Many of us dream of moving to a grand house in France, or maybe testing our DIY skills with an ambitious home makeover project. And with more and more over 50s using later life to have new adventures, you might have already considered how to turn some of these ideas into reality.
But while renovation projects and moves abroad can come with great rewards, plenty of books and television shows paint a rather romantic picture of this fantasy. So it can be tricky to understand some of the real challenges involved.
Ninety-one-year-old retired pharmacist Malcolm Meadows from Abergavenny is one such person who took the plunge when he bought a large fixer-upper in the Dordogne back in 1990.
Over the years, he worked tirelessly on renovations before selling it in 2014. And while it was certainly a challenge, he picked up some valuable skills and made plenty of treasured memories along the way.
We spoke to Malcolm to learn more about his experiences in France.
“We realised that we’d just bought the biggest holiday souvenir ever”
Buying a house abroad had never really been on Malcolm’s mind, let alone in France. As he explains, the only real experience he and his wife, Elaine, had with the country was driving through it on their way to Italy, where they spent summers camping. But they eventually decided to visit the Dordogne in the late 80s on a friend’s recommendation.
“In the first few days, we did all the sorts of things you do in the Dordogne,” Malcolm explains. “We visited the caves, markets, and all the other wonderful sites that are available. However, one day, we started idly looking in the windows of estate agents; I didn’t realise how cheap the property was.”
Encouraged by Elaine’s enthusiasm, the couple began visiting houses. “We looked at all sorts of things, from chateaus to farmhouses to bungalows,” Malcolm says. However, a few days before they were due to go home to Wales, the estate agent’s secretary told them about a unique listing.
Malcolm explains, “She said, ‘I’m not sure whether it’s a monastery or a chateau, but it’s an amazing building with huge fireplaces.’ My wife desperately wanted to see it.”
A painting Elaine did of their house in Saint-Pantaly-d’Excideuil
With that, Malcolm and Elaine drove over to the tiny village of Saint-Pantaly-d’Excideuil for a viewing. It was a grand house located in the middle of the village, which Malcolm tells us was once owned by Thomas-Robert Bugeaud, who served as Governor-General of Algeria in the 1800s. However, from the outside, it was easy to see that it needed extensive repairs. And things weren’t any better when they stepped inside.
“There was rubbish everywhere: old barrels, bicycle frames and wheels, huge piles of straw. However, it did have electricity, running water, a log-burning fire, and a fairly new WC. So I thought: that would set us up.”
When they returned to the UK, Malcolm was still undecided about the property. However, after some more research and thought, the couple decided to place an offer, which was readily accepted. Their goals for the property weren’t exactly clear, as Malcolm says, they just wanted something unique that would push them out of their comfort zone.
“We wanted a challenge. Someone once told me, ‘Malcolm, you’ve got a huge appetite for life.’ And I think that was what prompted me to take this on. Once the offer was accepted, we realised that we’d just bought the biggest holiday souvenir ever.”
Malcolm and his family in France
“There was something about the atmosphere that was so exhilarating”
While Malcolm describes himself as a keen DIYer, the project was too big for him to tackle by himself. Plus, he was still working as a hospital pharmacist, meaning his time in France was limited. So Malcolm assembled a team of tradesmen to continue working while he went back and forth from the UK.
“They were all honest, hardworking, and fair-priced,” Malcolm tells us. “The builder’s sister would send me Polaroid pictures of each stage of the work. They knocked down walls and built up a kitchen – everything went along nicely.”
But that’s not to say that Malcolm didn’t get stuck in with the work too. Over the years, during his semi-frequent trips down to the Dordogne, he assisted the tradesman with all sorts of tasks, honing his tiling, decorating, and woodworking skills. He even learned how to finish the house’s stone walls in a pierre apparent style: a rustic look that involves leaving the stones exposed.
Before
After
Once sections of the house were comfortable enough to stay in, Malcolm and Elaine made frequent trips down to Saint-Pantaly-d’Excideuil. They soon became a regular part of the community and fell in love with the French way of life.
Malcolm says, “There was something about the atmosphere that was so exhilarating. The places we visited and the people we met. The countryside, caves, and cathedrals. The towns and markets. The whole culture and language. Life in France was nothing but exciting.”
As well as making friends with the villagers, they became involved with various events – and Malcolm sang in the local choir. Speaking about some of his favourite memories, he says…
“There were some amazing times. The village throws what’s called ‘La Fête du Pain’, the Festival of the Bread Ovens, when hundreds of people sit down to a fantastic meal. It’s something that you, somehow, wouldn’t experience in the UK – not in the same way, anyway.
“There’s also an event to commemorate Armistice Day on the 11th of November. For this, you have a meeting around the war memorial, the mayor reads out a statement from the president, and then you retire to the local village hall for some nibbles and drinks. They do things like that all through the year. It’s really quite special.”
“In the end, I decided that there was no more that I could do”
However, while Malcolm and Elaine were enjoying their visits to the Dordogne, work on the house was going slowly.
Malcolm says, “It was a bit of a love-hate relationship, in a way. We worked really hard. I remember one day when we had to bring down this lath and plaster ceiling and carry it through into another room. From there, we shovelled it down into trucks waiting outside on the street. I remember being totally exhausted.”
Removing all the straw and rubbish left by the previous tenants also proved to be a gruelling task and the roof became a frequent headache. After he retired completely in 2002, Malcolm spent extended periods in Saint-Pantaly-d’Excideuil to work on the house, only travelling back to the UK occasionally to spend time with family.
In the years that followed, the house was also damaged by a series of freak weather events, which tied Malcolm up in insurance claims. These included a devastating flood and Cyclone Lothar in 1999, the worst European windstorm recorded in the 20th century.
“After the storm, all the trees in the area were absolutely decimated and there was rain pouring through the roof. And then, in 2013, we had this enormous hailstorm. There were holes in the garden table as big as tennis balls.
Malcolm continues, “When we heard about it, we were in the UK, and we couldn’t do anything about it. We weren’t scheduled to come back. So the house was always a worry. Sometimes, I thought, ‘Oh, why have we got this property in France?’”
Before
After
By the early 2010s, much of the house was comfortable to live in, and Malcolm and his team had turned one wing into a two-bedroom gîte (holiday home), which was now up and running. However, as he explains, the work was far from over.
“It was obvious that we could make the property into something quite special. But it would mean selling our house in Wales, which my wife wasn’t prepared to do. So, in the end, I decided that there was no more that I could do. I knew that if I spent more money on it, I wouldn’t get it back.”
So, in 2014, Malcolm brought his 24-year project to an end and sold the house to a friend of his from the village.
Malcolm demonstrating the well at his house to his grandchildren
“I didn’t realise just how much I appreciated the French way of life”
While his time as owner of the house was certainly challenging, Malcolm looks back on it with fond memories.
He says, “There were moments when I was severely tested. But the trials I faced may have been because my property was full of possible disasters – often weather-related or because of the age of the building. But would I do it again? Sure I would.
“France is a very special place, and I miss it greatly now, as my health prevents me from travelling there. In fact, I didn’t realise just how much I appreciated the French way of life while I was there.
“I suppose because you’re immersed in what you’re doing – and you’ve got all the problems associated with it – you aren’t always able to see just how precious things are to you. But life in France has continued to give me fond memories many years after I left.”
Since selling the house, Malcolm has embarked on an encore career giving illustrated lectures on topics like art, history, and music. Recently, he’s also used his unique experiences to deliver a series of talks on the Dordogne on Rest Less Events. So, if you’re interested in hearing more from Malcolm, keep an eye out for any upcoming talks on our events calendar.
Do you want to buy a house abroad one day? Or have you already done it? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.