A pair offered their £400k Manchester house to purchase a complete French village and no say their lives have improved since leaving the UK.
Liz Murphy, 47, and her husband, David, 55, bought the historic rural hamlet of Lac De Maison, in Poitou-Charentes, south west France, in January 2021.
The couple offered their three-bed house in Manchester for £400k and used the money to purchase six 400-year-old homes, two barns and three-acres of land.
They’ve turned their tranquil city right into a thriving enterprise – with their three vacation properties virtually totally booked for summer season 2024.
They now say they haven’t any plan to return.
The couple, who used to work in radio, not depend upon an employer and say it is a “beautiful feeling” to be self-sufficient and work for themselves.
Because the cost-of-living disaster continues within the UK, the household really feel sure their dream life-style wouldn’t be attainable again in England, and now view France as their “house”.
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Liz, a mum-of-two, initially from Altrincham, Manchester, stated: “We have been actually busy, we’re virtually totally booked this summer season and even within the quiet season we nonetheless had company most weekends.
“The renovations are at all times ongoing, however we’re principally accomplished.
“We’re 4 years in now, so we have used to the maintenance and have gotten faster on the day-to-day working of issues.
“Nevertheless it nonetheless takes two-and-a-half-hours to mow the garden as a result of there’s a lot of it.
“That is our full-time jobs now, it is so completely different to our previous workplace jobs.
“Every single day is completely different, and every little thing we’re doing is for us and our household.
“We beloved the UK, however we do not remorse transferring right here and haven’t got plans to maneuver again.
“It is good as a result of we’re in charge of our personal future a bit extra.”
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David added: “We now have extra stability now in France.
“There’s not a CEO someplace that would get up one morning and determine to slash half the employees in an try to economize.”
The couple had been each working “busy” nine-to-five jobs within the UK, working in radio and felt as if they had been trapped within the “rat race”.
However after being placed on furlough in 2020, the couple realised their goals of leaving their lives in Manchester, England, and proudly owning their very own place in France.
When the couple got here throughout the large plot of land, they determined to promote them house and transfer with their two kids – Tom, 13, and Charlotte, 9 – and Liz’s mum, Helen Diaper, 73, and stepdad, Terry, 73, in December 2020.
Liz stated: “We had been each working with busy lives and the youngsters had been in after college golf equipment and it was like we had been on an countless treadmill.
“It wasn’t till Covid got here and we had been on furlough and we realised we had been in a rat race and life was passing us by.
“We hadn’t spent a lot time with the youngsters and we determined we needed to do one thing to alter all our lives.
“We had talked about transferring to France for years. We had this sudden feeling to do it and we all of a sudden did it.
“My mum and stepdad determined to promote their home and include us.”
The couple say they “love the UK” however would not return as their “high quality of life” has improved immeasurably since they made the transfer throughout the channel.
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Liz stated: “It is not a lot the cost-of-living however extra the standard of life for our household.
“We now have extra time for us, the less complicated lifestyle fits us.
“Costs fluctuate in all places, we have seen prices growing in France too.
“However we really feel like we now have extra stability right here.
“And it does make a giant distinction having good climate.”
David added: “We now have large plans for the village, we wish to proceed the renovations and begin to enhance our home as nicely.
“We might additionally like to begin placing in photo voltaic panels and to be self-reliant on vitality.
“None of that will be doable if we nonetheless lived within the UK.
“We have learnt to do a variety of ourselves, we would go broke if we introduced in an expert each time one thing wanted doing.
“We glance issues up on Youtube, get our fingers soiled and attempt to do issues ourselves.”
