Victim of a scam, strangers build him the house of his dreams, he moves there for Christmas

His dream of living a peaceful retirement in Périgord is finally fulfilled. A few days before Christmas, Bernard Martin-Mourey has just moved into his small house built thanks to the solidarity of the inhabitants of his village. The septuagenarian thought he had lost everything after being the victim of a construction scam.

“Hello, welcome to my new home!” As he pokes his head through the door, Bernard Martin-Mourey displays a broad smile. A few days before Christmas, this cheerful septuagenarian has just moved into the house of his dreams. The bed is set up, a few personal paintings are hanging on the walls, but most of his belongings are still in boxes. Whatever. Bernard finally lives in his “little corner of paradise”, after experiencing hell.

His nightmare begins in 2021. The art historian, living in Paris, embarks on the purchase of a tiny house. Everything has been thought of for this three-hectare plot of land, near a body of water, which he acquired in the town of Chalais, 400 inhabitants in the north-east of the Dordogne. It is here that he wishes to spend a peaceful and green retirement. The construction agreement is finally concluded in 2022 with a company based in the neighboring department.

This new house is like the one I imagined three years ago. The difference is that this one is bathed in even more love. It's impressive.

Bernard Martin-Mourey

Victim of a scam

Bernard pays a deposit of 34,000 euros to pay for the frames, structural wood and cladding as well as the flooring of his future home. Delivery of the eco-responsible cabin is scheduled for fall 2023. The deadline is constantly pushed back, until the day the builder stops answering calls. Bernard will never receive his order. He will also not see the amount already paid a few months earlier.

In a burst of solidarity, residents of the town, friends or anonymous, roll up their sleeves to help him. Using the strength of their arms, they voluntarily built the 40 m² house in a few weeks. None of them had done such a project before this one. “We had a lot of work, but also some very nice moments of celebration and meals. It was wonderful. They made me a happy man”he confides, sitting comfortably on a soft cushion in his living room.

The land and the house belong to the association “Together a house for Bernard”founded by fifteen volunteers from the village. By launching a fundraiser, they managed to raise more than 20,000 euros needed to finance the work. Local merchants had even donated materials.

After sleeping in a caravan for three years, the usufructuary has only one desire: to enjoy his new cocoon. He will spend Christmas and New Year's Eve on December 31 pampering his interior. “I've never really liked parties. All my friends have gone to their respective families. I think I'm going to fully enjoy here”he smiles.

I'm happy, because I have space, I'm warm… And I find all my objects. Everything had been in boxes for five years.

The year 2024, his 72nd birthday, was the most significant of his life. “It’s a big metamorphosis, it transformed and overwhelmed me. There were a lot of emotions to deal with… It was like fireworks,” admits the neo-Périgourdin. 2025 promises to be just as rich in sharing and work. “I can't wait for everything to be finished so I can lend the house to all the people who participated in making it a reality, adds Bernard. Finally, let this not be my house, but everyone's house.”