1. Tell us a bit about you; Who you are, where you come from, etc?
We are a family of four, with two teenagers, initially living in London then moving to France for over six years and now we live in Lewes, East Sussex.
2. How long have you owned this property and why did you buy it?
We bought the property back in 2006 when our youngest was just 1! We fell in love with the ‘7 Vallees’ region after hearing how lovely the area was from a friend of the family. We figured it would be a really easy place for us to pop over to and a convenient place to escape to with the children. When we first saw the house we just knew it was the right one for us! Finding time to do up the house was the biggest issue and in the end we decided to move the family out for an adventure whilst we did the building work and got the house up to scratch! This did take time and we ended up living in Crequy for over 6 years!
3. If there is one bit of advice you could give to other French Connection owners, what would it be?
If you buy an old property, do make sure you have realistic expectations as to how long it will take to renovate it to make it a home. It’s an endless pot when it comes to finance and takes up more time than you ever thought possible. Saying that, it is worth it in the end as you learn so much and meet so many great people along the way.
4. Is there one bit of positive feedback from your renters that you hear over and over again?
Guests love the private garden, you can Barbeque or play football, there is a real sense of freedom. We also get lots of comments about how well equipped the house is, making it a really comfortable holiday experience.
5. What is your favourite thing about French culture; food, wine, countryside etc?
We love it all, the food the wine, the beaches and the pace of life. The locals are friendly and have a laid back approach to life, they look out for each other and have a strong connection with their families which we really experienced whilst we were living there. The countryside in Pas de Calais is beautiful and we have spent many an hour drinking aperitifs in the beach bars on Le Touquet beach! Some of our favourite places in the area include Wimeraux and Wissant beaches, Montreuil Sur Mer and the village of Saint Valery located in the Somme region.
It is definitely an area worth visiting and holidaying in and not just passing through.
6. What is your favourite feature of your property?
The whole house is light & spacious but two of the best features of the house are probably the kitchen and bathroom which are lovely large light rooms. The kitchen overlooks the pretty garden and is a great place to socialise and cook in and the bathroom has two sinks and a huge freestanding bath which you can escape to for total relaxation.