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If you’ve just arrived, you might be wondering what a site called Run Languages is doing writing about stone cottages, apartment hunting in Lyon, and the quiet logic of French shutters. It’s a fair question — and the answer is the reason this place exists.
I’m Claire Durand. For years I worked as a French teacher, helping people find their footing in the language through everyday life: market conversations, café orders, the phrases you need when a neighbour invites you in for un petit café. But the longer I lived in my own village house in the Drôme, the more I noticed that the real questions my students asked had little to do with grammar. They wanted to know why houses in the south look the way they do, how to read a property listing without getting lost, what it actually means to buy a historic home, and whether they could make a life here — not just a holiday.
So I started writing about those things. The site grew from a place about language into a place about how the French live, build, and make a home. Language didn’t disappear — it became the quiet thread running through everything. You’ll still find it here, woven into stories about regional identity, renovation surprises, and the particular vocabulary of French real estate. But the focus has shifted to the tangible, the practical, the deeply local.
This is now a publication about real estate in France, regional architecture, and the experience of putting down roots. You’ll find guides to buying and renting, explorations of historic homes, comparisons of housing styles from Alsace to Aquitaine, and honest reflections on what it takes to live in an old French house without losing your mind — or your savings.
What you can expect to find here:
- Regional housing profiles — How building materials, climate, and local customs shape the homes of each area, from Provençal mas to Breton granite cottages.
- Practical property guides — Step-by-step advice on navigating the French market, understanding diagnostics, dealing with notaires, and avoiding common mistakes.
- Historic home deep dives — Stories of old buildings, the people who care for them, and what it means to own a piece of French architectural heritage.
- Renting and settling in — Realistic help for newcomers, including how to decode listings, handle paperwork, and find a place that feels like yours.
- Renovation realities — What I’ve learned from restoring my own house, and what I wish I’d known before lifting a single stone.
If you’re dreaming of a life in France, trying to understand the housing landscape, or simply curious about why French villages look the way they do, you’re in the right spot. Start with the articles that match your mood — whether that’s a practical checklist or a slow wander through a Dordogne farmhouse — and feel free to reach out. I read every email.
I’m glad you’re here. Now let’s talk about houses.