The art of living in Provence
Our mission is to help you find your home and feel at home in the South of France, more specifically in Provence.
From the first conversation to life beyond the keys.
Rooted in the Pays de Fayence, we bring together property experience, an eye for interiors and technology that makes life simpler.
We are Christophe and Kirstin Vercarre
In Belgium we founded Coloc Housing, to make shared living more considered and more enjoyable. It taught us that the care put into a home shapes the lives of the people who live there.
In 2026 we moved to the South of France with our three young children and started Merle Properties: an estate agency and development company that brings together property, interiors and technology that makes everyday life easier.
“Merle is the name we would have given another daughter.”
It is also the merle bleu, the blue rock thrush of the Var’s rocky hills. Our family and our new home, in one word.
Receiving the keys was only the beginning.
- How did we enrol our children in French schools, or register for healthcare?
- How should we care for the garden and pool?
- Where could we find furniture and equipment?
- Whom could we trust when something needed repairing?
We loved our new home. But for much of what came next, we had to find our own way.
So we built the help we wished we had: someone who listens, who knows a move involves the whole family, and who puts you in touch with the right information and the right people.
Finding your place
You may already love the South of France. We want to know what a home here means to you.
Long family summers, regular escapes or a move for good? A walk to the village each morning, friends around a big table, or the quiet of your own garden?
Your answers guide our search. Together we look at homes that fit your life and weigh their potential, so you can decide with confidence.
Life beyond the keys
We stay after the purchase. We show you how your home works, introduce you to local people you can rely on and help with the practicalities of settling in France. When you need a specialist, we connect you with the right one.
We are also building a private online space with a House Guide: your property documents, practical instructions, useful contacts and videos, all in one place. Over time, you will be able to arrange maintenance, repairs and holiday letting there too.
And when you want to talk to someone, we are still a familiar face. Whether you move here with your family or make a holiday home together, you are free to enjoy the life you came for.
That is our understanding of the art of living.
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