When Andy and I decided to buy a home abroad, Provence wasn’t even on our radar.

It was the tail end of covid and we were itching for some kind of adventure. Being cooped up at home really had led me down some pretty expensive rabbit holes and by March 2021, I had fallen in love with a little home in the South-West of France I had found while perusing listings and fantasizing about future vacation destinations.

To my surprise, Andy was receptive and together we would daydream about “the watchmaker’s home” (as we called it) when needing a little pick me up. We dubbed the house this because it was originally owned by the old village watchmaker, a detail that captured my imagination immediately upon realtor sharing it. The home was beautiful, with original, hand-carved fireplaces in each room and stunning plaster molding that wrapped precisely around the ceilings. It just oozed with charm and I was immediately smitten.

Between March and June, the agent and I had gotten well acquainted via email, with her sending videos and photos to accompany my many question that came to mind throughout the day. We finally made an appointment to view it once I was out of school for summer break, the second week of June. Since neither of us had ever been to the South of France, we decided to turn the adventure into the ultimate road-trip, stopping in 4 different locations as we inched our way across the bottom half of France. We used major landmarks as home bases and usually had up to 5 homes to visit while getting acquainted with the region and civilization again.

While we adored “the watchmaker’s home” and even at a certain point started also calling it “our house,”we knew we must do our diligence and look at other homes in order to compare and make an educated decision. So, we began our journey in Perpignan, picking up our rental car and driving north to our first major landmark.

Our first stop was Carcassonne, the beautiful, fortified medieval village that was the perfect location for the 4 homes, including “the watchmaker’s home,” that we planned to tour while there.

We were supposed to see “The Watchmaker’s Home” the morning after we arrived, but the agent had called us the night before as we were settling into the B & B.

“The owners had an emergency, they wouldn’t be home tomorrow. I have to cancel our appointment.” The American in me was confused. Why did the owners have to be there to show a house? This was my introduction into the quirky ins and outs of French real estate and just the tip of the iceberg when it came to the cultural differences and norms of agents and their clients!

Unapologetically, she asked if we could come back in a month.

Continue Reading

Check back soon to continue reading about our roadtrip!

A historic castle with stone walls and towers perched on a hill, overlooking a small town with houses and trees under a partly cloudy sky during sunset.
Living room with large glass doors, a wooden coffee table with a flower vase, a beige armchair, a blue sofa with patterned cushions, a white armchair, a wooden dresser with a candle holder and dried flowers, side lamps, framed artwork on the wall, and decorative objects.
Kitchen with light gray lower cabinets, black upper cabinet, open wooden shelves, stainless steel refrigerator, stove, cutting board, various bowls, utensils, and decorative items, two windows with plants, and hanging pendant lights.
Bathroom with a corner shower stall, toilet, and bathtub with blue towels and toiletries on shelves

Listing Photos of the Home

Cozy living room with a yellow polka dot armchair, a blue sofa, a wooden coffee table with a vase of flowers, an ornate area rug, a framed picture on the wall, a side table with a lamp, and a staircase leading to an upper level.
A stone house with closed beige window shutters and a beige door, small flower pots with colorful flowers, a small green shrub, stone steps, and a chimney against a partly cloudy sky.
A cozy bedroom with a bed topped with gray and white pillows and a bright pink blanket, small wooden nightstand with a lamp, framed artwork on the cream walls, and French doors letting in natural light.
A cozy dining room with a wooden table, four chairs, a hanging pendant light, and a vase with tulips on the table. There are white cabinets to the left, large windows and a glass door letting in natural light, and a fireplace on the right with a wooden mantel. An ornate rug covers the floor.
A bedroom with a bed covered in a paisley-patterned bedspread, several pillows, and a wooden headboard. To the side, a nightstand with a lamp, picture frame, and alarm clock. On the wall, there's a framed picture. Next to the window, a small mirror or picture frame leans against the wall, and below it is a radiator. Wooden double doors are closed, and a small wastebasket is on the floor.
Indoor staircase with a blue handrail leading to a southwestern-style interior, featuring a stone wall, framed artwork, and decorative items.

The House After Renovations

A house door is being painted with light blue paint. There are painting supplies on the ground including an open can of blue paint, a paintbrush, and painter's paper. Outside the door, a man wearing a black helmet and cycling gear is riding a bicycle
A blue door set in a beige wall, with lush green ivy covering part of the wall and extending above the door. There are stone steps leading up to the door, and plants with pink flowers and rocks in the foreground. The ground appears to be paved.
A large black metal barrel with a round top, placed on a concrete porch next to a sliding glass door. Green ivy plants are climbing up the wall on the right side of the image, illuminating with sunlight.
Photo of a small outdoor balcony or patio area with a silver step ladder, a can of paint, and some brushes placed on a black shelf. The background features a white wall, a blue shuttered window, and a tree with green leaves casting shadow.
Room with partially painted walls, painting supplies, and plastic sheeting on the floor.
A man working on a home renovation project, painting or repairing a wooden door inside a room with a window.
A bedroom with a bed, pillows, nightstand, lamp, and decorative items on the wall. The room has terracotta tile flooring and beige walls.
A bedroom with a bed in the lower left corner covered with a beige patterned bedspread, two pillows on the bed, a wooden wardrobe with double doors in the center, a rack with wooden hangers on the left, a wooden dresser with a mirror and two wooden d
A bedroom with a bed that has a patterned beige and white bedspread and matching pillows. There is a wooden wardrobe against the wall, a window letting in natural light, a white radiator below the window, a white wall heater, and a round mirror with
A person holding a box of latex paint labeled 'La Chaux' in a room under renovation. The room has wooden stairs, a beige bench, and scattered construction supplies.
An indoor scene with a wooden ceiling beam, an open door leading to a garden, and a beige-colored wall with texture. There is a small table or counter with various items including a box, a plastic bag, and some electronic devices. The floor has large
A man is standing on a step ladder, painting the upper part of a wall in a room. The room has textured light green walls, and the man is using a paintbrush with paint on it. He is wearing a gray T-shirt and shorts and is barefoot. There is a couch wi
Living room with a patterned black and white rug, wooden furniture, a brown sectional sofa, a side table with small potted plants, wall-mounted bookshelf, white staircase, and ceiling light fixtures with open black wireframe shades.
Living room with green textured wall, art prints, a brown leather sofa with patterned pillows, wooden coffee table, a bookshelf with books and plants, a window with curtains, and a track light fixture.
Living room with a green accent wall, wicker chairs with cushions near a large window, framed artwork on the wall, and a beige sofa with patterned pillows.
The image shows a cozy living space with a white wall featuring two arched openings. There are two leafy green plants on the window sills, a framed pink print in the center, a rattan chair, and various cushions on a light-colored sofa or chair. There
Living room with a large glass door opening to a balcony showing trees outside. The room features woven chairs, a round wooden coffee table with magazines and coasters, potted plants in black and woven pots, a rug, and some decorative items.
Interior of a room under renovation with unfinished drywall, a ladder, and furniture covered with a blanket.
An interior wall being painted, with plastic sheeting covering the floor, a bucket of paint, and painting supplies nearby.
A cozy bedroom with a large window, a bed with white bedding, a wicker chair with patterned pillow, and decorative mirrors on the walls. The room has warm pink walls and wooden accents.
A cozy bedroom with a large bed, beige bedding, patterned pillows, a wooden bed frame, a nightstand with a lamp, and a decorative round mirror on the wall.
A dining room with a wooden table and six black chairs, a wooden sideboard with vases, a large picture on the wall, and a glass door leading to a balcony with green foliage outside.
Decorative art print with French text titled "La Monarchie Absolue" hanging above a wooden sideboard. The print features illustrations of French historical scenes and figures from the 16th and 17th centuries. The sideboard has two vases with dried fl
Stacked concrete tiles, artificial cactus plants, and a wooden table in a room with mirrored wall and plants.
A cozy kitchen with beige tiled floor, a gray cabinet with black drawers, a white sink, stainless steel appliances, open wooden shelves holding glassware, a black microwave, a wooden cutting board, and two hanging wicker lamps. There is a window with
A kitchen counter with a wooden surface, a coffee grinder, and a shelf with glasses, bowls, and mugs. The wall behind is tiled with beige and blue patterns, and a part of a sink is visible in the foreground.
A kitchen window with frosted glass, a black countertop with bottles, potted plants, jars, kitchen utensils, and a black cabinet, with a small wooden shelf, a trash bin, and a towel on a hook nearby.
Bathroom with a shower area on the left with grey tile walls and brown wood-like floor tiles, separated by a partial wall from a toilet on the right, with white walls and a wooden door behind it.
Two white oval vessel sinks with brushed gold faucets sit on a wooden vanity with open storage underneath. The backsplash features a geometric tile pattern. There is a mirror above the sinks and a power outlet to the right.
A bathroom vanity with two round vessel sinks, gold faucets, and two large rectangular mirrors. There is a potted plant and decorative items on the vanity, with hexagonal tile flooring.
A room with a vintage iron bedframe with a tufted mattress, decorated with green and white pillows. Next to the bed is a large dark green vase with eucalyptus branches. Several wooden room dividers with woven panels partially block the view of the be
A cozy room with white walls and wooden flooring, featuring a bed with pillows, a wicker chair, a potted plant, and a decorative rattan folding screen. A framed botanical poster hangs on the wall.