It changed their lives: an American couple bought a house in France for $36,000

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Romantic houses, historic watermills and the picturesque river: the idyllic village of Cajarc in the south of France captured the hearts of an American couple. Robin Johnson and Jim Thaman actually only wanted to stay in the village for a few days, but bought a house at the end of the holiday.

“The place found us,” Johnson told CNN. The artist and the carpenter visited a friend in Cajrac in the Occitanie region in 2001. But they liked the village so much that they decided to live in France part of the time. Before they left, they found a house for $36,000 – a bargain.

The house had been empty for years and had not been renovated since the 1970s. But Johnson and Thaman saw a lot of potential in it. “We had to decide: do we want a new car? Or a house in France?” says Johnson. They chose the latter more than twenty years ago.

Purchase contract on postcard

They made the offer by letter to the owner and received confirmation by postcard. It served as a purchase agreement. A few months later, the two flew back and took care of the paperwork. “Everything went so smoothly, we really felt like it was fate,” says the artist.

In April 2002, Johnson and Thaman married in the US. They then turned their attention to their future dream home in France. “The first thing I did was grab the hammer,” reports the carpenter. He then demolished the walls of the small rooms. They renovated the entire house.

Johnson was enthusiastic from the start: “Even taking out the trash was fun. It was like living in a fairy tale.” The other villagers were also interested in the Americans and treated them with curiosity. «We were the first foreigners to move to the village. “Being from California, we were welcomed like rock stars” , he continues, especially from the younger villagers.

There are still children living in California

The couple has now made many friends in Cajarc. “The other residents appreciate that we have done something with the house that had been neglected for years,” said the American. Johnson and Thaman are on long-term visas. This means that you cannot stay in France for more than 180 days. So the two spend the winter in California with their children and the summer in Cajarc. They love life in the village, it is very carefree.

There is no dishwasher or dryer in the house. “We don’t have many luxuries. “We cycle, have dinners and swim in the river,” says the American, describing her daily life. And: “Our life here is super simple and we like that.” However, in the US it is always about money and consumption. “We find it difficult to build relationships with the people there,” Johnson said.

The language is still a challenge, Johnson says. Although the couple has been living in France for six months for twenty years, things are not easy for them. But the artist is confident: “This is something I can continue to work on. Things are moving forward.” (jwg)

Source: Blick