A new life in France at 60
Rachel is proof that you really can carve out a new life for yourself as a single woman in your 60th year – if you have the guts and don’t sweat the small stuff.
Retired from a career in IT, she decided that after 40 years of work, it was time for a change. “No one ever switches off totally in the UK anymore – everything’s 24/7 – and I wanted a calmer way of life. I hankered after peace and quiet.”
Why Rachel chose France
Explaining why she decided on France – even though she had never even holidayed there – Rachel, from Huddersfield, says: “I could have taken the easier route and moved to Cyprus, where I have friends. But aside from the way animals are treated on the island, I wanted somewhere not too hot.”
With three dogs at the time, it was also possible to drive to France. She eventually settled on the Limousin region in southwest-central France. Known as the 'land of 1,000 lakes' (though there are more than 23,000), the area is also one-third forest – and offers a very affordable property market.
With her £70k budget, a detached house with three or four bedrooms and land was well within reach.
Property hunting with A Place in the Sun
Rachel applied to A Place in the Sun and flew out with her niece Caroline to Limoges – the region’s hub – to film with Jean Johansson in July 2023.
The episode has just aired, showcasing beautiful villages and properties ranging from £55,000 to £85,000.
Tempted by a charming three-bedroom farmhouse with duck-egg-blue shutters, Rachel eventually bought a two-bedroom house for £72,500, completing the sale in December 2023.
Securing a French visa fast
Having already sold her home in Huddersfield, she was ready to move – and says that getting a one-year visitor visa (VLS-TS) was “quite easy”.
She used the official French government website france-visas.gouv.fr to identify the correct visa type and submit her application, followed by an in-person appointment at the TLSContact centre in Manchester.
“I was surprised to see so many people queueing, even though I had booked an appointment,” she says. But within two to three weeks, her visa was approved, and she was off to France with her dogs in the car.
Starting a new life in rural Limousin
The language barrier has made French bureaucracy tricky, so Rachel hired a bilingual local to help. She still hasn’t received her French driving licence two years on, but says, “You are reliant on a car here, so you have to be able to drive.”
Since moving, she’s been busy decorating, including installing a new kitchen and bathroom. Her lowest point came during a health scare when her gall bladder flared up, and she had to visit A&E in Limoges.
Fortunately, the local mayor had noticed her shutters hadn’t opened for two days, and two neighbours came to check on her. “It’s that kind of nice community here – although at one point there were complaints about my dogs barking!”
She walks her dogs daily, meets with the “Club Franglais” on Fridays to chat with locals, and has avoided the expat pub scene in nearby Bellac. “My best friends are Polish, plus an English-French couple.”
Would she do it all again?
She’s found the peaceful life she was seeking – though sometimes, she admits, it’s a bit too slow. Her four grandchildren in West Yorkshire keep asking her to return home.
“I’m very comfortable being on my own, but I’m not sure what the future holds. Looking back, I probably didn’t need to be quite so rural or have such a large garden.”
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