ABOUT US
There are many Gites in France, but only one Posh Gite
Your holiday home with our personal touch
If you have found us as part of your search for a holiday rental with a difference, then we hope that you will be as taken as we are with all that this beautiful and tranquil area of France has to offer.
To own a holiday home was something we had spent many years talking about; where would we buy, were we looking for skiing or sunshine and could we ever manage to succesfully combine the two? Our search was initially an intermittent and slow-paced affair until a tragic event made us re-evaluate the need to realise our dream, so, having opted for long warm summers in the south instead of short cold winters in the mountains, we embarked on a slightly more ambitious search.
One short trip to the area was all it took – 15 properties later and with only hours to spare before our return flight to the UK, Domaine Saint Privat was last on our list. It would be an understatement to say the place was overgrown but by the time our tour was over our hearts were screaming ‘buy’ whilst our heads were shouting ‘run away’! You will know the outcome of the dilemma as otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this! In September 2016, we became the new owners of Domaine Saint Privat and we hope that in the last six years we have gradually gone some small way towards restoring the dignity of this special place.
Rome wasn't built in a day ...
In handing the keys to us on completion day, our Estate Agent said “Rome wasn’t built in a day”! Truer words were never spoken. What began then with cobweb cleaning, floor washing, vegetation taming and grass cutting has become a labour of love. We have been fortunate to have stalwarts among our family and friends who have been eager visitors and have not flinched from rolling up their sleeves and pitching in with the great restoration project.
Fast forward two years and having sorted the drainage, built a more imposing entrance, a car port and generally groomed the garden, our attention turned to the semi-derelict buildings adjoining the main house. These had fallen into disrepair over the years and were crying out for some TLC. The few remaining windows were rotten, the glass cracked and the place, once a home for labourers on the property, had been taken over by a range of residents I preferred not to think about … After a lengthy process, we obtained planning permission to convert the old building into a place suitable for habitation in the 21st century and so began ‘The Gîte Project’!
Whilst the world was dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic, we were fortunate enough to be able to base ourselves at Saint Privat whilst work began on the project. Our team of local artisans worked hard and eventually, new window appertures appeared, existing ones were enlarged, unstable floors and ceilings were replaced and a new raised roof was installed. One year later we had not only carried out a number of improvements to the main house but had also created an additional four bedroom fully air-conditioned renovated property that we are truly proud of.
We hope you like it!