Couple that bought French village for £69K have run out of money

A British couple who snapped up a French 'village' for just £69,125 have already blown through their entire £100,000 budget — and have only managed to complete a bedroom and living room so far. Ben Pearson, 40, and his husband Nathan, 32, had long harboured dreams of relocating to France when they discovered the abandoned farmhouse in Sainte Segros. When they began their property search in earnest two years ago, the place hit the market and the pair were able to secure the 'village' for €80,000 (£69,125) — which includes five outbuildings and two hectares of land. They've dedicated the past 10 months to the colossal renovation project and confess their £100,000 budget has "all gone" already — with the couple forced to pay for a complete rewiring, new plumbing and septic tank installation. Ben is tackling the project single-handedly, and they spent their first four months in France living in a caravan inside their barn before finally moving into the property in October 2025. At present, they have a completed living room, bedroom, and are aiming to have a fully-functioning kitchen ready by June — with Ben having also created a makeshift bathroom. They're hoping to start work on the upstairs by the end of 2027 — and Ben admits it's been "a very steep learning curve" given this is their first major project beyond basic household DIY. Nathan, an English tutor, said: "It's been really great but there are challenges that have come our way we've really had to overcome. "There's administration thanks Brexit but even just daily living, we're in a very rural area and communicating with people and services has been a bit of a test with our limited French. We were sleeping in a caravan in a barn at the height of summer and we put the focus on two rooms at the right-hand side the house because they needed less work doing to them and we wanted to create a liveable space in the house. "The main thing for us is escaping the busy chaotic life in England and embracing life over here which we have achieved." Ben's mother, Karen Pearson, 62, relocated to France a decade ago, and the couple stumbled upon the farm in her village seven years back. They fell in love with the property but weren't ready to take the plunge. Three years ago they began hunting for their ideal retirement home and initially drew a blank — until the farmhouse reappeared on the market, leaving them utterly astounded. Ben, a retired RAF aircraft engineer from Hull, says: "For us personally we thought we were stuck in a rut of coming to work, coming home and watching TV and going to bed. "We were doing that most days and weekends and were that tired we didn't think we were getting the most out of life. We thought if we get over here we can stop working so much and enjoy life a bit more. "It's not easy as we don't have any money, but that's the goal. We've actually really enjoyed it, it's the best thing we've ever done and we wouldn't change a thing. "Our little village is lovely. We're both actively learning French, Nathan has just taken his exam and is a certificate B1. We go to a local art class every Wednesday. "We had a budget of around £100,000 in mind but that's all gone now so. I think realistically we'll end up spending another £100,000, maybe another £150,000. "Initially, we managed to save up a bit before we came here. But our savings are dry and our bank accounts are dry and it's all on Nathan to pull his socks up". The couple have welcomed family members who've visited and "stuck in" to lend a hand with the work. Nathan says: "We're in the phase now of looking what I earn in a month and if we don't have the money for something we can't do it and put it on the back burner. "I do try and grab bargain old furniture. For me I'm trying to keep in line with the proper traditional French farm house. There's a few modern elements like it needs electrics, USBs and plugs but for us it needs to look rustic. "We also have things here we can use and take advantage of like beautiful armoires and srtuff to do up and repurpose them, so we're fortunate in that respect. We're putting in a new kitchen but I don't want it to look like a show kitchen". Follow @frenchfarmhouserenowithwine on Instagram and YouTube .