“Shall We Just Start Again in France?”

Jan and Richard moved to the Lot area in 2023, seeking something lower paced and more purposeful. They ended up finding a substantial renovation project, and the exciting, fulfilled life they always craved! Hear their story first-hand below..

"If you’d asked us a few years ago where we saw ourselves, I don’t think either of us would have said “renovating a rural property in southwest France and launching a gîte business.” And yet, here we are!

I’m Jan, and alongside my husband Richard, we made the move to France in 2023 after years of living what I can only describe as a very predictable life in the UK. Work, routines, responsibilities — nothing particularly wrong with it, but nothing that truly excited us either. We’d fallen into a rhythm that felt… repetitive.

For years, we’d joke with each other: “Shall we just leave all this and start over in France?” It was one of those throwaway comments that gets repeated often enough that it becomes part of your shared language.

But in 2022, something shifted.

The joke stopped being a joke.

From Idea to Action

Once we allowed ourselves to take the idea seriously, things moved surprisingly quickly. We started asking real questions — not “what if?” but “how?”

We owned businesses in the UK, so there were practical steps to take. Winding things down, planning finances, thinking about what we wanted our next chapter to look like. It wasn’t an overnight decision, but once we committed, we didn’t look back.

The idea of running a gîte business began to take shape quite naturally. It felt like the right balance — something purposeful, something social, but also something that allowed us to build a lifestyle rather than just another job.

Choosing the Right Region

We spent countless evenings researching different areas of France, followed by a series of carefully planned viewing trips.

We saw a lot.

Some regions were beautiful but too expensive. Others felt too busy, or too quiet in the wrong way. We were looking for somewhere with character, but also opportunity; somewhere people would actually want to visit.

Eventually, we found ourselves in Lot.

And almost immediately, something clicked.

The pace of life was slower, but not stagnant. The landscape felt open and unspoilt. And there was a richness to the area, history, architecture, culture, that gave it depth.

Towns like Figeac had that wonderful medieval character we’d been drawn to, while still feeling lived-in and practical.

Then there were the surroundings.

Being close to places like the Causses du Quercy Natural Regional Park, the dramatic clifftop setting of Rocamadour, and the picture-perfect village of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie made the decision feel not just emotional, but practical.

From a gîte business perspective, it made perfect sense.

It felt like a win-win.

Finding “The One”

We viewed a wide range of properties - some ready to go, others needing work, and plenty that fell somewhere in between.

But none of them quite felt right.

Until we found that one.

It was, to be polite, a little tired. Perhaps even quite tired. The house itself needed a significant amount of work, and while the barns were structurally sound, they were far from finished spaces.

But we could see it.

The potential, the layout, the opportunity to create something from the ground up - not just a house, but a home and a business that reflected exactly what we wanted.

It wasn’t the easiest option.

But it was the one that excited us.

Taking on the Challenge

We knew we were signing up for a major renovation project, and it didn’t disappoint.

The past three years have been full-on. There’s no other way to describe it.

We’ve dealt with everything from structural work to interiors, learning as we went, making mistakes, solving problems, and slowly, steadily bringing the property back to life.

The barns, which first caught our attention, have been transformed into gîte spaces, each one designed to feel welcoming, comfortable, and in keeping with the character of the area. It hasn’t always been easy.

There were moments when progress felt slow, when decisions felt overwhelming, and when we questioned our sanity just a little!

But there was also something deeply satisfying about it, building something tangible, something that would shape our future.

Where We Are Now

Now, three years on, we’re at a completely different stage.

The renovations are complete. The vision we saw back then is now real.

And we’re beginning to market our gîtes, preparing for the summer season and hoping to welcome our first full run of guests.

There’s a mix of excitement and nerves, if we’re honest. But mostly excitement!

Looking Ahead

When we think back to that throwaway comment - “Shall we just start again in France?” - it’s hard not to smile.

What once felt distant and unrealistic is now simply our everyday life. We’ve traded routine for challenge, familiarity for adventure, and predictability for something far more rewarding.

There’s still plenty to learn, and we know this next phase, running the business, will bring its own challenges.

But for the first time in a long time, it feels like we’re exactly where we’re meant to be.

And that, in itself, makes it all worthwhile.

If our story does anything, we hope it shows that sometimes those “what if” conversations are worth listening to.

You never quite know where they might lead."