Gites in France 01

The first decision to make after you’ve decided to purchase a gite in France is to decide in which area of France you’d like to live. It was a bit different for us. We were not even thinking of buying a house in France when we visited Languedoc several years ago.

We were planning a trip to France when I learned that James, my best friend from high school, was now living in the South of France. We had lost touch for many years, but I managed to get in contact with his mother and found that he had given up his law practice and was now a builder in Languedoc. I phoned him, and after getting reacquainted, we arranged a visit.

We rented a car in Paris and spent a leisurely three days driving south, sightseeing on the way. When we met up with James and his wife, Rita, we found that they had been in Languedoc for several years and were very happy living a quiet life after escaping the rat race. They were living in a nice house, which James had built himself. Beyond the swimming pool, which James had also built, they kept chickens, ducks, and a goat. An extensive vegetable garden meant that they were almost living off the land.

James had cashed in on the experience of building his own house and was helping people to renovate old barns, which were available at very reasonable prices at that time. James showed us some of the barns and other ancient buildings that he had helped turn into magnificent residences.

We thought how wonderful it would be to have our own place in this beautiful region of France. This was nothing more than a dream, but when we bid James farewell, I half jokingly said, “Let me know if you come across a cheap, old barn we can buy.”

A few weeks later, I had a phone call from France. “I’ve found you an old barn, and not only a barn, but a vineyard to go with it,” said the voice at the other end.

“A vineyard! I’ve got no idea how to run a vineyard.” I said.

“No need,” said James. "The farmer who owns the property will continue to work the vines and you’ll get a 25% share of the wine every year. I can send you a video of the place, and if you like the look of it, you can come over a see it,” he added. “And you can pick it up for about 180,000 Euros."

I told him to send the video, we had nothing to lose, and the idea of having our own wine was appealing. I was already thinking about the design of the labels.

Once you've decided to buy a gite in France, you need to select an area you'd like to live in. If you are planning to rent out your property when you are not using it, it's important that you pick an area where people want to spend their holidays. This usually means somewhere warm, near a beach, close to shops, and within driving distance from an airport.

Spend some time in your selected area by renting a holiday home, after a couple of weeks you'll know if it's the area for you.

Next time: We buy a vineyard?