There are far easier ways of making a living than offering holiday accommodation –Dougie and Janet Lloyd-Baker, have done just that, selling their home in Bridgend, South Wales and creating a highly successful luxury gîtes and chambres d’hôtes complex in the Poitou-Charentes region of western France.

So, how did they do it? ‘It’s something we’d really wanted to do, and we looked first at some of the more beautiful locations back in the UK,’ says Dougie. ‘But everywhere was just too expensive. So their thoughts soon turned to the near-limitless possibilities overseas. ‘Spain didn’t interest us; so much of it seemed just too hot and dry. Besides, we already knew France, so we looked at areas popular with visitors and found that this area had budget flights from the UK into Poitiers, Limoges and La Rochelle,’ continues Janet. ‘Now there’s Angoulême, too. So we began looking for a property with potential for conversion.’ The search turned out to be more fruitful than they’d imagined, producing what looked like the ideal property in the form of a stone-built farmhouse whose main structure originally encompassed both living accommodation and a further large area devoted to agricultural use, under virtually the same roof.

The location, a small hamlet among open countryside in Vienne around 30 kilometres south of the city of Poitiers, looked like an excellent touring base from which to explore the region.

On the other hand, it would also offer a peaceful haven for those who might simply prefer to relax and unwind far from the pressures of their otherwise busy lives. This was a view which had obviously been shared by the property’s owners, who had gained planning consent for three gîte-style letting units. Better still, they had already made a start on some key renovation work, including re-roofing, installing a high-capacity septic tank or fosse septique drainage system and creating a generously sized outdoor swimming pool. Circumstances changed, however, and the owners decided reluctantly that it was time to hand the project over to someone else with the enthusiasm and wherewithal to see it through to completion.

So a deal was struck, and Dougie and Janet’s lives changed dramatically. ‘We moved over to France in February 2006,’ recalls Dougie with a wry smile. ‘The farmhouse had been described by the French estate agents as ‘habitable’, but it actually took us a full ten months of hard work to bring the interior up to standard. The kitchen in particular looked like an abandoned garage. In the end we replaced floors, skirting boards, wiring, almost everything, in fact.’ But it was worth the effort, rewarding the proud owners not only with a comfortable home, but also three beautifully appointed apartment-style suites for chambres d’hôtes letting. Not that the bigger picture was totally without its frustrations. Dougie and Janet were dismayed to discover that the previous owner had failed to begin construction works on the proposed three gîte units within the statutory two-year deadline. This meant that the consent had now lapsed and would require a new application, for which they employed an architect recommended by the agents. Once the application was approved Dougie and Janet spent two weeks gutting the former fromagerie, preparing the way for a team of builders who arrived on site to start work in January 2007. Despite almost daily consultations with the builders in order to modify the internal layouts, the building and finishing work was complete by late July and the gîtes were ready to receive their first guests.

Outside things are equally well considered. In addition to individual patio dining areas with tables, chairs and sunshades, there’s a large garden partly shaded by a statuesque lime tree, plus a children’s play area. The swimming pool is not only discreetly security fenced (as required by French legislation) but meticulously maintained by Dougie, who has just added floating, lily-pad style solar heating panels to make things even more agreeable for guests. Landscaping-wise, both the flower and hedge planting are also starting to come into their own, thanks to the rich soil and the generosity of the local climate.

The private garden is also home to a productive vegetable plot, which started life as a bit of an experiment and just took off. Its remarkable success is at least partly responsible for inspiring Janet and Dougie’s next project: an auberge-style restaurant. ‘Visitors are always interested in food and drink, and we know from our experience of providing tables d’hôtes for our B&B guests that they really appreciate having a really good evening meal prepared for them,’ says Janet. Dougie agrees: ‘We already organise evening wine-tasting sessions in which we show them that it’s perfectly possible to find good quality, yet inexpensive wines on the supermarket shelves, once you know what to look for.’ Clearly, it’s all the little extras which count.

Personal touch

A similar instinct for lateral thinking has helped enormously with making such a rapid success of the business, which is already achieving the kind of occupancy levels which might otherwise take years to achieve. ‘We looked hard at all the marketing options and decided to spread our marketing across multiple agents with proven track records. We also have our own website, which brings in a major part of our bookings,’ confides Dougie. ‘We’ve also discovered that people looking for holiday accommodation tend to shortlist several preferred options, then make enquiries to all of them.

Of course, in the luxury gîtes market, as in any other sector of the tourism business, a warm welcome is perhaps the most important factor of all. This comes easily to Dougie and Janet, who are obviously thrilled with the turn their lives have taken and are delighted to share their surroundings with everyone who comes to stay in this beautiful part of France.

Tips for successful stays

• Choose a location with proven tourist appeal
• Choose architects, builders, etc on the personal recommendation of satisfied clients
• Don’t compromise on the quality of materials, furnishings, fixtures and fittings
• Provide guests with everything they need to really pamper themselves – particularly important for guests arriving by air with limited luggage
  
  La Vieille Fromagerie Chez Coudret 86510 Brux Tel/Fax: 00 33 (0)5 49 39 39 18
  www.la-vieille-fromagerie.com