Testimonies

Purchasing a property at market price: it is possible!

Françoise is a nurse. Her project was to live in the countryside, keep horses and have a guesthouse to offer accommodation for visitors to her region. She lives in Cher.

”I was looking for a smallholding. After three years, nothing was happening. We got in touch with the Safer. I met the owner of a farm the SAFER bought some years ago, where there was a half-tumbled down farm and a 3-hectare meadow.. He agreed to sell. But I found it a bit overpriced because of the not very good soil quality. I called the Safer. The Safer looked after the amicable negotiations with the owner to set a fairer price more suited to the market. The Safer has also looked after all the papers required for the sale.

”Today, I have four horses and my spouse, who is jeweller, has set up a workshop in the barn and the work has begun on the guesthouse. In 2 years, visitors on the Santiago de Compostella pilgrimage (at the end of my meadow)will be able to enjoy the guesthouse accommodation.

The Safer's mission is to set up young farmers. But not only this. A solid project is very likely to come to fruition.

“In a former life, I was a Parisian accountant…! My native region is Creuse and I was dreaming of returning home… It has taken tenacity and almost anger for me to see my project come to fruition.“

Today, Alain owns a fifteen hectare plot of land in Creuse and breeds snails. “I got in touch with the SAFER because I wanted to pursue a farming activity. For me, the Safer helps farmers, first and foremost. I had applied for the purchase of land at least ten times, without success. And then one day I wrote to the Safer again to apply for a land purchase permit, one which was well suited to my project.

”The project was very well designed. I knew where I was going and I got what I wanted. I liked the fact that the Safer shows openness and helps young people, not just farmers, with innovative projects, to set up farms.”