Yip Ward and Paul Mappley, both 52, who could not afford to buy a house in the UK, purchased an entire hamlet in Normandy for £26,000. The couple, previously living in a caravan in Tunbridge Wells, bought the first property for £12,000 after a chance offer from friends.
From Caravan to Hamlet
The couple funded their initial purchase by selling their belongings, including an old tractor owned by Paul. They have since acquired adjacent buildings, now owning seven cottages, two barns, a workshop, a cider press, two traditional bread ovens, and various other outbuildings for an additional £14,000.
Restoration work began in 2020, with around £100,000 spent so far. The original cottage, now a holiday rental, is complete, alongside a horsebox brought from the UK that is fully booked.
Restoration and Community Support
The couple have relied on fundraising efforts from social media followers and plan to complete their second cottage by summer 2027. They estimate saving more than £100,000 by doing most of the work themselves, with help from builder friend Ian, 62.
Yip said: "People always say how did you find the village and it's not that we were looking, it was a chance meeting with a friend who had got a place and was selling it. We definitely see it as the planets aligned."
The sellers changed their minds about the property due to the extensive restoration required. French rules allowed the couple eight months to pay the full sum, during which they worked as landscape gardeners during Covid to secure the deal.
Documenting the Journey
The couple documented their restoration journey and appeared on Channel 4's 'Help! We Bought A French Village!'. Paul said they were now in "full restoration mode" after years of work on the hamlet, called La Buslière.
Paul explained: "I can't express to you enough that, apart from cottages one and two, the other three cottages were covered, the whole roof in ivy. They were literally being swallowed by nature."
Ian, who had done repairs on cottage one in 2019, later watched their YouTube channel and arrived to help remove a rotten two-tonne roof beam, working for no payment for the first six months.
Earning and Future Plans
The couple now pay Ian £1,000 weekly through YouTube earnings. Paul noted: "We have five people turning up every single day to donate things - they bring bits of furniture or materials for the roof."
They receive £400 worth of free materials weekly. A roof repair on cottage three quoted at £13,000 was completed for £2,000, saving £11,000 on one side alone.
The couple plan to live in every cottage once restored. Yip said: "We don't want it to be a metropolis. Every single guest who stays here says they can't believe how quiet it is." They intend to turn other buildings into workshop spaces, host summer fairs, monthly outdoor cinema, and pizza making using their two original pizza ovens. Cottages will have no TVs or UPVC windows.
