Prices for a similar period, fourbedroom property in nearby Kemble are about £100,000 more.
'The area is awash with people who have been priced out of Cheltenham, Bath, Swindon, Cirencester and Bristol,' says Elizabeth Nagle-Parker of local agent Sawyers (01453 751647), which is selling the Salmons' home.
Although the family's French home was very cheap, it's in need of a complete refurbishment and they are expecting to spend up to £60,000.
'We considered creating more bedrooms and running it as a gite (basic hotel), but we heard of several gite owners in the area who struggled to get planning permission,' says Catherine. 'Burgundy isn't an important tourist region in France, and most holidaymakers tend to be low-spending, outdoor types.'
The couple, who do not have a mortgage on their British home, will be using the profit on the house to finance the refurbishment and the move, but once the house is habitable they plan to go travelling with the children.
Meanwhile, they are keen to begin integrating with the local community; they are learning to speak French and will be putting their daughters into local schools.
But there is one problem that many British families like them encounter: the cost of building materials can be up to 50 per cent more expensive in France than in Britain, and obtaining planning permission to refurbish a property can be lengthy and frustrating.
But when, like the Salmons, you are selling a mortgage-free property in Britain for £310,000 and buying a house in France worth just £16,000, even a substantial budget overspend shouldn't be a problem.
