Hosting scheme in south-west France lets you sample lifestyle before you move

People thinking of a move to the countryside can now experience a trial run in south-west France thanks to an innovative local project – and English-speakers can help host them.

The Mes Nouveaux Voisins  (my new neighbours) scheme has seen households in nine communes throughout Dordogne volunteer to host guests while other residents offer activities such as local walks or trips to the market. 

While the project has so far been used solely by French speakers, some of the hosts do speak English and new ones are being actively sought.

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Dordogne is a popular choice for many people wishing to move to France and is home to more than 7,200 British residents alone, according to Insee figures.

The Mes Nouveaux Voisins project aims to build links between potential newcomers and rural communes by giving them the chance to share daily life, meet other residents and learn what it would really be like to live there.

The project was set up by Sophie Le Gal in partnership with Dordogne’s departmental council in 2023.

Some 60 host households now welcome guests across nine communes including Monpazier, Domme and Nontron. Host villages and towns vary in size from 500 to 3,000 inhabitants, giving guests a range of choices for where they would like to try living.

For those considering settling in the Dordogne, the project offers much more than simply visiting a new area. By staying in welcoming communes with their potential new neighbours, guests can find out directly about the reality of living there and begin to make local contacts.

The chance to learn more about the housing market, work opportunities, local services and activities straight from residents can be a great help in working out whether it would be the right place for them.

The project is working well, according to Ms Le Gal: “Mes Nouveaux Voisins is an experiment that has resonated with all the welcoming households that got involved. 

“This initiative shows a welcoming rural community [and] helps people integrate well into rural areas.”

Many guests have made the most of the project by spending time in several communes throughout Dordogne. 

Stéphane, 44, who works as a business consultant as well as renovating houses, was living in Bordeaux but considering a move to the Périgord Vert. By staying with different hosts, he was able to test out La Roche-Chalais, Saint-Aulaye and Verteillac. 

A welcoming community

“Mes Nouveaux Voisins allowed me to do many things; in particular, to realise the importance of being close to a town or village with some activity and a strong community and economic fabric. But also to more clearly imagine settling in a village or the surrounding area,” he said.

“It also allowed me to meet many people who are essential when arriving in a new place: officials, residents, estate agents, shop owners etc.”

Following his time spent with hosts in the project, Stéphane has now moved to Dordogne and settled in Saint-Aulaye where he bought a farmhouse with some land.

Residents in the Dordogne can either volunteer to become hosts for visitors or can offer an activity for guests to try, or both if they wish. 

Guests are welcome to stay a few nights and pay a fee of €20 per person per night. 

Ms Le Gal explained: “Hosts really fall into two profiles: either they are long-time residents of the village who want to welcome new inhabitants so that their school doesn't close, or they are recent arrivals (arrived less than five years ago) who would have liked to have had this welcoming network.”

The project is proving a great success with hosts as well as guests. Sylvie, who signed up to welcome people to stay in her home, said: ‘[It is a] very good system for sharing with people seeking a new area to live and work in. For the host, it’s an opportunity to present the economic, heritage, and cultural environment.”

If you would like to try out life in a Dordogne commune, you can apply online by filling in a form on the Mes Nouveaux Voisins website.

The project aims to match guests up with hosts depending on the chosen location and their requirements, from finding work to discovering sports and clubs in the area. Potential hosts can also get in contact with the organisation if they would be interested in welcoming guests.

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Ms Le Gal is positive about opening the scheme in new areas.

“If another citizen wants to launch the project in their department they should feel free to contact Mes Nouveaux Voisins. It is an open citizens’ network.”