A woman from London has set out on a journey to renovate a 10-bedroom mansion set on an acre of land in France, which cost less than the average price of a one-bedroom flat in London
A first-time buyer, feeling "priced out" of the London property market, has snapped up a 10-bedroom mansion in France for less than the cost of a one-bed flat in the capital.
Natasha Marie, 28, feared she'd never be able to afford a mortgage in London on her own salary. So, she turned her gaze abroad, having harboured a love for France.
After moving back with her parents in Greater London in January 2023, Natasha managed to save enough for a deposit on her first home. Having enjoyed summer holidays in France during her childhood, she felt it was the ideal location to invest in property, where her money would stretch further.
She broadened her search and eventually chose Occitanie, France — 759 miles from London. There she discovered a sprawling 10-bedroom mansion set on an acre of land, all for less than the £500k average price tag of a one-bedroom London flat.
Natasha, who now works remotely in her corporate role, took the plunge and moved into the mansion in December 2023, despite its near-collapsing ceiling, black mould, and rat problems. Currently residing in the mansion, Natasha is using her savings to restore the grand building to its past splendour, viewing the renovation as a lifelong endeavour.
Her vision is to create a retirement haven for herself and her parents when the time comes. Reflecting on her journey, Natasha shared: "When I started looking for somewhere to buy in London, I realised that the deposit wasn't an issue. It was the qualifying for the mortgage, I realised I wouldn't even get one with my single income."
"My parents are getting older and I thought it would be lovely to have a home that I could envision them coming over when they are retired. It is my home but it is a family home at the end of the day."
After graduating from Durham University in 2020 with a degree in Philosophy, Natasha moved in with her friend. But due to increasing rent prices, she moved back in with her parents in January 2023. Natasha said: "I was living with my housemate after university and the prices just kept sky-rocketing. [So,] I decided to move back in with my parents at the start of 2023 to save a bit of money and I was still hopeful I would buy in London."
After researching and realising she wouldn't even qualify for a mortgage due to her single income, Natasha decided to look elsewhere. As a child, Natasha would spend most of her summer holidays in France, so she decided that was the best place to start.
She explained: "We did a lot of looking online, we had to try and plan our visit over to France well so we could do a few bulk viewings whilst we were over there. I remember visiting eight or nine properties in two days - we were mass seeing them."
After a few viewings of other properties, Natasha came across the 18th-century Beze Manor and said it was "breathtaking". She said: "I couldn't see this one in person due to work commitments but my parents went over to look at it."
"We were fortunate that the estate agent was upfront and showed us many parts of the house that required significant repair. Despite its poor condition, there was something about it that was simply captivating. There were stunning staircases that left me breathless, the stained glass, the front door, and the fireplace engravings - it all felt so enchanting."
After three viewings, two virtual and one in person, Natasha purchased the property and moved in during Christmas 2023. "It all seemed rather grand, I didn't think it was possible but everything fell into place," she shared.
"I was determined to buy the property before I even saw it, we ended up moving in just before Christmas - it was literally the best gift ever," Natasha added. "We spent Christmas day without heating or a kitchen but I was content knowing this was mine."
Since settling in, Natasha shared that she has devoted a lot of time to landscaping the one-acre plot surrounding the house. She has renovated two of the bedrooms and made them habitable for her and her mother. Natasha now intends to fix the roof after it was damaged by a storm in 2023.
She said: "I have spent a lot of time trying to find someone to repair the roof. They have just erected scaffolding because many people didn't want to repair the roof, they just wanted to replace it which I don't have the budget for."
"We have done a lot of landscaping, you don't realise how much work is needed on the outside. We wanted to make the property lived in so that people didn't think it was abandoned," Natasha continued.
Natasha is documenting her restoration journey on @b. manoir.