‘We couldn’t afford a house in UK so bought an entire village in France’

The couple knew they didn’t want to live in the UK when they eventually retire, but never realised they would buy a village for less than a house in the UK

With house prices skyrocketing and UK salaries not keeping up, this British couple decided to ditch the rat race and follow their dream of moving to France. But they didn’t just find a house – they bought a whole village.

Ben Pearson, 39 and his husband Nathan, 31 had been craving simpler life for a while. And when Ben’s mum, Karen Pearson, 62 moved to France 10 years ago, the idea became more real. On a visit to see her seven years ago, they stumbled across an abandoned farm – one they can now call home.

The farm comes with five outbuildings and two hectares of land, dating back to the 1600s. Eventually, they hope to turn some of the outbuildings into Airbnb’s and guest houses – but for now, the focus is making the house liveable.

The property has no heating or even a toilet, but Ben has plans to transform it into a three bed home, all by himself. “It’s getting out of the 9 to 5 rat race in England,” said Ben, an RAF aircraft engineer. “There’s no way we could afford something like that in the UK.”

They started searching for a retirement home three years ago, but nothing felt right. It wasn’t until two years ago, the same farmhouse came back on the market. After two years of paperwork, they finally got the keys in December 2024. “You can barely buy a flat for £80k,” Ben added “it’s a nicer way of life – there’s no running around,” Ben added.

The property is the oldest in its little commune. The main house dates back to the early 1800s, and the farmhouse 1600s. Right now, the only source of heat is an open fire. It needs a new roof, septic tank and modern heating but the couple hope to have a liveable room within six months. Until then, they will be living in a caravan.

Inside, the house still holds traces of the past – old pots, pans, and mason jars left behind on the shelves. They plan to preserve as much of the history as they can while restoring it. “We want to keep the grandeur of it all,” Nathan added.

They sold everything in the UK and are making the big move in July to start working on their retirement home. “When we dreamed of a simpler life, we somehow ended up buying a small village – we wouldn’t change it for the world,” Nathan said

But the couple can’t wait to move and get out of the UK, while some believe French people can be ‘snobbish’, the couple has had a very different experience. “Even when you go to the nearest town the people are friendly and welcoming,” Nathan said. “This is the sort of thing we’d been looking for.”