Spare a thought for Dominique……

With everything crossed we are planning to move house ……..  I know we are very used to it, having bought and sold 12 times in our 13 years together but this is the first time we have bought and sold at the same time in France so much to consider ……

We have been thinking about it for some time as what was the perfect size for a holiday home has become a bit small as a permanent home for 2 strapping chaps and an excitable springer spaniel!

Some compromises have had to be made of course and size required vs. available budget (if we are to achieve the nirvana of ‘mortgage free’) with the premium prices commanded here in St Malo does not allow a move Intra Muros.  

Of course the business we are in allows us to see the best of what is available on the open market and we are delighted with the property we have found …..

A townhouse in a great village with lots going on, 3 bedrooms, 3 reception rooms , a big garden to keep Alfie occupied and to allow us to commune with nature and grow our own fruit and vegetables, a great price well under what we are selling our apartment for and its 3 times the size!

The process is well underway and for our regular readers, expect much of the blogging over the next few months to involve our move and our initial settling in experiences …..

But at this stage we wanted to spare a thought for Dominique …….. a 50 year old Parisian who according to the housing charity ‘Fondation Abbé Pierre’  has been living for 15 years in the worst example of illegal housing in Paris seen in modern times …….. a 1.56m² flat under the eaves of a property with room only for a tiny mattress, sink and single cooking hotplate – all for €330 per month. 

Now at this point Alfie is looking slightly concerned we have promised him at least 2m² for the luxurious new bed he had been hoping for to keep him comfortable on the patio in his

new garden ………

Lucky - we think we are …………..