A British family have purchased an entire French village mortgage-free for £450,000 after ditching the UK for a 'less stressful' lifestyle.Helen Diaper and her husband Terry, both 76, purchased the rural hamlet of Lac De Maison, in Poitou-Charentes, western France, with their daughter Liz Murphy, 48, and her husband David, 57, in 2020.The unconventional move came after Liz and David convinced the retired couple to leave behind the 'rat race' of life in the UK and sell their four-bedroom home in Manchester, while they also sold their £400,000 three-bedroom property.The small village consists of six 400-year-old houses, two barns and three acres of land and came with a price tag of £450,000.Since making the move, the family have converted three of the properties into holiday homes – able to sleep up to 19 individuals in total – and successfully renovated the remaining homes for themselves.Helen and Terry are now able to see their two grandchildren 'every day' and praised the deduction benefits of the 'better' French tax system which means they can employ a cleaner, gardener and caregiver.Helen, a retired senior practice nurse from Nottinghamshire, said: 'I've always loved France and always wanted to be here, so Terry and I decided on a big adventure and to go for it.'The grandchildren, Tom and Charlotte, are growing up beautifully. It's nice to be with them and to have that experience of them, watching them grow and being involved in what they're doing.'I think the ambience of France is less stressful than the UK. I love the laid-backness of it.' Helen Diaper and her husband Terry, both 76, purchased the rural hamlet of Lac De Maison, in Poitou-Charentes, western France, with their daughter Liz Murphy, 48, and her husband David, 57, in 2020 Liz and David, pictured with their two children, convinced the retired couple to leave behind the 'rat race' of life in the UK and sell their four-bedroom home in Manchester, while they also sold their £400,000 three-bedroom property The small village consists of six 400-year-old houses, two barns and three-acres of land and came with a price tag of £450,000When Liz and David first came across the large plot for sale in December 2020, they made the life-changing decision to move with their two children – Tom, 14, and Charlotte, ten.The couple felt compelled to make the move after feeling trapped in the busyness of nine-to-five jobs and the 'rat race' lifestyle of the UK, and were keen for a change.Terry, a retired computer programmer, said that while it had 'never occurred' to him to leave behind their 'nice life' in Nottingham, he saw it as 'one last adventure'.He added: 'We liked the idea of a French lifestyle.'It's easier going over here, it has a nice culture and everywhere is spotlessly clean.'We didn't really consider the financial aspect of moving because we were very keen to beat the Brexit deadline.'Also at that time French properties were selling very quickly so there was that additional time pressure as well.'Obviously we all knew that French property prices were so much cheaper than the UK, and our understanding was that other costs would be roughly about the same.' Since making the move, the family have converted three of the properties into holiday homes - able to sleep up to 19 individuals in total - and successfully renovated the remaining homes for themselves Since making the big move, Liz and David have been undergoing numerous renovations to help extend the existing homes in the village While they all live mortgage-free, Liz admitted that they have spent 'more than they thought' on the extensive renovation projectLiz, pictured with David, said: 'It is really nice as a daughter. It's nice to have mum here but also as they get a bit older I think for my peace of mind it's nice knowing I'm here if anything goes wrong or there are any problems I'm straight away here'Family and friends often visit France during the busy Airbnb summer months, and Liz and her family return to the UK at least once a yearTerry explained that while it is 'very difficult' to 'fairly' compare the cost of life in the UK versus France, he is certain that the tax system is 'better for my wife and I as pensioners'.'We can get tax deductions when we employ a cleaner, gardener, caregiver,' he added.Since making the big move, Liz and David have been undergoing numerous renovations to help extend the existing homes in the village.While they all live mortgage-free, Liz admitted that they have spent 'more than they thought' on the extensive renovation project.'Everything we are putting into it is to future proof it for others when they want to come and live here,' she added.'It is really nice as a daughter. It's nice to have mum here but also as they get a bit older I think for my peace of mind it's nice knowing I'm here if anything goes wrong or there are any problems I'm straight away here.'It was blood sweat and tears but worth it in the end.'Family and friends often visit France during the busy Airbnb summer months, and Liz and her family return to the UK at least once a year.However, the family have zero regrets for deciding to make the move and are adamant it was the right decision for their future.Looking ahead, they plan to downsize to a smaller property to help care for Helen whose health is getting 'progressively worse' – but will remain together as a family unit.