left unharmed.

So, through the hallway, let's start off with

our sitting room.

Look at it, it's huge.

The cat wouldn't be enough, I'd need to swing a tiger round here.

-Just walking in here makes you feel good, doesn't it?

-Mmm.

Great ceiling with the oak.

-How high do you think that ceiling is? 11/12 foot?

-Probably more.

-You wouldn't think this dates back to 1350, would you?

-Gosh, no.

-We'll have this room as well as the outside of the house.

-Yes?

-Yep.

-Yes.

-Big thumbs up?

-Mhmm.

-Huge thumbs up.

-Excited?

-Mhmm.

-I'm excited because I'm looking forward

to showing you the rest of this property.

-Shall we?

-Oh, please.

The sitting room leads onto an impeccable dining space

and then a kitchen which, this time,

will surely live up to Elaine's expectation.

-Yes, it's all right, I suppose.

-Yeah? Could twist your arm?

I mean, who in England could have a kitchen this size?

I mean, this is the footprint...

Probably even bigger than most houses.

It's completely renovated in here, isn't it?

Is it ridiculously large?

-No.

-No, no, no. The kitchen can never be too big.

It's a lovely size if you've got a family.

It's just, you know, great.

So I'm guessing this gets the thumbs up as well?

-This is phenomenal.

-Yeah.

-This is perfect.

It's about to get better, as the kitchen leads through

into a gite, attached to the house but with its own entrance.

So, here you have a sitting room.

In here you have...

Wow, what a big room!

..a beautifully laid out kitchen/dining area.

Yeah, I could come on holiday and be in this room

and not feel as if you're being forced into a tiny little space.

And this gite is large, it's been beautifully done.

You've got three double bedrooms, all en suite

and the income that they get in the high season is about £1,000 a week.

-I love your faces. You don't have to say anything. I can see...

-Yes.

..the penny is beginning to drop.

Back in the main house, the ground floor also offers a study

and utility room.

While heading upstairs, a fabulous stone staircase leads up to

a corridor where there are two very generous bedrooms.

In between them is a room with plumbing,

ready to become a bathroom.

There are also a further three double bedrooms,

one of which is an en suite.

This is a grand property

and our buyers are looking a little awestruck.

-Is it a fairytale?

-Yep.

-It is.

Well, it's a fairytale with added extras.

There's actually a stable block, tack room.

How do you feel about ten acres?

Well, on top of the house it's amazing, really.

You've also got this part of the house that hasn't been converted.

You could actually convert that if you wanted to into a second gite.

Gosh, I mean, just that it's a house that's beautiful and stunning

and that it has a gite, who would have thought?

And then it has potential for another gite, amazing.

And it's got stables, amazing.

But this chateau, do we think it's under, on or over your budget?

I think it's borrowed another budget.

I think it's got our budget and someone else's.

Yeah, I think it's definitely over budget.

Well, go on, have a stab.

-I think £640,000.

-OK.

Knowing that you would try and find something close to our budget,

-I'd say it's on the mark at £600,000.

-OK.

The asking price is £515,000.

15?! Woo-hoo!

Oh!

We're coming to France, coming to France!

Diddly-doo!

That is way under your budget.

And so much for all that budget.

Yes. You've got enough money to do it.

Gosh, who'd have thought, a semi in Penge

to a chateau in France?

-What a dilemma.

-Yeah.

Hold those thoughts and go and take a second look on your own this time.

Explore all there is and come and find me when you're finished.

I'll see you later.

On at £515,000, this...

Priced well under their £600,000 budget, what's not to love?

This is huge!

When I walked up the drive and saw this property the first time,

I kind of thought it was a mistake.

But it's such a beautiful house, it defies description.

-Wow.

-What would Harriet make of that?

Well, I think she'd have three horses at the drop of a hat.

I think Elaine and I are on the same page. I hope we are.

I think he's smitten.

I'm a bit more practical and would like to know how much it would cost

to run and how much money it would take to do the refurbishment.

We need to talk about it independently.

So, yeah, a lot to talk about.

I would say it would be really hard to beat.

I think the only thing that you could beat this house with is just

to stick a beach at the end of the road.

I feel bad dragging you away from this magnificent property.

You love it, don't you?

Oh, I could stay here days, weeks, months, years.

How proud would you be to show your friends

-and family around this chateau?

-Oh, so proud.

What I'm basically doing is working out how many people

I could drag down here to show it to.

You'll have more friends than you'll know what to do with.

Right, we're going to hit the road.

As Elaine and David don't want to return

to their family in London empty-handed,

they've come to Fontenay-le-Comte

for some gift shopping.

-Bonjour.

-Bonjour.

First on the list is son Archie, a keen fisherman.

-I don't think we'll take any bait home.

-No.

What about a fishing net that we saw in the window.

Oh, that's a good idea.

-Bonjour.

-Bonjour.

And just how much French can they remember from their school days?

Un epuisette, s'il vous plait.

-Ah, this one?

-Erm, what's green?

-It's, erm...

-Vert.

-Un vert.

-Oui.

-S'il vous plait. Merci.

-Cinquante.

-Merci, monsieur.

-Merci, au revoir.

-Au revoir.

For daughters Harriet and Scarlet, it's a French speciality,

chocolate.

What about something like this?

Yeah, that'd go down well,

-they'd like all the different colours.

-Yeah.

-Bonjour, madame.

-Bonjour, madame. Bonjour, monsieur.

-Combien?

-Dix euro cinquante, si'l vous plait.

-Merci. Merci, madame.

-Au revoir.

-Au revoir.

And last but not least, something for them.

-Let's drink to tomorrow, eh?

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

It's the final day of property hunting

in La Vendee, Western France,

where we've been helping Londoners David and Elaine with

their dream of moving to the Continent.

To get a taste for life in France

they've been staying in a typical gite. Yesterday's properties

went down a treat and were all under their £600,000 budget

but there's one more to go and it's our Mystery House.

So will it tower above the rest?

-Hello.

-Good morning.

-Morning.

-How are we today?

Yep, pretty good, pretty good, excited.

Well, did you have a goodnight or did you just

dream of houses the whole time?

Well, it was sensory overload yesterday.

Dream, talk, "Well, if you did this to this one

"and if you could do that to that one and then this one..."

Then it gets sort of...

-Yeah, it's a lot to think about, isn't it?

-Oh, gosh, yeah.

And, guess what? I've got another house to show you.

So, David, if you don't mind closing the door, we'll hit the road.

We're heading north to Vouvant, a village claimed by its inhabitants

to be the prettiest in the whole of France.

An exaggeration perhaps but there's plenty about Vouvant

that's easy on the eye, including its 11th century church.

It also offers cafes, shops and a primary school.

Our Mystery House is a short drive away

and I can't wait for David and Elaine's reaction to this one.

If you want to cast your eyes here.

ELAINE LAUGHS

Oh, my goodness!

There she is, welcome to the Mystery.

Sacre bleu.

-I didn't think you could outdo yesterday.

-No?

-I really didn't.

Well, we've got to make you work when it comes to the Mystery.

We can't just show you any run-of-the-mill chateau,

oh, no, we're showing you

a 14th century gatehouse which was part of a castle.

Whoa!

Gosh, the houses they produce in France are a bit different

-to the ones we get at home.

-They certainly are, aren't they?

-Open minds?

-Open minds but I'm just worried about the price.

Let's not worry about that until we finish the tour.

-No, you're quite right, be optimistic.

-Is that a deal?

-Deal.

Let's go in, come on.

The gatekeeper's house is now all that remains

of, a once, much bigger estate.

With this property you'd be buying not just a house,

but more than 600 years of history.

-Now, you do have to be quite fit and flexible...

-And short.

..to get up that staircase.

It's not your norm but it does lead you into the kitchen.

This would be on the National Trust in England.

-They'd be a coach party pulling up outside...

-A coach party would be pulling up and going,

"Oh, gosh, wonder what type of people used to live here?"

I would like the fun and games of getting up and down those stairs

with a bowl of soup but maybe that's why there's a table.

You could imagine the children's reaction, you know,

"Oh, come back and play in my castle. Daddy, please can we move to the castle?"

It would be tough to find something like this back in the UK.

-Well, impossible.

-Yeah.

-Mind your heads. David, you'd better lead the way.

-OK.

Continuing up the tower, the stairwell leads to the

central room above the arch, known as the guard room.

Now, I don't think I can call this a sitting room, can I?

The banqueting room.

-How about the armoury there?

-My uncle's got one of those.

-I'm sure he dresses up in it too.

-Well, if you buy this, so can you.

Now, that's what you call a beamed ceiling.

It's a remarkable room, isn't it? A fabulous but practical floor.

Yeah, you know it's old but it doesn't look old inside,

-it's not falling down.

-Yeah.

The current owners have been here, I think, about five years

and you can see the work that they've actually done.

Could this be a home or does it feel a little bit like a museum?

A bit like a museum.

But you could make it a home.

I like it a lot but I'm not sure about it as a home

because it's, you know, obviously there's two sides to it.

We haven't seen it all yet.

Let's head back outside because there's still more to talk about.

Thank you, David.

Tucked inside the keep's towers are three double bedrooms,

full of character in keeping with the properties long history.

Meanwhile, the whole of the top floor is taken up with a giant

master bedroom which also features a high-speck en suite bathroom.

But the other WC and shower room are down on the ground floor

which could be tricky for a family.

And there's more!

How do you feel owning your own banqueting hall?

Wow!

-It's not often I can offer that to people.

-Wow!

Well, I'm sorry.

I was expecting something so grand, so...

Because that's all you've been giving us.

With 14th century stones,

14th century horses would have been tethered.

And if you actually look up to the roof, you can see it's in rather

good condition because this has also been replaced by the current owners.

But let me explain the layout because you might have

noticed to the side of the gatehouse was an additional barn...

No, nope, sorry you can't give us another one.

-Not another building.

-I'm afraid I am and I will.

You have a second barn.

That one actually has planning permission attached to it

for two, three bedroom gites.

-Wow!

-Yeah.

That gatehouse would be fantastic to rent out.

This could be a splendid venue for weddings, birthday parties, etc.

Perhaps rather than have the gites there,

that's actually the family home.

-Yeah, that would make really good sense.

-Hmmm.

-It really would.

-Yeah.

Come on, off we go.

As well as the keep and the two barns,

the property comes with an elegant landscaped garden

and a child-safe swimming pool, all set in an acre of land.

I wonder if we surpassed ourselves with the Mystery House?

I mean the gatehouse to a 14th century castle.

But for the very last time, we're going to have to try

and put a figure on our Mystery House.

Well, I think it has to be over. I'd have to say it's at least 640,000.

I'm going to go 540,000.

Quite a difference there with your estimations.

Well, it's such an immense, unique property.

You could search the whole of Europe

and you probably wouldn't come up with anything similar.

So true.

Well, let's see what you make of the price because it's on the market for

just over £536,000.

Yes, three out of three.

Not that your competitive.

But how do you feel about that as a price? Because that is away under.

I'm staggered because the amount of money that they must have spent

doing the roofs, doing the stonework and they've done it beautifully.

So there's enough left should you want to convert that barn

either into gites or family accommodation.

That's what you would need, you'd need it to be under

-to be able to utilise that space.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Well, with that, "Wow," have another look around. Off you go.

France has a reputation for having wonderful homes

but I don't think we're ever going to beat this.

For just under £537,000 the keep comes with...

This is a bit more than King of the Castle,

its Emperor of the Solar System, I would say.

Look at this.

ELAINE LAUGHS

It's a little bedroom for a princess.

I am kind of shell-shocked.

-Look at this room.

-Goodness me.

You know when you look at a house and you sort of think,

"Oh, that's a nice house, nice sitting room, nice bedrooms, nice bathroom."

This one is not like anything you've ever seen before.

Wow.

The potential to create a really nice family home

-in the extension at one side...

-Blank canvas, I suppose.

It's mind-blowing really.

I think David is head over heels for this place.

It is a very wacky property but I like that.

I'd probably not really go any further with it myself

but knowing that David is so enamoured by it,

I probably will have to give it more consideration.

-An immense property though, isn't it?

-It is. It's a unique... It's a one-off.

But they've all been so different. So you've got a lot to think about.

I wonder what your next move is going to be?

Let's go and have a chat a bit later on.

France and great food go hand in hand and in most towns

and villages, the day begins with the smell of baking croissants,

pastries and baguettes wafting through the streets.

But in the Vendee, one item is in a class of its own, the brioche.

Although this sweet bread is made all over France,

its hugely popular here and the unique Vendeen brioche

is protected by a regional trademark.

To learn more about this sweet treat,

I've come to the village of L-Orbrie.

to visit La Lutine bakery run by Patrice Guitton and his daughter Marie.

-Bonjour.

-Lovely to meet you.

-I understand this is the famous bakery that your grandfather started.

-Yes.

-How many years ago?

-He built it in 1952.

My goodness, a long time producing this very famous brioche

that I am so looking forward to trying.

Is it possible to see the whole process?

-Yes, that's possible. Come with us.

-Thank you. Merci.

Every morning here hundreds of brioche are baked in time to

send out to the local shops and businesses.

Master baker Patrice is that the helm

making sure everything runs like clockwork.

But what is the special recipe which makes a Vandeen brioche so popular?

So roughly what do we have here to make this famous brioche?

Now, what's this?

This is flour with water and then you have the sugar, the flour...

-A lot of flour.

-Yeah. Butter and you have eggs.

So, Patrice, if you wouldn't mind starting.

So they're our 12 eggs.

-Mix it all up?

-Yeah!

-Squeeze.

-Is that right?

-Yes.

-Another one.

Why is the Vandeen brioche different from the other brioches?

-Because there is a lot of butter.

-A lot of sugar.

-A lot of sugar.

Oh! That is tough.

Oh! Patrice...

-Non!

-No.

Once the dough is ready, it's left to rise for eight hours.

Oh, my word!

And only then can it be rolled into shape.

After a demonstration from Patrice, it's my turn.

-So...

-Yeah.

Yours, mine.

-Not good.

-Beautiful.

It turns out baking brioche isn't that simple and, in fact, each one

takes 48 hours to make because the dough is left to rise three times.

Alongside the everyday brioche, there is also more eye-catching

fare, like these giant ones baked especially for weddings,

a unique local tradition.

-How heavy are they?

-Ten kilos.

My goodness! Grande brioche. What happens to them during the wedding?

We dance with the brioche.

-So all the guests...

-Yeah, all the guests.

-Dance with the brioche?

-Yes.

-And then what happens?

-And then we eat the brioche.

-Good.

-A fantastic tradition.

-Yes.

'It's about time I got a taste of this famous brioche

'and I'm joining the Guitton family for afternoon tea.'

I am looking forward to this.

-Is it that large?

-Yeah, in Vendee it's like that.

I like Vendee.

You eat like that.

Oh, OK. Here we go.

Are you ready?

-Bon appetit.

-Oh, that really is delicious.

Everyone else should have theirs now.

Delicious dinner.

At the gite, David and Elaine are preparing to head home but

has this house-hunt made their plans for a move any clearer?

It's not often our couples are lost for words when we show them

the properties, yet yesterday we really did leave them speechless.

Although, I'm still not sure whether we have found them

that perfect French home or not.

Let's go and find out.

Well, you two. We've had a great time, haven't we, in La Vendee?

So, hopefully, the properties we've shown you have given you

a little bit of a flavour of what you could achieve.

Well, that was certainly my intention,

to give you a free rein and just see what you could come up with

and it's been an amazing collection of properties.

La Vendee, is it the area that you want to live in?

It's an area that I do like and the houses I do like.

-Were you surprised at what you can buy for your budget.

-Gosh, yeah.

Absolutely. I mean, it's a lot more than I ever expected.

Has it given you more confidence with this whole idea of moving

-and leaving London behind?

-Oh, yes.

I think it was really interesting talking to Ken and Jill...

-Our expats.

-How well their children have assimilated, which is great,

and their ease at picking up the language.

Right, so out of everything we've shown you,

did we get close with any of our properties?

Certainly the chateau and the keep were beautiful, beautiful properties.

So, come on then, which one does your heart cry out for?

The keep.

-Elaine?

-No, not practical for a family at all.

Beautiful, but not practical.

I think the big house on the hill, the chateau.

One of the biggest pluses, I think, with the chateau is that you have

-a ready made business already attached.

-Yeah.

And then you can concentrate on the schooling, the priorities. That's just a thought.

But your heart isn't always practical, that's the thing.

You do have some discussing to do, don't you?

It's been brilliant but it's also so confusing

because there are just so many possibilities.

Do you think you'll go for a second viewing on both of those?

I think we just need to talk and decide

if we both think that either one could work for us.

So let's talk about timeframes.

How quickly do you think you want to make this move?

I would hope within six months.

Little Harriet got an A star in her French while we were away.

-Did she?

-She did and so I think that's a very positive sign.

It's a very positive sign.

Well, on that note, all the very best and let us know how you get on.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

So, I think the last few days here in La Vendee

have demonstrated that David and Elaine can get what they want

and need with this move, plus a few business opportunities

thrown in for a way under their budget.

It seems the sticking point is now making a decision

and that final leap of faith.

I wonder how brave they are going to be?

I'll see you again on Escape to the Continent.

Sadly, since filming, the sale of Elaine and David's

London house fell through.

So, for now, they've had to put their house-hunt on hold.

Their plan to move to France remains.