A fed-up couple have sold their four-bedroom, semi-detached house near Maidstone, Kent, and swapped it for a grand French château and its surrounding grounds - saving £230,000 in the process. Heidi and Anthony Muir were growing increasingly annoyed with the gridlocked traffic in their area, so finally decided to pack up and move.
The nine-bedroom estate in central France, that served as a French Resistance headquarters during World War Two, featured three times on Channel 4 show Grand Designs before they bought it. Heidi, 55, and her 53-year-old husband Anthony, sold their family home in the village of Allington for £600,000 and bought the manor house for £370,000.
The couple have also taken on the running of the bed and breakfast business at the late 19th-century château, called Chez Jallot.
"It was always a bit of a hopeful wish to live in France, and never in a million years did we think we would actually end up living here," Heidi said.
"We'd lived in our house in Allington for almost 30 years. It was actually my grandmother's from the late 1930s, so the house was always in our family, but we decided to make the move to France last year.
"We were looking for a holiday home, really, but decided to broaden our search and started looking at forever homes.
"We remember watching Chez Jallot on Grand Designs in 2004 and really admired former owners, Doug and Deni Ibbs.
"We love Maidstone, we loved our house, we really did like the area and the kids had a great time at school and everything.
"But what made our decision was the developments that were starting around the Allington area – the roads just couldn't cope."
Heidi explained that 'thousands' of new homes were being built in the area, which was exacerbating the problem of traffic on local roads.
She said: "The main London Road going into Maidstone was gridlocked most weekends, so this was one of the main factors of why we just wanted to change our lifestyle a little bit.
"There are thousands of new houses being built in the area - not hundreds but thousands. Roads are already congested and in the coming years the road systems will only get worse."
Now the couple's children - 25-year-old Bronwyn, 22-year-old Ewan and Toby, 21 - have all flown the nest, the Muirs decided to take the plunge and begin anew in mainland Europe.
However, they are supported in running the chateau by their shitzus Poppy and Coco.
The distinctly French manor house boasts four large guest rooms, the Muir's own bedroom, loft space with the potential for another three to four bedrooms, two adjoining gites with two more bedrooms apiece as well as a living area and kitchen.
The entire main house, which sleeps ten, can be hired for €450 (£395) per person, which includes breakfast and a two-course evening meal with half a bottle of wine per head.
The château was originally constructed around the year 1870, after Monsieur Jallot returned to the country from Paris, where he had been part of the reconstruction of the capital under President Napoleon III.
During the Nazi occupation of France in the Second World War, when France was initially split into the northern occupied territory and the southern free territory, Chez Jallot sat close to the dividing borderline.
It served as a headquarters for French Resistance forces, who trained volunteers at the château and harboured parachutists, aircrew and escapees - with up to 70 people living on the property at one time.
In July 1944, Nazi German troops searched the property and set it ablaze.
The main building was left derelict for more than 70 years before English couple Doug and Deni Ibbs bought the property in 2004 and built it up from the remaining shell of the house.
Heidi added: "It was just four walls, because the house was burnt down in the war by the Nazis.
"When the Ibbs bought the house as a complete derelict shell they did it up. So we've been very lucky that we've not had to do all that hard work that was already done all for us."
Heidi, who was made redundant from her management job in 2021, and avid cyclist Anthony, who left his job at the multi-sport activity venue Cyclopark in Gravesend, Kent, now share the running of their B&B business.
As part of their visa, the couple have to complete 200 hours of compulsory French lessons.
"When we have French guests it's a little tricky to understand them so we're grateful for Google Translate whilst we're still learning the language," Heidi admitted.
"The lessons are fantastic, obviously, because our French is a little limited but there's a lot of English-speaking people around where we live."
The couple admit they miss their friends and family in England - as well as chunks of Cheddar cheese.
"We also chose France as it's only an hour-and-a-half flight from here to England so it's really quick and simple to get back to the UK to see our children," Heidi added.
"The lifestyle over here in France is very different to the UK. The French have a lunch break from 12-2pm every single day; so that's difficult to get used to.
"Also everything's closed on a Sunday so it's like going back to those old-fashioned times.
"But once we stepped foot in this house, we instantly knew it was the house that we wanted.
"It's just so peaceful and quiet out here. It's very well known for walking holidays. It was a life-changing move that we do not regret.
"However, I would say to anyone thinking of doing what we did to definitely do your homework.
"Make sure you visit lots and lots of houses because there are a lot of hidden things you don't think about.
"If you want a different lifestyle then I would encourage anybody to make the leap."
Do you live in an unusual home? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
