British-born Alan Cummac used to travel the world in his job as a commercial pilot. So it?s perhaps not surprising that he now lives not in the UK but in southern Europe ? splitting time between a farmhouse in rural France and a two-bedroom cottage in a quiet corner of coastal Cyprus.

Cummac?s life abroad began in 1992, when he stumbled across a period property about 4km from the village of Lisle Sur Tarn.

The area is rich in history, with many of the local villages, often located on high ground for defence purposes, initially organised as fortified bastides. These were re-arranged after the religious wars of the 13th century to create grid patterns intended to boost trade and the medieval infrastructure and architecture remain.

Cummac?s farmhouse, Le Puech, translates as ?terrace on the hill? in the local Occitan dialect and refers to the stepped levels where clay was once extracted from the area.

?Le Puech was originally an old brick-and-tile works, the oldest part over 250 years old, with extensions added at later stages,? Cummac says. ?Although it had gone to rack and ruin over the years, the prospect of restoring it, converting the outbuildings and regenerating the six acres of garden, presented an interesting challenge. The enchanting countryside of the Gaillac wine region surrounding the village and the local history only added to the interest.?

The property and land were purchased for ?55,000 but it took twice this amount to create the three-bedroom house that stands today. ?Seeking planning permission wasn?t complicated as I had no plans to alter the traditional exterior,? Cummac says. ?It was just a case of clearing approval to convert one of the outbuildings into a garage and a 30ft-deep kiln into a cellar.?

For the main house, ?complete restoration began by gutting [it]. Restoring the thick walls was fairly straightforward, with a modern weather-proofing treatment applied in a traditional rough render style. And luckily woodworm hadn?t attacked the structural timber beams too badly, though reroofing, wiring and plumbing was quite a task.?

In 1997 Cummac moved to France permanently and met his French partner Aline, who had embarked on her own property project two years before, paying ?15,000 for a small piece of land with permission to build a two-bedroom bungalow. She spent another ?60,000 on construction. ?I had to adhere to regulations regarding the size, colour and materials to create harmony with the historical and natural surroundings,? Aline says. ?It would cost a minimum of ?100,000 to build today, with much steeper land costs. But it?s this kind of preservation that makes the area such an idyllic place to live.?

Cummac retired in 2002 and Aline, a social-work trainer, followed in 2004. Still neither wanted to slip into their troisi?me age without a new venture to focus on. So the couple started looking around the Mediterranean for another home to use in winter. ?Aline doesn?t enjoy the cold,? Cummac explains.

So in 2001, they took a reconnaissance holiday in southern Cyprus, finding not only a warmer climate but also a large English-speaking population and ample beach-side housing. ?We knew we?d missed the boat in terms of snapping up properties at the beginning of the boom but we were more intent on establishing a lifestyle change than investment considerations,? Cummac says.

The couple returned to the island later in the year to think more seriously about buying there. Polis, on the north-west tip, offered a more traditional and unspoilt idyll than the busier coastal resorts in the south. ?We knew we?d have to make trips to Pafos and Limassol for the cultural events that interested us but in terms of day-to-day living, being based in a more authentic corner made the effort seem worthwhile,? Aline says.

Most new properties in the area are similar to one another but eventually the couple decided on a two-bedroom property in a small development under construction with a communal pool neatly tucked away from the road and located just a few metres away from the beach. ?Having arrived in 2002, renting initially, we purchased off-plan in February 2003 and rented a flat in the centre of town while our house was built,? Cummac says. ?We were pleased with the purchase price of C?75,000 (?89,000), [but] buying off-plan does entail a certain amount of trust in the finished article. We spent a further C?8,000 upgrading fittings and fixtures and were able to choose aspects such as the worktops, tiles and so on.

?Keeping an eye on progress and quality control,? he adds, ?is essential in Cyprus. Most people experience a degree of hiccups but being there ensured that these didn?t amount to disasters. We visited one day to find all the tiles laid the wrong way and, though not a major flaw compared to some stories we?ve heard, the possibility to correct mistakes such as this did save us time, money and frustration later.?

Having owned in Cyprus for about a year and a half, they are clearly enjoying the benefits of two Mediterranean homes (while Aline?s house in France is rented out). They spend spring and autumn in their island cottage and decamp to their country farmhouse in summer and winter. Cyprus is quite cold in December and in January but homes aren?t generally insulated; July and August bring intense heat and crowds of tourists.

?In Cyprus there?s a much more al fresco feel to our lives,? Aline says. ?Our property isn?t large but we tend to spill out on to the terrace and spend much more time exploring our surroundings.?

Other benefits to Cyprus include lower living costs (although ?the gap is now closing fast?) and strong social networks. ?The nature of the expat community [makes it] completely different from our French way of life,? Aline explains. ?Whereas in France expats need a reasonable level of the language to fit in, here the lack of language barrier and busy expat activities make it easy to feel at home. We?ve joined an organised walking group and hike the Akamas and other rural retreats at least twice a week.?

The couple do worry about overdevelopment. ?France can satisfy buyers? demand and retain its natural beauty due to its size, absorbing the environmental balance more easily,? Aline says. In smaller Cyprus, by contrast, ?there?s been so much [building] over the past five years, the pressure on the coast is immense.?

Still, the couple are thrilled to have homes in both places. ?The different rhythms of French and Cypriot living keep us energised and enthusiastic,? Aline says.