Real Life Stories Buying A Watermill In Limousin

Date Published:

18/06/2008

One of biggest projects to do on a budget was the watermill, which is now in full working order - paddling water that flows into the River Loire. The mill sits in a verdant valley with woodlands sloping up to hills at the top and includes a large, well-tended garden and ten acres of woodland.

The property is split into two separate dwellings - an east and west wing, joined at first-floor level by a bridge. Each of the wings has three en-suite bedrooms, a large kitchen/diner, living rooms and a library/games room. There is also a separate one-bed caretaker's house, with its own living room and kitchen. 'It's in keeping with the English Arts and Crafts movement,' says Trisha. 'Stencilled vines creep across the walls and each room has its own individual style.'

Trisha's hard work has paid off. When she bought the mill in 1987 it cost £50,000 in today's money. Now the property is worth €950,000 (or £646,900).Trisha believes that, if you buy the right property and are prepared to put the work in, France is a great place to invest. 'This place would have cost a lot more if we had paid builders to do what we did,' she says. 'The hardest thing of all was dealing with French bureaucracy - but I eventually learnt how to do that by trial and error.'

Little did she know at the time, but the mill was just the start of Trisha's career in French property. Within three months of buying the mill, people started asking her to find properties for them. In late 1987 she helped six members of her friends and family buy property, and by 1988 she had her own company - VEF (Vivre En France). It's now one of the leading French property specialists for British buyers.

Before getting into property, Trisha had her own company manufacturing clothes. 'I ran my own business from the age of 24,' she says, 'then I got into property management in east London and started to build a portfolio of properties.' At the moment, she spends most of her time in her London or Dublin offices, but manages to get out to France every weekend. Trisha has two grown-up children. Her daughter now lives in France and her son in England where he heads VEF's sister company, Validus,an investment company that specialises in emerging markets.

Why not see how far your money might go if you buy abroad? Search for your dream overseas property on aplaceinthesun.com