Liz Murphy, 47, and her husband David, 55, bought the historic farming hamlet of Lac De Maison, in Poitou-Charentes, south-west France, in January 2021.
The couple sold their three-bedroom house in Manchester for £400,000 and used the money to buy six 400-year-old houses, two barns and three acres of land.
They have turned their quiet town into a thriving business – with their three cottages almost fully booked for summer 2024.
Now they say they have no intention of returning to their homeland.
The couple, who used to work in radio, are no longer dependent on an employer and he said it’s a great feeling to be self-sufficient and work for yourself.
As the cost of living crisis continues to rise in the UK, the family feel certain that their dream lifestyle is not possible in England and now consider France their home.
Mum-of-two Liz, from Altrincham, Manchester, told independent.co.uk:
“We are very busy, we are almost full this summer and even before the season we have visitors most weekends. Renovations and work are always in progress, but for the most part we are done. We have four we’ve been here for years, so we’re used to the maintenance and the day-to-day running of things. But mowing the lawn, for example, is a big place.
This is our full time job now, very different from our previous office jobs. Every day is different and everything we do is for us and our family. We love the UK but have no regrets about moving here and have no plans to return. It’s nice because here we have more control over our destiny.”
Her husband added: “We have more strength today France. Let’s just say no CEO somewhere wakes up one morning and decides to cut half the staff in an effort to save money. “
The couple worked 9 to 5 and felt stuck in their routine and everyday life.
But after both spouses were put on vacation in 2020, they decided to fulfill their dreams and leave their lives in Manchester, Englandto own a house in France.
when the pair of found a large plot of land, decided to sell his house and live with his two children – Tom, 13, and Charlotte, nine – and Liz’s parents in the beautiful space.
Liz said: “We both work and the kids are always in extracurricular clubs. It was as if we were in an endless corridor. When Covid came and we went on vacation we realized we were in a never ending race where life passed us by. We didn’t spend much time with the kids and decided we needed to do something to change our whole lives. We are talking about moving to France. We felt a stronger need to do this and we did. My mom and stepdad decided to sell their house and come with us.”
The couple say they love the UK but will never return, because their quality of life has improved immeasurably since making the move across the Channel.
“It’s not so much the cost of living as the quality in life in our family. We have more time for ourselves, the simpler lifestyle suits us. Prices are also rising here in France, but we feel there is more stability here. Plus, good weather makes a big difference.” Liz and her husband added: “We have big plans for this village, we want to continue the renovation and start improving our house again. We also want to start installing solar panels and become self-sufficient in energy. None of this would have worked if we were still living in the UK. “