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tahir
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 45672 Location: Essex
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Sarah D
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 2584
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Posted: Wed Nov 03, 04 5:45 pm Post subject: |
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Har de har
Thing is, you cut your coat, for want of a better expression. I grow a lot of things down here that I won't be able to grow when we move up there - grapes, tomatoes, peppers, melons, etc outdoors, not to mention my precious ornamentals.
It will be a very different way of life - we grow what can be grown in that locality - that is very important to me; leeks, potatoes, brassicas, kales, soft fruit, etc. Even a polytunnel may be out of the question, due to high winds.
We shall see, but I do like a challenge. |
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tahir
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 45672 Location: Essex
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Tracey Smith
Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 37 Location: Rural
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Posted: Wed Nov 03, 04 7:18 pm Post subject: |
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Wombat - The weather here is tends to be a little kinder than in some of the other regions. The Lot et Garonne has it's own micro-climate so I'm told and as you approach this area from the flatlands around Bordeaux, it goes all rolling hills and limestone cliffs. I would say compared to the south east of England where I used to live, it is definitely more extreme. Having said that, the heatwave last year hit all of Europe and I only have a few years to compare to anyway. The coldest we have had here was -17 but that was overnight and only for a few days. Last year it only went to -11 for a short spell. The hot bits have topped 45 deg, which was just unbearable - thank god for the stone houses that kept us cooler. We are about 3 1/2 hours from the Med and as you approach the Pyrenees you can see the landscape getting more baron - not my bag really. It's a very agricultural area here and we 'feel' the seasons well, enjoying the balance of sun and rain; it's said to be the most fertile part of France. Everything grew well this year, with the exception of runner beans oddly enough - but it was the same for my neighbour too. I hope that helps.
Jema - I think I have been happier about the wet and miserable times here, because I have been more relaxed about most other things. Downshifting certainly changes your perception.
Lowlander - sounds like a bargain - I hope it works out well. Dilapidated is dooable, when you have less stress and the time to cope with it all. Don't let it worry you. Embracing the more northerly seasons will be very different, but change is positive if you are moving for the greater good. All the best to you. |
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Treacodactyl Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 25795 Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism
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Elfy
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 7 Location: Swindon, UK
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Sarah D
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 2584
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tahir
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 45672 Location: Essex
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Joey
Joined: 03 Nov 2004 Posts: 191
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alison Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 29 Oct 2004 Posts: 12918 Location: North Devon
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Joey
Joined: 03 Nov 2004 Posts: 191
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jema Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 28235 Location: escaped from Swindon
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Joey
Joined: 03 Nov 2004 Posts: 191
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jema Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 28235 Location: escaped from Swindon
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Gervase
Joined: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 8655
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Posted: Thu Nov 18, 04 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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We paid just over �200K for our place in Ceredigion - four bedroom traditional slate-built farmhouse with barns, outbuildings and pigsties, plus just over an acre, with the other four and a half acres rented. Prices are rising by the week, though.
We found our place after looking for nearly two years, so it's worth persevering. The place does also need a heck of a lot of work which could seriously bump up the price if you don't fancy doing it yourself (ours has now been rewired, replumbed and is currently being replastered and having new ceilings and floors put in).
My advice is to do a quick recce to find an area you think you could live in (and afford), and then blitz the estate agents in a 30-mile radius. These days so many are online, which helps enormously. Try also the specialist online agencies like ruralscene and the smallholding centre. Be patient, and good luck! |
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