LEGGETT IMMOBILIER - LOCAL KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN TRUST 9
T
HE AREA AROUND
Montbron is not typical of
the flat countryside often
associated
with the Charente.
It was here, at the highest
point in the Charente, that Mick
and Natalie bought their holiday home ten years
ago.
But the best laid plans of
mice and men are subject to
change. The holiday house,
destined for occupancy just
once or twice a year, became
very much more when the garden, designed to be at its best
in late summer, was created
around their home.
"It was the space that
first attracted us," Mick explains. "We
were living in a very
pretty Sussex village overlooking the village
green. But a
flat in a Victorian house near
Horsham could never compare
to the nine acres we have here."
And so the holiday
house became their home.
Mick moved his tree surgeon
business - "lock, stock and
two smoking chainsaws" - to
France, where the couple both
now work successfully. Natalie's
name, of course, will be familiar
to many, not just as Trevor
Leggett's sister. She manages
the Call Centre and arranges
viewings, accommodation
and all the other necessities
vital to ensure a successful
house-hunting trip to France.
Mick, however, had to
start again from scratch. Little
by little, he re-established his
business. Firstly he worked
predominantly for expats in a
very wide radius, sometimes as
many as two hours' drive away.
Then, as his language skills and
reputation increased, he was
able to work closer to home. He
now has predominantly French
clients.
Tree surgery is very specialised. "All
too frequently we hear
of people who come over here
to retire and enjoy the good
life. They get out a rusty old
chainsaw to lop off a branch,
climb a tree and then fall. It's
far better to minimise risk and
get someone with the right
equipment who knows what
they're doing."
Building a business - like
renovating a house and creating
a garden - takes time. So their
first decision was to try living
in France for 12 months to see
how they would get on.
"We managed to survive
that first year. One or other of
us was ready to book the car
ferry for the following Monday
morning more than once during
the year. Fortunately, neither
of us wanted to go at the same
time," Mick explains.
"We learned to speak
ABOVE
Mick Dempsey &
Natalie Leggett, and
their own piece of
'the good life'RIGHT
Natalie makes
the most of her
flowering garden
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