The Museum of Christian Dior

Villa les Rhumbs, rue Estouteville

The first two weekends of April we had huge tides.  The 22 April was the biggest tide of the decade, and everyone who is anyone was out digging for clams.  The low part of the tide means that you can see all the mussel posts, which stretch for miles towards the Isles of Chaussey.

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The first two weekends of April we had huge tides.  The 22 April was the biggest tide of the decade, and everyone who is anyone was out digging for clams.  The low part of the tide means that you can see all the mussel posts, which stretch for miles towards the Isles of Chaussey.

Over the last few months, I have needed to find a solution to a major problem, Martial my “homme à toute faire” has had both his shoulders operated on so is completely out of action, so I have been having help with all that needs doing getting ready for the rental season from some great HelpXers.

Some of my Business School students have been HelpXers in the past, and the systems is an interesting one.  You are hosted by a family who give you board and lodging, and in return you help them with whatever needs doing.  In my case that has involved repointing the gîtes, tidying the barn, planting the veggie patch, endless weeding, painting, putting up shelves, more tidying, laying a floor etc.

When your HelpXers arrive, you take a copy of their passport and insurance.  You have to take care of them and make sure that you are interesting for them to visit otherwise why would they come?  I happily lend them my car whenever I don’t need it and they put petrol in and off they go.

Now clearly, from a host point of view, there are good points and bad.  The good is having extra hands to help with all manner of things, access to people with skills you don’t necessarily have, and travelling the world without leaving home.  Not to mention meeting mostly really interesting people.

Then less good side is: feeding extra people 3 times a day, not being able to collapse as soon as you put the kids to bed, explaining how to do things – which can take longer than doing it yourself, showing them where everything is etc.  For me I want them to stay as long as possible, in theory, but in practice human nature being what it is there are those you might wish to go sooner, rather than later.  Basically you have to mould the task list to the talents of the people who come.

Our first group of helpers were Rick, from Mississippi State, who was certainly out of the ordinary and stayed for about 2 months.

Rick, myself and the dogs

Josh & Tash two Australians from Sydney who are excellent, super-motivated, super-helpful and talented people, who stayed for about 6 weeks.

Josh, Tash & the girls

Grant, from Alabama, who was only with us for a few weeks, who was brilliant with the girls, and much loved by them too.  Grant taught Ellie how to throw a frisbee and running with Nina (a future marathon runner) while Ellie biked, and was endlessly patient with them.

Grant

Our second lot of HelpXers are Elise and Andrew from Georgia.  Amazing workers, who have transformed the veggie patch and the dogs (into obedient beings), and done some serious cleaning.

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Over the last few months, I have needed to find a solution to a major problem, Martial my “homme à toute faire” has had both his shoulders operated on so is completely out of action, so I have been having help with all that needs doing getting ready for the rental season from some great HelpXers.

Some of my Business School students have been HelpXers in the past, and the systems is an interesting one.  You are hosted by a family who give you board and lodging, and in return you help them with whatever needs doing.  In my case that has involved repointing the gîtes, tidying the barn, planting the veggie patch, endless weeding, painting, putting up shelves, more tidying, laying a floor etc.

When your HelpXers arrive, you take a copy of their passport and insurance.  You have to take care of them and make sure that you are interesting for them to visit otherwise why would they come?  I happily lend them my car whenever I don’t need it and they put petrol in and off they go.

Now clearly, from a host point of view, there are good points and bad.  The good is having extra hands to help with all manner of things, access to people with skills you don’t necessarily have, and travelling the world without leaving home.  Not to mention meeting mostly really interesting people.

Then less good side is: feeding extra people 3 times a day, not being able to collapse as soon as you put the kids to bed, explaining how to do things – which can take longer than doing it yourself, showing them where everything is etc.  For me I want them to stay as long as possible, in theory, but in practice human nature being what it is there are those you might wish to go sooner, rather than later.  Basically you have to mould the task list to the talents of the people who come.

Our first group of helpers were Rick, from Mississippi State, who was certainly out of the ordinary and stayed for about 2 months.

Rick, myself and the dogs

Josh & Tash two Australians from Sydney who are excellent, super-motivated, super-helpful and talented people, who stayed for about 6 weeks.

Josh, Tash & the girls

Grant, from Alabama, who was only with us for a few weeks, who was brilliant with the girls, and much loved by them too.  Grant taught Ellie how to throw a frisbee and running with Nina (a future marathon runner) while Ellie biked, and was endlessly patient with them.

Grant

Our second lot of HelpXers are Elise and Andrew from Georgia.  Amazing workers, who have transformed the veggie patch and the dogs (into obedient beings), and done some serious cleaning.

The renovations were finished on 23 December and our first renters arrived on 24 December 2010. They were due at 3pm, and I finished cleaning at 3.35pm, fortunately they turned up 5 minutes after that. They left us our first guest book comment, happily it was positive, and gave us some great feedback on what we could improve.

1. remove oven burner lid, so it doesn’t remove fingers.
2. get waterproof mattress protectors.

Our second renters arrived for New Years Eve, with 5 smalls in tow, and also had a happy time. Feeling that we have achieved some success, and hopeful that we will achieve our aim of repeat bookings.

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The renovations were finished on 23 December and our first renters arrived on 24 December 2010. They were due at 3pm, and I finished cleaning at 3.35pm, fortunately they turned up 5 minutes after that. They left us our first guest book comment, happily it was positive, and gave us some great feedback on what we could improve.

1. remove oven burner lid, so it doesn’t remove fingers.
2. get waterproof mattress protectors.

Our second renters arrived for New Years Eve, with 5 smalls in tow, and also had a happy time. Feeling that we have achieved some success, and hopeful that we will achieve our aim of repeat bookings.

Friday is a sunny day so I pick the girls from school and we head straight off to the beach.  The girls get to have their first go at body boarding – but as the water is a tad on the cold side they find it difficult to achieve while avoiding the water! Everyone makes good progress, and I am by far the wettest.  On our way back to the house we notice that there is some slightly unusual activity, people are busy setting up a catering tent and there are lots of vans around.  On enquiring we discover that tomorrow there is a Sandball (handball on sand) tournament.  And in the evening there is a free apero with boulot (sea snails).   We shall be back tomorrow to have a look!

Friday is a sunny day so I pick the girls from school and we head straight off to the beach.  The girls get to have their first go at body boarding – but as the water is a tad on the cold side they find it difficult to achieve while avoiding the water! Everyone makes good progress, and I am by far the wettest.  On our way back to the house we notice that there is some slightly unusual activity, people are busy setting up a catering tent and there are lots of vans around.  On enquiring we discover that tomorrow there is a Sandball (handball on sand) tournament.  And in the evening there is a free apero with boulot (sea snails).   We shall be back tomorrow to have a look!

A rather blustery weekend, but excellent for sand yachting.  It even looks like something I could do myself.  No visitors this weekend, so an opportunity to catch up on missing sleep.

For the last couple of months I have been getting up at 6am, getting the kids to school, myself to work, then after work spending time on the computer joining various rental websites, and decorating the gîtes, re-doing the garden etc.  At night I fall into bed at about midnight sleep like the dead for 6 hours and off I go the next day.

The weekends however have been time off – no internet connection at the beach house, yet so nothing to do but hang out with the kids and the dogs.  So far we don’t even have a TV.

A rather blustery weekend, but excellent for sand yachting.  It even looks like something I could do myself.  No visitors this weekend, so an opportunity to catch up on missing sleep.

For the last couple of months I have been getting up at 6am, getting the kids to school, myself to work, then after work spending time on the computer joining various rental websites, and decorating the gîtes, re-doing the garden etc.  At night I fall into bed at about midnight sleep like the dead for 6 hours and off I go the next day.

The weekends however have been time off – no internet connection at the beach house, yet so nothing to do but hang out with the kids and the dogs.  So far we don’t even have a TV.

We go back to Saint-Lô and the kids go to Papa’s for the weekend, leaving me to tackle my other major task.  THE GÎTES.  When I first moved to France some 15 years ago, my then boyfriend helped convert one of the barns into two cottages or gîtes.  Originally we ran out of money and just finished one, but after the birth of my second child I finished converting the other gîte for the au pair.

We have never let them out as holiday lets before, preferring to have long-term tenants.  But after several years of problems, I have decided to go back to our original plan, which was to do holiday lets.  So, we have refurbished both of the gîtes – Poppy & Lily, new doors and windows, new paintwork, new kitchen and new furnishings nearly everywhere, hotel quality beds, new sheets, duvets, towels etc. Not forgetting the new terrace, new garden furniture and BBQ. Now they are looking better than they have ever looked, but this has been amazingly time consuming.

Saturday 15^th

Off I go back to the beach with the dogs and as much stuff as I can fit in the car.  I sleep really well there, it is in a really quiet spot and the roller blinds and double glazing make for a very good nights sleep.  Another couple of friends stay for the weekend.  And they are asking how they might get one of these very comfortable English beds!

Sunday 16^th

Back home ready for another working week.

We go back to Saint-Lô and the kids go to Papa’s for the weekend, leaving me to tackle my other major task.  THE GÎTES.  When I first moved to France some 15 years ago, my then boyfriend helped convert one of the barns into two cottages or gîtes.  Originally we ran out of money and just finished one, but after the birth of my second child I finished converting the other gîte for the au pair.

We have never let them out as holiday lets before, preferring to have long-term tenants.  But after several years of problems, I have decided to go back to our original plan, which was to do holiday lets.  So, we have refurbished both of the gîtes – Poppy & Lily, new doors and windows, new paintwork, new kitchen and new furnishings nearly everywhere, hotel quality beds, new sheets, duvets, towels etc. Not forgetting the new terrace, new garden furniture and BBQ. Now they are looking better than they have ever looked, but this has been amazingly time consuming.

Saturday 15^th

Off I go back to the beach with the dogs and as much stuff as I can fit in the car.  I sleep really well there, it is in a really quiet spot and the roller blinds and double glazing make for a very good nights sleep.  Another couple of friends stay for the weekend.  And they are asking how they might get one of these very comfortable English beds!

Sunday 16^th

Back home ready for another working week.

Now this being France this is a bank holiday weekend, and because the bank holiday falls on a Thursday we get the Friday off as well.  It is a marvellous system.  If the bank holiday falls on a Tuesday we get the Monday off and if its on a Wednesday you might get the first half or the second half of the week off, but not both.

Tonight is our house warming so we have things to do, and Tonton Greg and Sophie are off to our local parachuting site some 3 kms away.  They jump over the beach and have views of Mont St Michel, which is a UNESCO designated site, on their way down.  So in the afternoon we go off to watch them jump, and while I’m there I get to discuss the possibility of links to my website with the parachuting school and the guys who do jumping in pairs.  They are also willing to have a discount for people who stay in my gites who want to jump in groups, particularly if it is not in high season.  A very pleasing start to setting up links for my site.

In the afternoon our friends arrive, until we are 11 for our housewarming.  We get to try out the new oven – very satisfactory, and the beds – which absolutely everyone finds comfortable.  Everyone compliments the beds, duvets and pillows so I seem to have got that bit right.  However, they have managed to make me see that some of the changes I want to put in place are not necessary.  So no extra door in the kitchen, instead a new outside door into the garage.  At the moment the only door into the property is the garage door, which is pretty heavy to lift for an adult and practically impossible for the children.  That said my 4 year old can open it enough to wiggle through, but that isn’t really what I’m aiming for.

Now this being France this is a bank holiday weekend, and because the bank holiday falls on a Thursday we get the Friday off as well.  It is a marvellous system.  If the bank holiday falls on a Tuesday we get the Monday off and if its on a Wednesday you might get the first half or the second half of the week off, but not both.

Tonight is our house warming so we have things to do, and Tonton Greg and Sophie are off to our local parachuting site some 3 kms away.  They jump over the beach and have views of Mont St Michel, which is a UNESCO designated site, on their way down.  So in the afternoon we go off to watch them jump, and while I’m there I get to discuss the possibility of links to my website with the parachuting school and the guys who do jumping in pairs.  They are also willing to have a discount for people who stay in my gites who want to jump in groups, particularly if it is not in high season.  A very pleasing start to setting up links for my site.

In the afternoon our friends arrive, until we are 11 for our housewarming.  We get to try out the new oven – very satisfactory, and the beds – which absolutely everyone finds comfortable.  Everyone compliments the beds, duvets and pillows so I seem to have got that bit right.  However, they have managed to make me see that some of the changes I want to put in place are not necessary.  So no extra door in the kitchen, instead a new outside door into the garage.  At the moment the only door into the property is the garage door, which is pretty heavy to lift for an adult and practically impossible for the children.  That said my 4 year old can open it enough to wiggle through, but that isn’t really what I’m aiming for.

Martial, our gardener/handyman arrives to find the children and I ripping of some of the interesting Bordeaux carpet off the upstairs corridor walls.  After we have made a tour of the house he gives me his opinions on all the things I should and shouldn’t do, over a coffee.  Mostly our opinions are the same and I have the convenient ability to forget anything that isn’t.  The plan is to remove the earth-filled cider press from the middle of the lawn where it is currently spoiling what could be a perfectly good football pitch.  Hopefully I can sell the cider press for a decent amount to help pay for the new kitchen.

2pm            The beds arrive.  1 double, 1 king size and 8 zip-lock singles that turn into super-king size beds.  Plus an extra 4 zip-lock singles for Gîtes Lily and Poppy.  I have bought the beds unseen from a company called Classic Beds in Westbury, and they are hotel quality and are great.  I am so pleased with them.  They are really high, and have underbed draws, which is pretty convenient since in the two downstairs bedrooms that the children and I are using have no furniture or cupboards at all.

While the delivery company puts the beds into the bedrooms, Martial unpacks them and puts them together.  Then the delivery company starts to unload the boxes and boxes of bedding, sheets, towels, cleaning products, soap, shower gel etc I have ordered from the fantastic people at Out of Eden and King of Cotton.  In total there must be over 30 boxes.

4pm            I go off to buy the new cooker.  I can’t see how we can reasonably have people to stay if I can’t cook.  Philip from Le Retro, our favourite restaurant in the village recommends someone in Bréhal who will also come out and fix it if breaks down.  In a rental property this seems like a good plan.

However while I am out buying the gas cooker, the bloody gas company comes and cuts the gas off.  It takes me three hours on the phone, practically in tears to get the gas put back on.  Meanwhile Tonton Greg, the children’s uncle arrives, with a Canadian friend from Quebec.  Now Sophie is a bit of a superstar and takes things in her stride and sees that chaos reigns and just mucks in and helps.  I have to stay at the house for the emergency gas man, who is going to arrive in the next 4 hours to turn the gas on.

So while Sophie, Tonton and the girls go off to buy Pizza from Gregs Pizza restaurant in the village, I get the chance to make up everyones beds.  Pretty princess duvet covers for the girls, then different colours for each room, with matching towels.  Seriously challenging to work out what is in each box.  At 8.10pm Mr Miracle Gasman arrives and turns the gas on.  A huge relief, I can now cook, have hot water and heat if necessary.

Martial, our gardener/handyman arrives to find the children and I ripping of some of the interesting Bordeaux carpet off the upstairs corridor walls.  After we have made a tour of the house he gives me his opinions on all the things I should and shouldn’t do, over a coffee.  Mostly our opinions are the same and I have the convenient ability to forget anything that isn’t.  The plan is to remove the earth-filled cider press from the middle of the lawn where it is currently spoiling what could be a perfectly good football pitch.  Hopefully I can sell the cider press for a decent amount to help pay for the new kitchen.

2pm            The beds arrive.  1 double, 1 king size and 8 zip-lock singles that turn into super-king size beds.  Plus an extra 4 zip-lock singles for Gîtes Lily and Poppy.  I have bought the beds unseen from a company called Classic Beds in Westbury, and they are hotel quality and are great.  I am so pleased with them.  They are really high, and have underbed draws, which is pretty convenient since in the two downstairs bedrooms that the children and I are using have no furniture or cupboards at all.

While the delivery company puts the beds into the bedrooms, Martial unpacks them and puts them together.  Then the delivery company starts to unload the boxes and boxes of bedding, sheets, towels, cleaning products, soap, shower gel etc I have ordered from the fantastic people at Out of Eden and King of Cotton.  In total there must be over 30 boxes.

4pm            I go off to buy the new cooker.  I can’t see how we can reasonably have people to stay if I can’t cook.  Philip from Le Retro, our favourite restaurant in the village recommends someone in Bréhal who will also come out and fix it if breaks down.  In a rental property this seems like a good plan.

However while I am out buying the gas cooker, the bloody gas company comes and cuts the gas off.  It takes me three hours on the phone, practically in tears to get the gas put back on.  Meanwhile Tonton Greg, the children’s uncle arrives, with a Canadian friend from Quebec.  Now Sophie is a bit of a superstar and takes things in her stride and sees that chaos reigns and just mucks in and helps.  I have to stay at the house for the emergency gas man, who is going to arrive in the next 4 hours to turn the gas on.

So while Sophie, Tonton and the girls go off to buy Pizza from Gregs Pizza restaurant in the village, I get the chance to make up everyones beds.  Pretty princess duvet covers for the girls, then different colours for each room, with matching towels.  Seriously challenging to work out what is in each box.  At 8.10pm Mr Miracle Gasman arrives and turns the gas on.  A huge relief, I can now cook, have hot water and heat if necessary.

11am             Meet at the notaires, with my notaire for the exchange of contracts, keys, paperwork etc.

12 am            Finally, I have the keys in my hand to our new beach house.  Very exciting.  I can finally empty my car, which has been full to the roof since Saturday with essentials for the house: pots, pans, cups, glasses, toys etc.  I was very lucky, someone (a friend of a friend) in the north of La Manche in Barfleur had just bought the necessary furnishings for their gîte, which has now been rented long term unfurnished, so they were looking to sell lots of them.  I got a great deal, including a “bébé foot” table for 5€!

Unexpectedly the previous owners have taken the oven and kitchen furniture which is a bit of a surprise.  However they have left the old stone cider press, so you win some and you lose some.

13pm            I call the electricity, water, gas, and telephone companies to get or stay connected to all the necessary services.

14 pm            Back home, some 35 minutes away, via the bank to hand in some bills to get some money released from the loan.  Then home to meet the people who are going to move some things from home to make the beach house liveable until the refurbishments are completed.  So off goes the garden furniture to serve as a dining table, the sofa and coffee table I inherited from my brothers, the arm chairs from Granny’s cleaners old flat, a fridge, a cupboard from the kitchen that I’ve just replaced in Gîte Lily.

Then picking up the children, putting the dogs in the car and off we go to spend our first night in the beach house.  Only one slight problem… the beds have not arrived.  The people dropped off the other furniture in the garage, and as I can’t move the sofa by myself, we strip off the mattress for the girls and I sleep on the cushions.

11am             Meet at the notaires, with my notaire for the exchange of contracts, keys, paperwork etc.

12 am            Finally, I have the keys in my hand to our new beach house.  Very exciting.  I can finally empty my car, which has been full to the roof since Saturday with essentials for the house: pots, pans, cups, glasses, toys etc.  I was very lucky, someone (a friend of a friend) in the north of La Manche in Barfleur had just bought the necessary furnishings for their gîte, which has now been rented long term unfurnished, so they were looking to sell lots of them.  I got a great deal, including a “bébé foot” table for 5€!

Unexpectedly the previous owners have taken the oven and kitchen furniture which is a bit of a surprise.  However they have left the old stone cider press, so you win some and you lose some.

13pm            I call the electricity, water, gas, and telephone companies to get or stay connected to all the necessary services.

14 pm            Back home, some 35 minutes away, via the bank to hand in some bills to get some money released from the loan.  Then home to meet the people who are going to move some things from home to make the beach house liveable until the refurbishments are completed.  So off goes the garden furniture to serve as a dining table, the sofa and coffee table I inherited from my brothers, the arm chairs from Granny’s cleaners old flat, a fridge, a cupboard from the kitchen that I’ve just replaced in Gîte Lily.

Then picking up the children, putting the dogs in the car and off we go to spend our first night in the beach house.  Only one slight problem… the beds have not arrived.  The people dropped off the other furniture in the garage, and as I can’t move the sofa by myself, we strip off the mattress for the girls and I sleep on the cushions.

It is not a particular pretty house, built in the 60’s, mostly white, and in need of some TLC.  Like the tardis it looks small from the outside but turns out to have 6 bedrooms, all of them a reasonable size, and the house is in a totally liveable state.  But, the location is too perfect.  We are the last house on the street, and the last street in the village.  Beyond us are only a horse spa, the salt marshes and dunes.  I can leave the garden gate and walk straight onto the marshes without even having to look at a dog lead.  And the garden is totally enclosed.

Perhaps I should explain about the dogs.  We have three, 2 springers and a cocker.  Now I’m not sure if all springers are stupid, but mine are not exactly brilliant.  And I have discovered that a stupid dog is just so much easier to have around than a bright one.  My youngest daughters dog is Spot the springer, and it took him 6 months to master the one syllable of “sit”.

Dougal, the cocker, is my eldest daughter’s dog – and he is definitely not stupid.  If he were human he’d be heading for a First from Oxford.  But with brains come problems.  It turns out he has ears that turn off completely at the first sniff of anything remotely interesting, and if anything runs, he’s a completely lost cause.   So far rabbits, deer, small fluffy yapping dogs and sheep have turned out to be causes of serious red faces.

Back to the location, the house is 500m from the beach – which isn’t just any beach – it is a 12km sandy beach on the gulf stream, where even a total pussy like me can swim.  That said, I’m not a particularly keen sea swimmer, you never know what is waiting to grab you.

My neighbours, as previously mentioned, are a horse spa.  As I grew up in an eventing yard this really makes me feel at home.  I love pretty much everything about horses, and these are horses that are in wonderful shape, bouncing out of their skins, galloping up the beach, and generally in the best of condition, which isn’t always the case everywhere, but is particularly noticeable in recession hit rural areas at the moment.

At the bottom of the street, on the sea front are a sailing school, which do sailing lessons, sand yachting etc. and a golf course.  At the end of the other street (we are on a corner) 3 houses away, is the racecourse, and in the summer one of the local riding school moves to the racecourse, so we have activities galore literally on the doorstep, all accessible by foot.

Having seen the house and fallen in love with the location, I bring my estate agent friend to have a look.  We come up with what we consider to be a reasonable offer, which is rejected out of hand.  I then get some quotes done for the work to bring the property up to date – 40 – 50,000€.  Gulp. Over the following months I slowly up the offer, until I really think I can’t go any further, all I can do is sit and wait, and wait, and wait.  Eventually my final offer is accepted, a fair bit under the asking price, so I am pretty pleased with myself, despite the fact that I have broken every rule in the book.  I have not even been to look at a single other house, the location of this one is just perfect for me.

It is not a particular pretty house, built in the 60’s, mostly white, and in need of some TLC.  Like the tardis it looks small from the outside but turns out to have 6 bedrooms, all of them a reasonable size, and the house is in a totally liveable state.  But, the location is too perfect.  We are the last house on the street, and the last street in the village.  Beyond us are only a horse spa, the salt marshes and dunes.  I can leave the garden gate and walk straight onto the marshes without even having to look at a dog lead.  And the garden is totally enclosed.

Perhaps I should explain about the dogs.  We have three, 2 springers and a cocker.  Now I’m not sure if all springers are stupid, but mine are not exactly brilliant.  And I have discovered that a stupid dog is just so much easier to have around than a bright one.  My youngest daughters dog is Spot the springer, and it took him 6 months to master the one syllable of “sit”.

Dougal, the cocker, is my eldest daughter’s dog – and he is definitely not stupid.  If he were human he’d be heading for a First from Oxford.  But with brains come problems.  It turns out he has ears that turn off completely at the first sniff of anything remotely interesting, and if anything runs, he’s a completely lost cause.   So far rabbits, deer, small fluffy yapping dogs and sheep have turned out to be causes of serious red faces.

Back to the location, the house is 500m from the beach – which isn’t just any beach – it is a 12km sandy beach on the gulf stream, where even a total pussy like me can swim.  That said, I’m not a particularly keen sea swimmer, you never know what is waiting to grab you.

My neighbours, as previously mentioned, are a horse spa.  As I grew up in an eventing yard this really makes me feel at home.  I love pretty much everything about horses, and these are horses that are in wonderful shape, bouncing out of their skins, galloping up the beach, and generally in the best of condition, which isn’t always the case everywhere, but is particularly noticeable in recession hit rural areas at the moment.

At the bottom of the street, on the sea front are a sailing school, which do sailing lessons, sand yachting etc. and a golf course.  At the end of the other street (we are on a corner) 3 houses away, is the racecourse, and in the summer one of the local riding school moves to the racecourse, so we have activities galore literally on the doorstep, all accessible by foot.

Having seen the house and fallen in love with the location, I bring my estate agent friend to have a look.  We come up with what we consider to be a reasonable offer, which is rejected out of hand.  I then get some quotes done for the work to bring the property up to date – 40 – 50,000€.  Gulp. Over the following months I slowly up the offer, until I really think I can’t go any further, all I can do is sit and wait, and wait, and wait.  Eventually my final offer is accepted, a fair bit under the asking price, so I am pretty pleased with myself, despite the fact that I have broken every rule in the book.  I have not even been to look at a single other house, the location of this one is just perfect for me.

Had an email from the guy supplying the floor tiles and apart from the fact that he needs paying that all seems to be fairly good news.  Not sure if I want tile or wooden skirting boards.  Yesterday I even had a look at our upstairs wooden flooring option.  The nicer option is 19€ per m2, which is quite a lot more than I was planning, adding about 800€ to that particular part of the project, so I might have to rethink.

Now I just need the exchange rates to tip in favour of the pound sterling and we’re away.

Had an email from the guy supplying the floor tiles and apart from the fact that he needs paying that all seems to be fairly good news.  Not sure if I want tile or wooden skirting boards.  Yesterday I even had a look at our upstairs wooden flooring option.  The nicer option is 19€ per m2, which is quite a lot more than I was planning, adding about 800€ to that particular part of the project, so I might have to rethink.

Now I just need the exchange rates to tip in favour of the pound sterling and we’re away.

St Martin is just a few kilometres north of the town of Granville which was the birth place of Dior.

It is a great village with the same families returning year after year, so most of the families know each other, and the kids spend their summers together, turn into terrible teenagers together, but still hang out on the amazing 12km sand beach.

There are so many activites to do, that when I started thinking about this investment I was adamant that it had to be in St Martin. The house, on rue des Mielles, is pretty much the last house in the village. From what is currently the kitchen window, you can see the marshes, where the dogs will be able to run around.

At the other end of the street is beach, sailing club and golf course. At my end of the street is the amazing horse spa, owned by Monsieur Gamichon where the French equestrian teams train before the olympics and international championships etc. Coming from a horsey family this is certainly one of the attactions of the house. Every day I will see and hear horses.

Currently I am looking into furniture. We want to be able to stay in the house pretty much as soon as we get the keys, so I have ordered beds from England, direct from the manufacturer, Classic Beds, and they are being shipped over. Surprisingly this option is cheaper than buying beds here, despite the cost of shipping, and although I am buying unseen, they are hotel suppliers, and have an excellent reputation. The next thing on my list is bedding, slightly less pressing, in that we can use sleeping bags or take linen from home temporarily, but as the beds are English we will need to get it from the UK too, because of the sizes. And the bedding will need to come over with the beds, as I cannot even imaging how much room 16 duvets will require, 30 odd towels, endless pillowcases etc.

St Martin is just a few kilometres north of the town of Granville which was the birth place of Dior.

It is a great village with the same families returning year after year, so most of the families know each other, and the kids spend their summers together, turn into terrible teenagers together, but still hang out on the amazing 12km sand beach.

There are so many activites to do, that when I started thinking about this investment I was adamant that it had to be in St Martin. The house, on rue des Mielles, is pretty much the last house in the village. From what is currently the kitchen window, you can see the marshes, where the dogs will be able to run around.

At the other end of the street is beach, sailing club and golf course. At my end of the street is the amazing horse spa, owned by Monsieur Gamichon where the French equestrian teams train before the olympics and international championships etc. Coming from a horsey family this is certainly one of the attactions of the house. Every day I will see and hear horses.

Currently I am looking into furniture. We want to be able to stay in the house pretty much as soon as we get the keys, so I have ordered beds from England, direct from the manufacturer, Classic Beds, and they are being shipped over. Surprisingly this option is cheaper than buying beds here, despite the cost of shipping, and although I am buying unseen, they are hotel suppliers, and have an excellent reputation. The next thing on my list is bedding, slightly less pressing, in that we can use sleeping bags or take linen from home temporarily, but as the beds are English we will need to get it from the UK too, because of the sizes. And the bedding will need to come over with the beds, as I cannot even imaging how much room 16 duvets will require, 30 odd towels, endless pillowcases etc.