They made the move as a whole family
Liz’s mum Helen Diaper and stepdad Terry(Image: Liz Murphy/SWNS)
A couple swapped retirement in the UK to buy an entire hamlet in France with their daughter’s family. Helen Diaper and her husband Terry, both 76, bought the rural hamlet of Lac De Maison, in Poitou-Charentes, south-west France after being convinced to move by their daughter Liz Murphy, 48, and her husband David, 57.
They joined forces to buy six 400-year-old houses, two barns and three acres of land. Helen sold her four-bed property and Liz sold her £400,000 three-bed Manchester – and bought their new village for £450,000.
Now they have turned three into holiday homes – sleeping 19 people in total – and have renovated their own home and parents’ house. Helen and Terry moved out with them – and now get to see their grandkids “every day” instead of once every two months.
They also said the French tax system was “better” than the UK and they can get tax deductions when they employ a cleaner, gardener or caregiver.
Helen, a retired senior practice nurse from Nottingham, said: “It was a big surprise in many ways. I’ve always loved France and always wanted to be here, so Terry and I decided on a big adventure and to go for it.
“Of course I could then keep an eye on Liz and make sure she doesn’t get up to anything. The grandchildren, Tom and Charlotte, are growing up beautifully.
“It’s nice to be with them and to have that experience of them, watching them grow and being involved in what they’re doing. I think the ambience of France is less stressful than in the UK.
“We are very much in a country with not much to do. But I love the laid-backness of it”.
When the couple came across the huge plot of land, Liz and David decided to sell their three-bed home and move with their two children – Tom, 14, and Charlotte, 10 – in December 2020. Previously the couple felt trapped in the “rat race” working “busy” nine-to-five jobs, and convinced Helen and Terry to make the leap to join them.
Stepdad Terry said it “never occurred” to him to leave behind their “nice” life in Nottingham – but now sees it as “one last adventure”.
“We liked the idea of a French lifestyle,” the retired computer programmer said. “It’s easier going over here, it has a nice culture and everywhere is spotlessly clean.
“We didn’t really consider the financial aspect of moving because we were very keen to beat the Brexit deadline. Also at that time French properties were selling very quickly so there was that additional time pressure as well.
“Obviously we all knew that French property prices were so much cheaper than the UK and our understanding was that other costs would be roughly about the same. It’s very difficult to make a fair comparison between the cost of living in France as opposed to the UK as our circumstances have completely changed, moving from a city to the depths of the countryside.
“So, for example, we do much more driving to do our regular food shopping. However, I think that the price of foodstuffs is roughly equivalent.
“Our electricity bill is high, but that should reduce dramatically now that we have solar panels. The French tax system is better for my wife and me as pensioners. Also we can get tax deductions when we employ a cleaner, gardener, or caregiver.”
Liz and David have been getting the gites “up and running” for the past six years and have extended their parents’ home.
Liz, a business owner from Altrincham, Manchester, said: “Now we’ve had five years really with lots of renovations and building work tackling issues and problems, but now we’re able to sit back a bit – not relax but actually enjoy ourselves a bit more. It’s really nice.
“The kids lived in Manchester and mum and Terry in Nottingham. We’d see them once every couple of months, but now the kids get to see them every day.
“They’re as much a part of family life as me and Dave are. It is really nice as a daughter. It’s nice to have mum here, but also as they get a bit older I think for my peace of mind it’s nice knowing I’m here if anything goes wrong or there are any problems I’m straight away here. I’m not having to catch a flight to go home.”
They all live mortgage-free, but Liz admitted they had spent “more than they thought” on renovations.
Liz said: “We spent more than we thought we were going to. But everything we are putting into it is to future-proof it for others when they want to come and live here.
“It was blood sweat and tears, but worth it in the end, a change from being in the rat race. With properties of this size and age, I don’t think renovations ever finish.”
Family and friends often visit France during the busy Airbnb summer months and Liz and her family return to the UK at least once a year. But the family remains happy in their move and adamant that it was the right decision for their future.
In the future, they plan to downsize to a smaller property to help care for Helen, whose health is getting “progressively worse” – but plan to stay together as a family unit.
