Fixing up a run down farmhouse in France – a Blog Post in English

Yoohoo! We’re moving. No, our farmhouse isn’t ready at all, not even furnished, and the big work is only just beginning. But we’re moving in anyway and will keep working on it from there. So: a moving announcement!

The little house at the back, attached to the big farmhouse, is called Ditte’s little house, or, in French, Ditte’s gîte. Why? Here’s the story: Ethel, a neighbor from Zwolle, was coming to stay. Great! But where should we put her? Plan A was to install her in the small house attached to the right

The other day, we opened the cutlery drawer in Ditte’s gîte and found a dormouse fast asleep in hibernation. A perfect spot, to be fair: well insulated, with soft rounded corners… very cozy. But at some point, we really do want to use that cutlery drawer ourselves. And it’s not exactly hygienic either. So the

We did it! We bought a house in France. In January 2025, we signed the final purchase contract. It has stood empty for years, so there’s quite a lot of work to be done. The land is overgrown with brambles. It’s basically a kind of Sleeping Beauty situation…