Fed up with Britain’s gloomy climate, Sean Baldock and Lorraine (Lolly) Curran decided enough was enough.
“It was in 2015 that we decided we wanted to leave the UK,” explains Lolly.
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But instead of heading to the Spanish coast in search of a villa with sea views or a beautiful rural farmhouse in Italy, the couple decided that an abandoned French village would be the perfect home.
Lolly adds: “We had a family conversation and decided that France would be the best place to move to because of the easy travel and multiple routes to get here.
“Property prices in France were also really tempting – you could get a lot more for your money. Not to mention the peace and tranquility.”
But there was just one problem with the village, called La Galiserie…it was completely abandoned.
Located in Serigny, France – about an hour’s drive north of Poitiers – La Galiserie is a small village made up of a former grand mansion and surrounding buildings, some of which were built by a nobleman who supported up to 25 peasant families in the 19th century. XIX. outbuildings and stone houses in the nearby fields.
Unfortunately, as people moved in, the old houses collapsed – and the mansion could have suffered the same fate, until Sean and Lolly threw it a lifeline.
But there was no power, no running water, no doors or windows.
Lolly said: “It was in complete disrepair, neglected for over 50 years and everything of value had been stolen over the years.
“It was abandoned, unloved – a collection of buildings for wildlife.”
Next to the cluster of buildings, Lolly and Sean had about two hectares of land, which was used for agriculture, while “the yard was full of rubble and colonies of snails, all up to their heads in weeds”.
“You could see the building because it was overgrown and unkempt,” Lolly said. “But it had that wow factor.”
Despite the condition of La Galiserie, “they immediately fell in love”.
“We look at it and lead with the heart, but you have to do it with the head [too],” they said.
“You get home, analyze the numbers, look at what you intend to do and, yes, your head has to take over at some point. But for us here, the heart and the head worked and we have everything and more than we could imagine.”
Sean and Lolly sold their house in Sussex and bought La Galiserie for £118,000.
But the move to France wasn’t easy, especially for Lolly, who was leaving her children – Phoebe and Charlie – behind in the UK.
During a recent episode of Channel 4’s Help We Bought A Village!Lolly said through tears: “It’s really hard – it’s the hardest thing.
“We’ve wanted to do this for a long time – but this is the hardest thing [leaving my kids behind].
“I really thought they would come with me, but they have their lives, they are young and they have their careers, which I completely understand. It is so hard.”
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I knew immediately that La Galiserie was the right person. I saw the potential.”
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Sean added: “They are literally just a phone call away. And before we know it, they will be with us.”
Lolly’s children were 21 and 23 when she and Sean moved to France.
As for what Sean and Lolly planned to do with La Galiserie, “they saw the potential immediately.”
“It didn’t really take me long to see what could be done,” admitted Lolly.
“We had seen about a dozen properties that were all described in the details as ‘ready’ and ‘ready to go’ but in fact were not.
“We were very disappointed with the poor redevelopment, the lack of imagination and quality [of some of the properties] so we decided to go to La Galiserie and I knew immediately [it was the one]. I saw the potential.”
The couple had £500,000 for renovations but absolutely no building skills and although this may have been daunting for most, they were determined to breathe new life into La Galiserie and convert it into a holiday complex.
At the moment, they have two completed B&B roomsand the first gîte is ready to welcome guests this autumn.
They also plan to offer warm weather training for athletes, utilizing Sean’s experience as a former Olympian, and yoga retreats led by Lolly, who has practiced Ashtanga Yoga for over 25 years.
Although the couple is far from finished transforming La Galiserie, they have found great joy during the process.
Lolly said: “It was a pleasure to witness the progress, we were told we had found a gem and it is definitely shining!”
As for life in France, they say it has a “slower pace”.
France is cleaner, less stressful, more relaxed and peaceful
lolly
Four cheap tricks for renovating homes
YOU don’t need to spend a lot to give a room a new look. Here are five other home improvement hacks you can try.
Kitchen cabinets
One way to completely transform your kitchen for less is to change the look of your kitchen cabinets. There are several different vinyl sidings to choose from, and it’s a quick and easy way to update your home.
Handles
Another thing you can try that won’t cost much is changing the straps. You can buy relatively cheap straps from DIY stores or even charity shops. Adding new ones to your kitchen cabinets or doors in your home can be extremely effective.
Leftovers
Most of us have old, half-used paint cans in the garage, but they are often forgotten. However, there may be enough in the vase to paint a wall in another room and you won’t need to spend a dime.
Gifts
It’s worth checking out your local Facebook Marketplace, or Freecycle, to see what other people are getting rid of. As they say, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. And if someone is planning to renovate a room, they may want to get rid of a sofa or a coffee table, which you can use to give the lounge a new look.
“We like good wine, good food and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of crime,” Lolly added.
“There is also no light pollution and no close neighbors! We prefer the sense of community importance and the community meetings, lunches and annual dinner.”
As for their community, Lolly and Sean were welcomed with open arms.
“Our community has been brilliant and encouraging since the beginning of our journey,” explained Lolly.
“Neighbors even stopped to thank us for ‘lighting up the tower’, and our farmers wish us ‘good courage’.”
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows at La Galiserie – there are just a few things the couple miss about their old life…
“We miss a good curry and our family, but they love it here so they are visiting more often,” Lolly revealed.
You can book a stay at La Galiserie through websiteor follow Sean and Lolly’s progress at TikTok, FacebookIt is Instagram.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
