Friday 30 April 2004

Gazumped! – April 2004

We had returned to the UK and a week later the Agent called to explain the owner had declined our asking price offer!!!

Apparently, his son had placed the Grange for sale and agreed the price, but it was his father who was the legal owner and he wanted €5,000 more that the asking price we had agreed and the sale would not go through based on the original paperwork. We rejected this on principle and held firm.

Tuesday 20 April 2004

Easter Surprise – April 2004

Easter could not come quickly enough and we spent another three days searching for a suitable empty shell in the drizzle and rain. Despite the poor weather we knew we loved the area and the countryside of the Creuse and the Correze and if we loved it in the damp and wet, then we expected the affair to continue in the heat of the summer. We just needed to find a place we loved.

On our last search day, visiting the final property we found what has turned out to be the ideal property. An empty barn, which was in great structural condition, sitting in 1,500 sq metres of field on the edge of a village called Colondannes and around 4km from the nearest town Dun Le Palestel and 12 km for the large town of La Souterraine.

We resisted attempts to proceed there and then. We retreated to our hotel to reflect and consider what we had found and decided to return to the Grange to view the property and area on our own.

Fortunately, the sun was shining and we got plenty of time to look around and make our minds up before visiting the Agent, offering the asking price and having it accepted.

Once the paperwork was signed, we returned to our hotel and spent a further few days exploring the area and of course the village and our home to be. This was turnign into an even bigger French Adventure than we had even imagined!!