mint Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 There, thought that'd grab your attention!I don't mean with a person but with the place you live in, your house, your village, your surroundings.On another thread, you will see that I am looking for some place to live. And the choice is getting bewildering and that's before taking into account the type of house, garden, what have you.So, did you fall in love and, if you did, do you think that has helped towards a lasting relationship?I didn't fall in love with my house or village but, over the last 2 plus years, I have grown fond of both.Please describe your own experience and give me some advice.Go on, it's just a bit of fun but it also has a more serious side to it.[8-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 As many of you may know, my then wife and I bought our house in France before we'd even seen it ie the first time we saw it in person was after completion. We were living in Australia and decided to make our move to France a bit more of an adventure and bought a house based only on the photos and description. Well, we had to get a bit more info out of the agent, as his pics and description were a bit crappy, but this kind of added to the experience.The photos that swung it for us were of the views. In our married life, every house we'd bought, we always changed it in some way, so the house itself (as long as structurally sound), was not of primary importance. You can change a house, but you can't change a view was our line of thinking.So, for us, it was the view that we fell in love with first.Having finally arrived in our nw village, we quickly fell in love with that too, and also now with the house which has been pretty much done up to our needs (well, my needs now since we've split up).I know the way we did it isn't recommended, and I guess we have been pretty lucky, but I wouldn't change anything that we have done. I love living here and I love the rural, quiet surroundings and closeness to many things (I'm in Indre). But it really was pin the tail on the donkey stuff that brought us here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 I've usually a good feeling about houses we've bought, (and treated the location and style as the basis to make the rest suit us, the colour of the tiles would not put me off!) But, as regards the place in France, we spent years touring France, exploring the coastline and criss-crossing the country in a motorcamper, staying in Caravan Parks, Chambre d'hote, hotels, renting villas, etc each time sampling a different area and we did the usual tour of markets, then estate agents, not really serious or knowing what or where we wanted. There was a lot of choice, usually with a downside, not least the seasonal crowds on the coast and we prefered things inland and with other interests apart from beaches for the kids. It was only ever going to be a holiday home but one where we might spend up to half the year as a second home. We wanted a few local facilities and excellent choice of anything else not too far away. Angouleme was discovered by accident because of the Rallye de Remparts, (we did a few classic car jaunts then). We revisited several times and felt very comfortable in the area, far enough south to get good weather in spring and autumn, near enough to get back as soon as we wanted. So we started looking around and went up a few cul-de-sac's. Then we were shown a ramshackle place that looked an instant no-no until we saw the view and that was IT. The place has been a project for the last five years which wasn't the plan, but life got in the way; that's not to say we haven't been able to enjoy it because we have, and many memories are now attached. We stay in local gites, some different, each time seeing a different side to the locale, getting familar with the area and making a few friends along the way. Hopefully it will be ready for retirement and a great place for friends and family to use besides. In short, make sure the area has a good range of facilities and get to know the area, then somewhere might tug at you for whatever reason. Bon Chance[8-|] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 What an interesting post! I get the feeling you'd like to fall in love with your next house, somehow. I think it's lovely when people do.We fell for an old stone house a few years ago. It was beautiful, had been very sensitively renovated, but still had a few changes we would have made. Not at all what we wanted; a hamlet with few amenities, too big, only a couple of terraces, whereas we wanted at least a few trees. But it was close to places we liked, and not far from the nearest town, and with lovely walks around the house; we loved it.We lost it, as we would have had to sell the UK house and downsize, and someone else came along who was ready to buy. Very sad.But my husband saw new-build apartments in another area that we knew well, in a little town we loved, and hadn't thought we could afford. So we flew out a couple of days later and bought one off-plan. Compared with the stone house it's characterless, but we're so very pleased we bought it.We face due south, have the sun all day throughout the year, and the apartment fills with light. One of the main reasons for buying abroad was to escape the grey of the Thames Valley in winter, so it's great to have blue skies and bright sunlight! We never intended to be there in the summer (my garden calls), which is just as well, as it's very hot in summer. We spend half the year there, and are so pleased with it. It's the ideal lock up and leave property, we have some lovely neighbours, French, English and Belgian mostly, and feel very much at home. We've joined various asociations and go out walking, on visits and to talks with them.So, to fall in love or not, that is the question; I can't answer that, but I'm sure you'll know it if you see it! I wish you all the luck in the world in your search Sweet 17; I know you'll keep us up to date on how it goes! [:D]GG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemonimo Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 We fell in love with our wreck at first sight. Stone 'evier', carreaux de gironde, lots of beams, stone walls,three functioning stone fireplaces, no sanitation, nearly no roof but...... the most glorious immense mimosa in full bloom right outside. In addition, it is in a little hamlet where my children could bike safely and there were friends for my children to play with. Bit by bit we renovated when it was a holiday home and then after a few years it became our permanent home. We loved the house, took care of it, and then it burnt to the ground in a fire. Our dreams and love of our little house didn't end, they just changed with the building of our new home using the only three stone walls that remained standing. We have managed to keep an 'old' part of the house but the new part has given our lives a new dimension - it's a huge 72square metre family room with kitchen, dining area and sitting area and windows and doors on all four sides giving light all day long. In essence, one does fall in love with a home but it is like falling in love with another person - the love will stay as long as you can evolve and accept change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 26, 2009 Author Share Posted October 26, 2009 Hey, you lot, I didn't expect such philosophical postings and thoughts. And I am immensely heartened by what you have said.So now I know: it can't be a marriage of convenience entirely and you do need to feel some initial attraction and voila, one day, you might truly fall in love!Have I got it more or less correct?[I] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViVienne Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 sometimes when you walk into a house it has a certain "feel" about it, when we were looking there were a couple of houses that just didn't feel right and there was one that felt completely spooky!! To me it's just as important as the location and state of the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 In our case the location decision was made first. We never wanted to "live in France"; we always wanted to "live in the Sarthe". Thus at the end of a week when I saw about 30 different properties, when I walked in here on a freezing cold February day then, yes, I really did fall in love! It was truly cozy, and although smaller than we'd planned, was instantly habitable even though there was work to be done to make it perfect for us (and there still is!) It has all we want - lots of outbuildings, room for my dobbins, safe for the cat population, good area for riding, shops etc close by but not on top of us, a good sized town within easy reach with a good rail service.We have bought three houses in the 35 years we've been married. The first was awful but it was all we could afford. The second we fell in love with at first sight and we lived there for 28 years. We fully expect to stay here until we are too old to live in such isolation any more.Maybe love isn't necessary but I think it helps if you really intend to stay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 26, 2009 Author Share Posted October 26, 2009 [quote user="cooperlola"]Maybe love isn't necessary but I think it helps if you really intend to stay. [/quote]Like a personal relationship then, Coops? Love isn't necessary but it helps if it's to last?[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 [quote user="sweet 17"][quote user="cooperlola"] Maybe love isn't necessary but I think it helps if you really intend to stay. [/quote]Like a personal relationship then, Coops? Love isn't necessary but it helps if it's to last?[:D][/quote]Sounds about right to me. My o/h and I fell in love on the 'phone (I kid you not!) I don't know if I'd buy a house that way..... (not that they're great conversationalists.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 [quote user="cooperlola"][quote user="sweet 17"][quote user="cooperlola"] Maybe love isn't necessary but I think it helps if you really intend to stay. [/quote]Like a personal relationship then, Coops? Love isn't necessary but it helps if it's to last?[:D][/quote]Sounds about right to me. My o/h and I fell in love on the 'phone (I kid you not!) I don't know if I'd buy a house that way..... (not that they're great conversationalists.)[/quote]I did both! Fell in love over the phone (well the net) and also bought a house online as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 26, 2009 Author Share Posted October 26, 2009 Oh la, la! The impulsive things people do but then who's to say that sometimes you've only got your gut instincts to go on and that they aren't necessarily wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 I bought a new car online too. [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 26, 2009 Author Share Posted October 26, 2009 But I hope you didn't agree to your divorce on line, Richard? That would be too hard for me to swallow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 Well, it will probably be done using those means (seeing as Lynda lives back in Oz now). Any divorce will eventually take place in Australia (once the required year of seperation is over). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 26, 2009 Author Share Posted October 26, 2009 Richard, I didn't mean to be flippant or insensitive. All the best with everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 No worries sweet 17. Absolutely no offence or bad feelings taken. [:D] Everything will work out well. Many thanks for your wishes [:)]Life is good and will remain good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 When we decided to buy in France we were looking for the classic, idyllic middle-of-fields-in-Normandy at first. Then it struck us - there was already a place not so far away that we were already in love with, so we changed our plans and looked there (here). After a fair bit of searching we found ourselves outside the house in which I am now writing, and we fell in love with it from the outside (and the view, and the situation) and then we stepped in the door and we knew it was The One.Then my lovely man had the temerity to die between Compromis and Acte de Vente, but I am still in love with the house we chose together and the little town that we had already loved for a long time. The two of them kept me going and kept me sane, as have the wonderful friends I have made here. Had we gone with our first plan I would have been isolated and lonely, and probably would have sold up by now (or been stuck). So, yes, I am all for love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 [quote user="Fay"]When we decided to buy in France we were looking for the classic, idyllic middle-of-fields-in-Normandy at first. Then it struck us - there was already a place not so far away that we were already in love with, so we changed our plans and looked there (here). After a fair bit of searching we found ourselves outside the house in which I am now writing, and we fell in love with it from the outside (and the view, and the situation) and then we stepped in the door and we knew it was The One.Then my lovely man had the temerity to die between Compromis and Acte de Vente, but I am still in love with the house we chose together and the little town that we had already loved for a long time. The two of them kept me going and kept me sane, as have the wonderful friends I have made here. Had we gone with our first plan I would have been isolated and lonely, and probably would have sold up by now (or been stuck). So, yes, I am all for love.[/quote]I have shed a tear at that.But it has given me some inspiration to battle on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Ah, I'm sorry about the tear, glad about the inspiration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share Posted October 30, 2009 Oh, Fay, what a brave person you are!As for me, does it count if you don't actually fall in love but you don't like the thought of someone else getting "your" house?Or is that just "dog in the manger" and, if it's not for you, you shouldn't grudge other people getting it?I'm still NOT in love and I am viewing another property on Monday but I do know that lots of things I am looking for are right there..........Love, what is it, other than a four-letter word? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Sweet 17, remember when you fell for your husband. It wasn't necessarily planned, or created, it just happened. You will know that you know, that you know when you see the house for you. It will just be there. Nothing manufactured, nothing planned, it will just be there.I remember seeing a house for sale in Australia. I fell in love with it right there and then, and that was only the picture in the agents window.It was a Sunday and he refused to come out and view with us as he was busy, but he eventually told us where it was. We drove down and looked at it from the outside. There were 4 other agents signs on the fence, so we just phoned each one until someone would come out and show it to us. We made an offer there and then. Just knew it was the one.Ironically, we only stayed there 6 months as we bought another property (a real piece of Australian history) and that presented a new opportunity for us. I do wish we'd have stayed longer at that other house though, it was great.But the point is, I just knew that it was the one. I let it get away though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share Posted October 30, 2009 Oh, Richard, what a romantic you are!Sadly, I didn't have that "I've just got to have it" feeling. I did write out a list of pros and cons and the pros did outnumber the cons.Still, another house on Monday and, hopefully, after that, I shall have a better idea!I guess I'm just too practical to fall in love but I did utterly and truly fall in love with my OH![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 omg, did I really write that? I was drinking wine at the time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share Posted October 30, 2009 ...........in vino veritas, Richard.......! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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