Monique and Werner’s DREAM PROJECT

Monique: We all secretly have a dream that we think could never become a reality. I had mine: a small house in the countryside in France. I was certain that this would never happen and would forever remain just a dream. That’s why I never discussed it with my partner, as we both knew that buying a house was not in the cards for us, let alone abroad!
One day, on a whim, I typed “house in the French countryside” into Google, and of course, I got hundreds of results. Without thinking, I clicked on the first link, and as soon as the first photo appeared, there it was: my dream farmhouse! I say my farmhouse because, as I mentioned, we had never talked about this at home. But this was it! Sure, it was completely run down and almost collapsed, but strangely enough, I could look past all of that and see my dream home standing there. I fell in love instantly. And because of its condition, the price was also affordable! I could already picture us living in France.

France4U: How did your partner react when you showed him the photo?
Monique: When my partner came home that evening, I showed him the photo of the farmhouse and said, “Look, isn’t it lovely? Should I buy it?” He thought it was beautiful and jokingly said, “Go ahead, sort it out!” Well, I didn’t need to be asked twice! The next day, I contacted Chris from France4U, and nine days later, we had bought the farmhouse.

France4U: How did you approach such a big project, and did you have any knowledge of French culture or language?
Monique: Not knowing what we were getting into, with no knowledge of French culture, and no idea what to expect (or whether the house could even be saved), we enthusiastically started the renovation. We didn’t know the area, and we barely spoke the language. After the purchase, we had barely any budget left. But as my partner said: “The materials are on the ground; we just need to rebuild it.” With that naïve and carefree attitude, we dove into our adventure, which in hindsight was probably a good thing. If we had started reading horror stories online, we might have been discouraged. But we jumped in headfirst. We knew we were good at DIY and enjoyed it. That was all that mattered to us. The rest, we figured out along the way. We didn’t even think about whether we wanted to live there permanently or if it would just be a holiday home.

What mattered was that it was a magnificent location, with a beautiful view over a valley. We could see for miles, completely isolated with only cows in sight as far as the eye could see. Within a few days, we knew this was our dream spot. The peace, the space, the freedom, the nature, and the cows that stood right by our backyard every morning and evening. Everything was perfect! I could finally breathe again!

France4U: How were you received by the locals?
Monique: We ended up in a small hamlet in Burgundy, with only three houses, and our house is at the end of the road. This means that everyone is dependent on each other and helps out where possible. We quickly learned this because, after two years of neglecting the garden, the blackberry bushes had grown to be meters high! A 3,000 m² garden turned out to be more of a challenge than we had anticipated. Luckily, our neighbor showed up with a tractor and a brush cutter and cleared the garden in an hour.

The locals turned out to be incredibly kind, helpful, and attentive. Honestly, I had always imagined the French to be a bit standoffish and unfriendly, but I was completely wrong. Without our neighbor’s help, we’d still be crying in the blackberry bushes! What was also a pleasant surprise was that nearly everyone in the surrounding area knew our house. And every time we told them that we were the new owners, we got the same response: “Bonne chance.” After hearing “Bonne chance” several times, we began to wonder if we had made a huge mistake. But as the weeks went by, we realized that people were genuinely happy with our arrival and excited that someone was finally willing to restore the ruin. And so, we received help from the locals from all sides. People came to visit, curious, sharing in our happiness, offering us tips, and even lending us equipment when it got too heavy for us. We were even included in the family and invited to help cut wood for the winter. I can tell you, that’s when you really feel welcomed!

France4U: What were the biggest challenges during the renovation?
Monique: The rubble was cleared, the wall was rebuilt, the roof was replaced, the garden became accessible again, and the house is now livable. We still have a lot of work ahead, but the pressure has lifted. The house can no longer collapse, and we now have a beautiful place where we spend our time with great joy. What we thought was impossible for us, seemed to have been helped along by the gods. We had beautiful weather up until mid-November. The day after the roof was finished, the rain, storms, and even snow arrived!

France4U: You’ve accomplished a lot in a short time. What does the future hold for you?
Monique: We don’t know exactly what the future holds yet. But it’s nice to dream, and sometimes dreams do come true. My dream now is to continue my work as a personal coach, with the help of horses, on the farm. A place where people can come together for a combination of vacation, personal development, coaching, and enjoyable horseback rides. That might take years, but it’s okay to dream, right?

France4U: And you certainly are living the dream! For many, this is truly an inspiration. What are your short-term plans?
Monique: For now, we are happy with what we’ve accomplished. We’re going to enjoy everything we’ve built so far, and from here on out, everything we do will be a bonus. The foundation is set, and now it’s just a matter of beautifying it and continuing to build. After this four-month marathon, we’re going back to the Netherlands for a little rest and to reflect on what we’ve created. If someone had told us that, in such a short time, we would have a livable house, a newly built roof section, and a fantastic garden, we would have secretly laughed at them. But as it turns out, when the dream is meant to be, everything magically falls into place.

France4U: Thank you for sharing your inspiring story, Monique and Werner! Enjoy your beautiful spot in Burgundy, and we look forward to following your journey!

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