We ditched the UK and bought a 200-year-old French village for just £22k and turned it into the perfect holiday spot

TWO MEN decided to ditch the UK for a 200-year-old abandoned village in France that cost them £22,000 to buy.

Paul and Yip decided to buy the village located in Normandy and bring it back to life.

“We never ever set out to buy a hamlet or village, we didn’t really think oh well we shouldn’t really do this cuz we haven’t got the money,” said Paul.

“We just thought, it’s buy now worry about it later,” added Yip.

The pair decided to purchase the village and restore it to its former glory and then make the surrounding area a glamping site.

Taking to YouTube, the pair said: “It had sat derelict and covered in ivy for nearly 30 years!

“Nature was swallowing these buildings whole! Long story short we sold everything we owned and bought the lot for €26,000.

“We never imagined that we would one day own our own home, let alone a whole village.”

While much of the village still needed to be repaired, the men had been successful in turning a former piggery into a utility room for future guests.

The bathroom was complete, with Paul and Yip installing shower stalls inside the 19th-century room.

Now, the men had two weeks to install a kitchen, which they documented on Channel 4‘s Help! We Bought a Village.

The pair have spent a year making the village safe for guests and it was finally time to welcome their first ones.

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“When we turned up, it was a million miles away from being able to invite anyone now for it to resemble a business and something that someone would want to come and spend their time and pay for it is a huge thing,” said Paul.

The pair decided to keep the village looking like it would have when it was first built, instead of using brick, they rebuilt the walls using stone, as they would have done 200 years ago.

For the utility room, they kept the stone walls but added a pop of colour with green paint for the doors and window frames.

Just outside of the utility room, the men had transformed a horse box into a small bedroom for their first guests.

The guests were seriously impressed with Paul and Yip’s transformation and how ‘special’ it was – leaving the men in tears.

Yip said: “We’ve made a business from somewhere that was quite dilapidated and unused for 30 years and now it’s back in action, we are literally breathing life into it.”

The pair are continuing to share the renovations over on their own YouTube channel (@yipnpaulshelpweboughtavillage).

While it’s not close to being finished, and roofs continue to crumble, the men have plenty of support from fans to keep them going.

One person wrote: “You will put it all back together and it will all be lovely again. Good neighbours look after good people. Keep up the good work and don’t loose heart.”

Another commented: “A great admiration to you both. If it falls “rebuild” a lot of work. Patience is a virtue…… you will renovate your beautiful village into a humble one.”

“A bit overwhelming! I so admire your vision and your determination. One day at a time and remember to pause for self care,” penned a third.

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