Expat Entrepreneurs In Basque France

One Expat Couple's New Life As Entrepreneurs In France

Feb. 10, 2011, Basque, France: Cathy King and her husband are a couple of British expats running a tourism rentals business in southwestern France…and loving every minute of their French adventures.

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Dear Live and Invest Overseas Reader,

Cathy King and her husband are British expats who have lived in France for more than 18 years, first in Paris, then in Grasse on the Cote d'Azur, and now in this country's Basque region, where they've invested in a collection of tourist rentals built around an old mill house.

Euro-Correspondent Lucy Culpepper interviewed Cathy for her report on this region of France featured in the current issue of my Overseas Retirement Letter.

Here's an excerpt from Lucy and Cathy's conversation...

Lucy: Why did you decide to move to the Basque region from the Cote d'Azur?

Cathy: While living on the Cote d'Azur for 10 years, we spent quite a few holidays in Biarritz and fell in love with the area. My husband enjoys surfing, and the Basque coastline is perfect for that. The area reminds me of Cornwall where I grew up, so it really feels like home. We also love the laid-back atmosphere and friendliness of the Basque people. We appreciate the fact that the countryside is relatively unspoiled, whereas, on the Cote d'Azur, there is building everywhere.

Lucy: Did it take you a long time to find your dream property?

Cathy: It took only a few months. We started looking for an apartment in Biarritz, as an investment and for holidays, but we soon realized how expensive property is there. So we shifted our search slightly inland, where we found that we could get a lot more for our money. The watermill we finally bought was the first property we visited.

Lucy: How long did it take you to turn the mill and the grounds into what they are today?

Cathy: We didn't have any conversion work to do on the mill house. It was mainly just minor work to make the place suit our own tastes—painting, flooring, etc., plus we had a new kitchen fitted.

However, the six holiday chalets on our land were quite another matter, and they took a lot of work to convert. We spent three months working (seven days a week, 12 hours a day) last year trying to get them ready for the summer season.

Lucy: Tell me about your business and how it developed...

Cathy: We bought the property because of the rental potential of the six holiday chalets on the land. With this ready-made business, it meant that we could move here to live rather than just visiting for holidays. At first, before we relocated full-time, we rented out the watermill. We were surprised at how well it rented out of season as well as during the summer.

Lucy: Where do your guests come from?

Cathy: Half our guests last summer were French, the other half were British. I placed online adverts on both international and French sites, to attract both markets.

Lucy: La Bastide-Clairence is a small place; at the last census (2006) there were 990 inhabitants. Do you feel that the smallness is too intense? Do you feel accepted?

Cathy: We love the fact that, after just a few months, we felt like locals in La Bastide Clairence, meeting other people from the village at the weekly farmers' market, which is a real social event. It's lovely to see so many people you know just sitting having a coffee in the village square.

When we want to be in a bigger city, we visit nearby Biarritz and Bayonne.

Lucy: What are the advantages, or best things, about living in the Basque region of France?

Cathy: The best thing is the quality of life here. There are so many wonderful beaches to visit in the summer. My husband, who loves surfing, has a huge choice of places along the French and Spanish Basque coastline.

There are also excellent restaurants and bars. We really love the food here.

Lucy: What, if any, are the disadvantages about living in the Basque region?

Cathy: The only disadvantage we are finding this first autumn/winter living here is the weather! After being spoiled living on the Cote d'Azur for 10 years, we are finding it a little hard getting used to the amount of rainfall here in the winter. Last summer, though, was fantastic, and we do get the odd stunningly beautiful sunny day even in winter, reminding us why we're here!

Kathleen Peddicord

Editor's Note: Lucy's complete interview with Cathy is included as part of her full report on living in France's Basque region. If you're an Overseas Retirement Letter subscriber, you should have received this report in your e-mailbox. If you're not yet an ORL subscriber, get on board here now.

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