What it’s like to run a holiday property in France

Owning a property abroad is a dream for many. Airbnb host, Bronwyn Halley made that dream a reality when she bought an apartment in the south of France, and with the help of some friends, renovated it in 23 days.

Q. Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself and where you’re located?

I’m a health professional that likes spending time with my nieces and nephews, friends and Violet, our puppy. I enjoy cooking up a storm, sampling coffee and trying my hand at pretty much anything blacksmithing, barista, gardening, (currently learning French)!

We’re juggling living and working between two states, New South Wales and Western Australia. We’ve been living in New South Wales, Hunter Valley for a few years. We had a beautiful AirBnB in NSW and loved hosting and meeting different people and sharing our unique space.

Q. How did you come to own a property in France? 

Australian friends were living and working in the south of France.  France is just heaven on a stick to us. Last year, we went over to surprise an Australian friend for his 50th birthday. As it was a total surprise, we stayed in an Airbnb in their village. We just loved the experience, the food ,the history and the culture and we could see ourselves living there.

A friend suggested that we have a look at an apartment in Cotignac. Cotignac is just spectacular. It’s carved into the cliffs and has so much history, stories, cobbled streets, markets, just stunning energy. Walking down this small, narrow, cobbled street with a realestate agent to view the apartment, feeling so excited about this moment in my life, someone threw a bucket of water off the top balcony, of course it landed all over me, it was very funny! It was one of those quintessential moments. The decision to buy came after a lot of thought and list writing.

Outdoor dining area at Le Vieux Moulin

Q. Owning a property abroad would be a dream for many Airbnb owners, but what are some of the unforeseen challenges you've encountered? 

It is very early days as we only purchased it in April 2023, despite making the offer in September 2022, things are done a little differently in France.

I flew over in April this year, signed the final documents and then had 23 days to make the apartment guest ready. I have some pretty special friends who flew in from Japan, Australia, Austria and Scotland “The Olive Mill Dream Team” to help me out, otherwise this would not have happened.

Not speaking the language made renovations a bit challenging some days. I  translated all of my messages and emails into French and then translated the replies back into English. Injuring my back and not being able to speak the language or walk up or down steps also was an obstacle when you are on a tight timeline and the village is built into a cliff. Friends/ neighbours definitely assisted with translations. Having a sense of humour definitely helped as did the daily treats from the local boulangier.

Q. Could you tell us a little bit about the area your property is located in, what makes it special?

Le Vieux Moulin,Cotignac, is located in Provence in the south of France. Its about an hour and half from Nice and about the same from Marseilles. Cotignac is just a beautiful French village that has so much history, especially religious, medieval architecture, troglodyte caves, cobbled streets and a weekly market. It has been named as one of the 10 most beautiful villages in France, it has fabulous restaurants, including a Michelin green star restaurant, a brewery (top of our street) wineries, yet still maintains a laid-back French village vibe.

Q.What do you love most about your property?

The property is in a traditional village that has all the essentials, great dining, beautiful buildings, fountains but not the hustle and bustle of a big city. Le Vieux Moulin is a 4 bedroom apartment that is built around a 16th century olive mill. The lounge room has two unique olive presses in it making the lounge room space very special. Terracotta tiles keep the apartment cool and a wood fireplace is perfect for winter. The two huge balconies allow you to be immersed in nature, do yoga/pilates  overlooking the river. All the while you are in the centre of the village, so it is pretty original. The apartment is a beautiful relaxing oasis that is a perfect base for people to explore the south of France or just chill and go to the local brewery, winery or amazing restaurants 2 minutes walk away. The property has a lock up garage and pool. I think that it ticks all the boxes for a fantastic vacation spot and I am happy to offer suggestions on things to do and places to go in the area.

You can find Le Vieux Moulin on Airbnb here and on Instagram here.