Ben and Nathan say it has been a steep learning curve
Ben Pearson (right) and his husband Nathan(Image: Ben Pearson/SWNS)
A British couple who bought a French ‘village’ for just £69,125 have already blown their £100,000 budget – on just a kitchen, bedroom and living room. Ben Pearson, 40, and his husband, Nathan, 32, had always dreamed of moving to France and stumbled across the abandoned farmhouse in Sainte Segros.
When they started seriously looking to buy two years ago the property came on the market and the couple were able to purchase the ‘village’ for €80,000 (£69,125) – which comes with five outbuildings and two hectares of land. They have spent the last 10 months on the mammoth renovation and admit their £100,000 budget has “all gone” already – with the couple having to fork out to do a full re-wire, install plumbing and install a septic tank.
Ben is undertaking the project all by himself, and they spent the first four months in France living in a caravan in their barn, finally moving into the property in October 2025. Now, they have a finished living room, bedroom, and hope to have a fully-functional kitchen by June – with Ben creating a semi-temporary bathroom too.
They hope to begin tackling the upstairs by the end of 2027 – and Ben says it’s been “a very steep learning curve” with this being their first big project other than household DIY. Nathan, an English tutor, said: “It’s been really great but there are challenges that have come our way we’ve really had to overcome.
“There’s administration thanks Brexit but even just daily living, we’re in a very rural area and communicating with people and services has been a bit of a test with our limited French. We were sleeping in a caravan in a barn at the height of summer and we put the focus on two rooms at the right-hand side the house because they needed less work doing to them and we wanted to create a liveable space in the house.
“The main thing for us is escaping the busy chaotic life in England and embracing life over here which we have achieved.”
Ben’s mum, Karen Pearson, 62, moved out to France 10 years ago and the couple stumbled across the farm in her village seven years ago. They loved the house but were not ready to move. Three years ago they started searching for their dream retirement home and initially couldn’t find anything but when the farmhouse came back on the market they could not believe it.
Ben, a retired RAF aircraft engineer from Hull, says: “For us personally we thought we were stuck in a rut of coming to work, coming home and watching TV and going to bed.
“We were doing that most days and weekends and were that tired we didn’t think we were getting the most out of life. We thought if we get over here we can stop working so much and enjoy life a bit more.
“It’s not easy as we don’t have any money, but that’s the goal. We’ve actually really enjoyed it, it’s the best thing we’ve ever done and we wouldn’t change a thing.
“Our little village is lovely. We’re both actively learning French, Nathan has just taken his exam and is a certificate B1. We go to a local art class every Wednesday.
“We had a budget of around £100,000 in mind but that’s all gone now so. I think realistically we’ll end up spending another £100,000, maybe another £150,000.
“Initially, we managed to save up a bit before we came here. But our savings are dry and our bank accounts are dry and it’s all on Nathan to pull his socks up”.
The pair have had family come to visit who have got “stuck in” and helped out with the job. Nathan says: “We’re in the phase now of looking what I earn in a month and if we don’t have the money for something we can’t do it and put it on the back burner.
“I do try and grab bargain old furniture. For me I’m trying to keep in line with the proper traditional French farm house. There’s a few modern elements like it needs electrics, USBs and plugs but for us it needs to look rustic.
“We also have things here we can use and take advantage of like beautiful armoires and srtuff to do up and repurpose them, so we’re fortunate in that respect. We’re putting in a new kitchen but I don’t want it to look like a show kitchen”.
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