Couple buy French village on two hectares of land for just £69,000 as a retirement project – but blow their £100,000 renovation budget after finishing just 3 rooms

A British couple who bought a French ‘village’ for just £69,125 have already blown their £100,000 budget on just a kitchen, bedroom and living room.

Ben Pearson, 40, and his husband Nathan, 32, originally from Hull, had always dreamed of moving to France and chanced upon the abandoned farmhouse in Sainte Segros.

When they began looking to buy in earnest two years ago, the property came on the market and the couple were able to purchase the ‘village’, which comes with five outbuildings and two hectares of land, for €80,000 (£69,125).

They have spent the last 10 months on a massive refurbishment and have admitted their £100,000 budget has already been exhausted; the couple had to spend money rewiring and installing plumbing and a septic tank.

Ben is undertaking the project on his own and they spent the first four months living in a caravan in their barn in France, eventually moving into the property in October 2025.

They now have a completed living room and bedroom and hope to have a fully functional kitchen by June; I also create a semi-temporary bathroom.

They hope to start tackling the upper floors by the end of 2027, and Ben says it’s been a “very steep learning curve” and that this is their first major project outside of DIY around the house.

English teacher Nathan said: ‘It’s been really great but there are challenges coming our way that we really need to overcome.

The British couple, originally from Hull, East Yorkshire, made the purchase as part of their retirement plans

‘There is governance thanks to Brexit but even just in day-to-day life we ​​are in a very rural area and communicating with people and services with our limited French has been a bit of a challenge.

‘We were sleeping in a caravan in a barn at the height of summer and we focused on the two rooms on the right side of the house as they needed less work and we wanted to create a livable space in the house.

‘The important thing for us is to escape from the intensely chaotic life in England and embrace the life here, where we have succeeded.’

Ben’s mother Karen Pearson, 62, moved to France 10 years ago and the couple stumbled upon the farm in her village seven years ago.

They loved the house but weren’t ready to move.

They started looking for their dream retirement home three years ago and initially found nothing, but when the farmhouse came back on the market they couldn’t believe it.

Ben, a retired RAF aircraft engineer, said: ‘Personally, we thought we were stuck in a routine of coming to work, coming home, watching TV and going to bed.

‘We were doing this most days and weekends and we were so tired we didn’t feel like we were getting the most out of life.

Ben and Nathan (pictured) wanted to leave their chaotic lives in England behind and embrace a more peaceful lifestyle

Originally the couple had a budget of £100,000 in mind for the renovation, but funds quickly ran out

Picture: Inside one of the buildings in the French village that Ben Pearson and his husband Nathan bought

‘We thought if we came here we could stop working so hard and enjoy life a little more.

‘It’s not easy because we don’t have money, but that’s the goal.

‘We actually really enjoyed it, it was the best thing we’ve ever done and we wouldn’t change a thing. Our little village is very beautiful.

‘We are both actively learning French, Nathan has just taken the exam and has a B1 certificate. ‘We go to a local art class every Wednesday.’

He continued: ‘We had a budget in mind of around £100,000 but it’s all gone now.

‘Realistically I think we’ll spend another £100,000, maybe £150,000.

‘Initially we managed to save a little bit before coming here. But our savings have dried up, our bank accounts have dried up and it’s entirely up to Nathan to pull his socks up.’

The couple’s families, who were ‘stuck in’ and helped with the business, came to visit.

The couple finally received the keys to their new home, consisting of five additional buildings and two hectares of land, in December 2024.

The couple wants to keep the house as traditional as possible while adding some modern elements

Nathan said: ‘We’re currently at the stage of looking at what I earn in a month and if we don’t have money for something we can’t do we put that on the back burner.

‘I’m trying to buy old furniture at a bargain. For me, I try to keep it true to the traditional French farmhouse.

‘There are a few modern elements like it needs electricity, USB and a plug, but for us it needs to look rustic.

‘We also have beautiful wardrobes here that we can use and benefit from, and things that we can make and repurpose, so we’re lucky in that respect.’

He added: ‘We’re building a new kitchen but I don’t want it to look like a show kitchen.’