We bought a derelict French village for £118k – we left our kids in the UK and made it super luxe with zero DIY skills
FED up of the dreary British weather, Sean Baldock and Lorraine (Lolly) Curran decided enough was enough.
“It was 2015 when we decided we wanted to leave the UK,” Lolly explains.
But instead of heading to the Spanish coast for a villa overlooking the sea, or a beautiful rural farm house in Italy, the couple decided an abandoned French village would make the perfect home.
Lolly adds: “We had a family conversation and decided France would be the best place to move to due to the easy journey and various routes to get here.
“The prices of properties in France were also really tempting – you could get so much more for your money. Not to mention the peace and tranquillity.”
But there was just one problem with the village, called La Galiserie… it was completely derelict.
Located in Serigny, France – about an hours drive north of Poitiers – La Galiserie is a small village made up of a former grand manor house, and surrounding buildings, some of which were built by a nobleman who supported up to 25 peasant families in the outbuildings and stone cottages in the fields nearby.
Sadly, as people moved away, the old cottages crumbled – and the manor could’ve suffered the same fate, until Sean and Lolly threw it a lifeline.
But it had no power, no running water, no doors or windows.
Lolly said: “It was in complete disrepair, neglected for 50+ years, and anything of value had been stolen over the years.
“It had been abandoned, unloved – a set of buildings for wildlife.”
Alongside the cluster of buildings, Lolly and Sean had around two acres of land, which was used for farming, whilst “the courtyard was full of rubble and snail colonies, all covered by weeds up to your head”.
“You could just about see the building because it was just so overgrown, and unloved,” Lolly said. “But it had that wow factor”.
Despite La Galiserie’s state, they “fell in love with it straight away”.
“We looked at it and led with our heart, but you have to do it with your head [too],” they said.
“You get home, crunch the numbers, look at what you’re aiming to do, and yes, your head has to take over at some point. But for us here, the heart and the head worked and we’ve got everything and more than we could ever imagine.”
Sean and Lolly sold their house in Sussex and bought La Galiserie for £118k.
But the move to France wasn’t easy, especially for Lolly who was leaving her children – Phoebe and Charlie – behind in the UK.
During a recent episode of Channel 4’s Help We Bought A Village!, Lolly said through tears: “It’s really hard – it’s the hardest thing.
“We wanted to do this for such a long time – but that’s the hardest thing [leaving my kids behind].
“I really thought they would come with me, but they’ve got their lives, they’re young and they’ve got their careers, which I completely understand. It’s so hard.”
I knew immediately that La Galiserie was the one. I saw the potential.”
Lolly
Sean added: “They’re literally only a phone call away. And before we know it, they’ll be with us.”
Lolly’s children were 21 and 23 when she and Sean moved to France.
As for what Sean and Lolly planned to do with La Galiserie, they “saw the potential immediately”.
“It really didn’t take long for me to see what could be done,” Lolly admitted.
“We had seen around a dozen properties which were all described in the details as ‘done’ and ‘turn key ready’ but they really weren’t.
“We were very disappointed with the poor re-development, lack of imagination and quality [of some of the properties] so we decided to take the drive out to La Galiserie and I knew immediately [it was the one]. I saw the potential.”
The couple had £500k for renovations but absolutely no building skills, and whilst this may have been terrifying for most, they were determined to breath new life into La Galiserie and convert it into a holiday complex.
Currently, they have two B&B rooms completed, and the first gîte is set to welcome guests this autumn.
They also intend to offer warm weather training to athletes utilising Sean’s experience as a former Olympian, and yoga retreats led by Lolly who has practiced Ashtanga Yoga for over 25 years.
Whilst the couple are far from finishing La Galiserie’s transformation, they have experienced lots of joy during the process.
Lolly said: “It’s been a pleasure witnessing the progress, we were told we’d found a jewel and she definitely is sparkling!”
As for life in France, they say they are enjoying a “slower pace”.
France is cleaner, less stressful, more relaxed, and tranquil
Lolly
Four cheap home renovation tricks
YOU don't have to spend loads to give a room a new look. Here are five other home renovation tricks you can try.
Kitchen cupboards
One way to give your kitchen a complete transformation for less is to change the look of the kitchen cupboards. There are loads of different vinyl coverings out there to choose from, and it’s a quick and easy way to update your home.
Handles
Another thing you can try that won’t break the bank is to change up the handles. You can pick up relatively cheap handles in DIY stores, or even in the charity shop. Adding new ones to your kitchen cupboards, or doors in your house, can be extremely effective.
Leftovers
Most of us have old half-used tins of paint in the garage, but they’re often forgotten about. However, there may be enough in the pot to paint a feature wall in another room, and you won’t have to spend a penny.
Freebies
It’s worth checking your local Facebook Marketplace, or Freecycle, to see what other people are getting rid of. As they say, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. And if someone’s planning to revamp a room, they might want to get rid of a sofa, or a coffee table, which you could use to give a lounge a new look.
“We enjoy great wine, great food, and there doesn’t seem to be as much crime,” Lolly added.
“There is also no light pollution and no close neighbours! We prefer the sense of commune importance and the commune get togethers, lunches and the annual dinner.”
As for their commune, Lolly and Sean were welcomed with open arms.
“Our commune have been brilliant and encouraging from the start of our journey,” Lolly explained.
“Neighbours have even stopped to thank us for ‘lighting up the tower’, and our farmers wish us ‘Bon Courage.’”
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows at La Galiserie – there’s just a couple of things the couple miss about their old life…
“We miss a good curry and our family but they love it here, so are visiting more often,” Lolly revealed.
You can book a stay at La Galiserie via the website, or follow Sean and Lolly’s progress on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.