We determined that:
· We wanted to be able to drive to the location within 12 hours of our home in the England
· We did not want to be dependant upon a low cost flight
· We wanted to be in the countryside and were not particularly interested in being near the coast
· We only needed a small and manageable home, with a small garden.
· The home should be within or on the edge of a village
· We had a modest budget in mind and expect to do some DiY to get the home as we expect.
Having been to France on holidays before, Linda and I were drawn to the inland Loire Atlantique area, but our desk research quickly indicated that there was a limited choice of property for sale, and even more limited homes within our budget.
As can often happen, our discussions with other people led to a chance conversation with a property consultant who said, “have you thought of the Limousin area” which lead us on the road to a new discovering, but not after some sceptical doubt.
I looked at the map of France and couldn’t believe it conformed to our first criteria element. The map seemed to defy logic. The area was actually within 12 hours of home and the AA Route Finder confirmed that Limoges was only 50km further than Nantes by the fastest route distance.
Still skeptical our research took a turn and became detailed and focused upon the Limousin Area made up of Le Creuse, Haute Vienne and Correze. The more we investigated over the following few weeks the more we became enthralled and intrigued by this part of France.
