18 French Property News August 2019 http://www.completefrance.comG
areth Lowbridge looked out of the
windows of his office in Leeds about 10
years ago and saw only gloomy grey
skies and rain. He needed a change and he
needed one fast.
Turning his gaze to France, he took a trip to
visit his parents who had retired in Vendée. “I
loved the area they were in,” he remembers.
“And I had this idea that I wanted to work with
dogs so, with my girlfriend at the time, we set
out property searching while we were on
holiday there.”
To have kennels, a property needs to be at
least 100m from the nearest neighbours,
something the estate agents didn’t seem to
grasp as house after house was discarded, not
meeting the necessary requirements. On the
last day of their trip, Gareth half-heartedly
went to see one final property and, by chance,
it was perfect: a three-bedroom single-storeyhouse set in a quiet location close to Luçon and
with a huge back garden, ready to welcome
bounding dogs for playtime.
The kennels were built from scratch by
Gareth’s retired father and a builder. Although
a few personal setbacks meant Gareth didn’t
cross the Channel immediately, he finally drove
over three years after the purchase. He started
the business then and there on his own, began
advertising locally and by the first summer, he
was already busy.
There are currently 10 kennels and three cat
boxes, all welcoming the beloved pets of the
surrounding area. The facilities will get a lick
of paint this summer to freshen them up but
are otherwise in good condition.
Luçon is a charming little Vendée town with
a rich historical heritage and all basic
amenities. It’s located about 45 minutes from
La Rochelle and 1h15 from Nantes (both withairports) and the Atlantic beaches are just 25
minutes away.
Ready to take on a new challenge on the
other side of the world, Gareth is nevertheless
nostalgic about selling. “I’m really going to
miss the climate,” he says chuckling. “I also
really love the architecture around here. I
sometimes just enjoy walking around Luçon.
And everyone is so friendly. I’d go to the gym
there and before I even started, I’d go round
and shake hands with everyone. You would
never see that in the UK.
“When I left the UK, it was with the feeling
that I just had to get out of there. Now, I’m
leaving because I did what I came here to do,
creating a successful business. I’m ready to
move on.” PAWFECT PROPERTY
Love animals? Sophie Gardner-Roberts meets the owner of a kennels
and cattery business in Vendée that could become your own pet project
€185,
BUSINESS OF THE MONTH
The property is for sale at €185,
baspont.com