Travelling around France you will occasionally find yourself in a lost corner that has not yet been taken over by renovating expats and is miles from the nearest sign of life.
These corners are ever harder to find, especially in the more popular tourist centres of the country, but are a particular treat because they hark back to how France ‘is supposed to be’ and how visitors will still perhaps imagine it.
It is these small discoveries that are as important and memorable as your visits to the ‘major’ destinations, and it is because of these special moments that France continues to be such a popular attraction.
Unfortunately many local councils (communes) permit excessive new development around their communes, which very rapidly destroys all semblance of the village as a scenic highlight. In other places the beauty of the place gets discovered and many of the properties get bought up (frequently as second homes) and renovated. Renovated houses have their own charm, but can rarely match the appeal of a property that is untouched.
So this post is just a reminder to those building new houses in France, or renovating an older property. Take some time to look at older unrestored houses in your region and think about why they are so appealing, then try to include the most important characteristics in your own property.
Look at the picture of a house above (taken in a very small vilage called Puyguilhem in the southern Dordogne). Would the house look better with a new roof, newly repointed stone walls, and replacement shutters; and if all those sprawling plants were replaced with something more orderly? I think not.
Ironically, restoring an old property so it still looks old and unrestored will usually cost more, and take longer, than an ‘off the shelf’ renovation, but the result will be worthwhile.
And if you are travelling around and find somewhere lost but beautiful – keep it to yourself! The real France is still waiting to be discovered so we need to make sure we can say the same in another 50 years time.
