The Plan

We were always very clear from the outset, that there were three main branches to the plan:

1.  That our new life would incorporate all the things that inspired us.  For Nick, that meant building our own fully equipped gym, and not needing to rely on membership of french gyms that are way too small, always full, and rarely open when you want to use them!
 

In fact this was so important, that one of the first things we did when we moved in, was to set up the prune barn as a temporary gym.  Open all hours,  Satellite TV for your personal choice of music channels, and Sky+ recorded aerobics and yoga classes.  The ultimate in personalisation!

It will also be important to make the most of the rural environment we are in.  The plan is to create wildflower meadows, and gardens bursting with plants to attract insects and wildlife for Nicks photography..

For me, it means having the time and space to be more creative - to design the buildings and their furnishings, and the gardens that will surround them.

And it is also having sufficient room for animals -  those that will provide us with food, and also those that we can provide a refuge for.  In the future that could be a small sanctuary,  but for now it will mean working with Phoenix,
http://www.phoenixasso.com/
fostering dogs from the overcrowded rescue shelters ....  giving them a better life away from the cages, and a better chance at getting adopted, rather than euthanised.

2.  The second branch of the plan is to become more self-sufficient. Not the full-on self-sufficiency of recycled tyre houses......

but just a desire to be less reliant on making money, and more focused on providing for ourselves.  The main part of this plan is to dedicate some land to a raised bed vegetable garden, and also planting a new fruit orchard.  We will keep chooks for eggs, and we will decide how much further to take the 'animals for food' element of the plan as we become more at home in this new life.
Having been a vegetarian for 16 years, and only recently starting to eat free range meat, I definitely need to take it one step at a time! We will try and recycle most of the original materials in the farm buildings - like the hand-made bricks and tiles, and we will be looking into solar and geothermal energy to reduce our reliance on EDF (and the size of the bills they send us), and if we can find a way to sell them back our excess energy,  even better.

3.  The final branch is to gain a sustainable income from renovating the farm buildings and creating a small hamlet of beautiful private french holiday homes.  We want each of the homes to have their own charm and character, typical of the period and the region....

And have employed a sympathetic  architect, to ensure that we maximise all the original features.  Each of the properties should exude charm, but also offer all the luxury of a really nice hotel.  The things that make us want to stay somewhere.... luxury bedding and furnishings, modern conveniences of Sky TV and internet, the facilities - a great gym, an indoor pool, spa treatments, and then the special small details which just make everything feel top quality.