Ever wanted to own a house in France?

Well I did it and now own two Properties in the heart of Brittany.

Want to read about someone’s personal experiences? The buying process, Renovation projects, dealing with the locals, the do’s and the don’ts the up’s and the downs.

Want to read about the whole process from my perspective and also that of my wife’s?

Let me tell you about our experiences thus far

Well let's begin....It all started about 4 years ago, 2001 to be exact - I was sat in the kitchen having dinner watching A Place in the Sun before doing the 2.5hr commute to work. And Yes I did say 2.5hrs...

Now you may think I’m crazy !! How could anyone drive 2.5hrs to get to work. Well i've been doing the journey for five years now and you get used to it and to me it seems almost normal. The mind wonders and there's always 606mw to listen too...It does get a tad annoying at times when you’ve set off at 4.30pm, have to be at work by 7pm, arrive at 8pm, make your apologies, calm down and play catch up knowing that you’ve got to do the same the following day and still have to complete the return trip after an 11hr working day. As they say ‘needs must’ the money is good and the work could be worse. I'm a professional pushing paper and good at my job so the work's not that bad in the scheme of things i suppose. Sometimes I do feel caught....like being in a trap....a rat in a rat run....one of many i suppose.

Great……anyway I’ve gone off on one as they say so back to my story.

My Dream - has always been to get away from the Rat Race, London and live a more fulfilling life, to chill and fill happy with my lot. Isn’t that what we all want you may ask?

Yes, but some find their karma in other way’s. You need to understand me and what drives me on to understand my story so I’ll tell you a bit about my life, my family and myself.

I’m the dreamer type (Pisces) and being a dreamer have many…many idea’s most of them I’ve been told a bit crazy but once I get an idea there’s little stopping me. I’m a middle-aged normal sort of guy I think, married for 15 years to a wonderfully understanding wife and have been blessed with 3 beautiful and healthy girls aged 14, 12 & 5.

Picture of Myself. Eldest daughters Holly and Robyn >> Picture of my wife Stacey and youngest daughter Rosie

I’m a house owner and live in a town called Havant on the outskirts of a naval town called Portsmouth in the UK. I work in London (Money calls) for a large Global American Telecommunications company. I’m a shift Manager responsible for the day-to-day operational working a 2 day / 2 night rolling shift 24/7. It’s not a bad job, and the guys I work with and the camaraderie we all have help considerably. The job can be stressful and over recent years there has been plenty of insecurity. I continue to avoid and beat off the threat of redundancy (4 rifts as the Americans say in 5 Years) seeing many colleagues and friends join the swollen ranks of unemployed telecoms engineers.

Well that’s enough about me and griping about my working life so let’s get on with what you came to read about.