Vacances Vibe

Sophie Gardner-Roberts is inspired by the success story of this gîte complex in the Périgord Noir.

- Sophie Gardner-Roberts

With such an excellent work/life balance, clement weather and beautiful countryside, France has always attracted people wanting to escape a busy schedule to enjoy a slower, more fulfilling lifestyle. Owning a beautiful property bathed in sunlight most of the year, with a couple of gîtes to rent out, encapsulates the dream life in France for many expats. And this impressive property, with its beautifully converted barn and five charming gîtes built from pretty stone houses typical of the area, really has it all.

Easy living

“We’ve owned the property since 2007 having bought it for a change of lifestyle,” say Sue and Jon. “We wanted to be able to live and work in beautiful surroundings and at a relaxed pace of life, something that we wouldn’t have been able to do in the UK given the relative price of similar properties and areas.”

Not only does the property offer a peaceful setting, it has history. Sue and Jon tell me the property used to be one of the richest farms in the area with the oldest building being approximately 350 years old and the newest dating back to 1876.

The main house is a converted barn in which the couple currently live. “Our predecessors renovated most of the buildings but there was still a beautiful stone barn which was one of the big attractions for us. The barn was totally renovated and converted to living accommodation in 2012,” the couple says.