Property in France

For many years, France has had more foreign property buyers than any other country, in large part due to its climate, cuisine and life style. Through most of this time, Property in France has remained very affordable. In fact, except of property hot spots (such as Paris and Provence), visitors were consistently surprised at how affordable property in France was.

Since 2001 this has changed somewhat, due to price inflation which has increased property prices by over half. In parallel, many of the ruins which would once sell for a song, now have substantial prices due to the long-term demand for them over many years.

However, in relative terms, French property is still a very good buy. After all, although prices have increased by half in France since 2001, they have doubled in the UK during the same period. Furthermore, the initial prices in the UK were on average far higher to begin with. Consequently, although French property is more expensive now than in 2001, in relative terms (compared to similar UK properties) it is in fact a better buy than it ever was. For those people who have the good fortune to already own UK property, they often find that they can sell their existing property and buy a much better property in France, and still have a considerable amount of money left over. As an example, when my wife and I sold our property in the UK and purchased a property in France: our French home was 3 times as large as our English property,

• it had a lot more character,
• it had 25 acres of land (versus a third of an acre in England),
• it has numerous large outbuildings (which our English property lacked),
• and despite all these advantages, it was still a third less expensive than our property in England.

Of course, property prices is only one of the reasons that people move to France. The weather, quality of food and wine, markets, pace of life and in general the lifestyle are also popular reasons. However, when one can have all of these, and a better house, for less money, it is a package that is hard to say no to. Consequently, it is not surprising that France continues to be extremely popular with foreign property buyers (and visitors).

On the other hand, before rushing off to move to France, one must remember that there are a number of disadvantages as well. For some people, these are a small price to pay, for others they become insurmountable hurdles. For most people, the main issues are:

• Language: While it is true that some French people speak English, particularly in areas where there is a large English population (e.g. Dorgogne), one will never properly integrate into French life unless one picks up the language. If your do not already know French, it is advisable to takes some lessons before moving to France. Once in France, one needs to cultivate French friends and make an effort to speak French on a regular basis. If one can do this, one will eventually become fluent in the language. However, if one does not, one’s live in France can be limited.
• Employment: Finding work in France is generally more difficult than finding work in England. Furthermore, for many professions, the pay is lower in France. It is for this reason that a number of French professionals move to the UK. In fact, there is a sort of 2-way traffic, with British people moving to France to enjoy a better quality of live, while young professional French people move to the UK (at least for a time) to progress their careers and pursue better paying employment. Consequently, unless one has sufficient funds to be able to retire in France, one should carefully check out the employment options and pay before moving to France.
• Family and Friends: Much of France is served by cheap airplane transport, thanks to discount airline companies such as EasyJet. So, it is not necessarily that difficult to make regular visits to the UK to visit with family and friends. However, one cannot simply pop over after supper for a drink. Keep in mind that even if airfares are cheap, by the time one takes into account travel time to and from the airports, it is still a substantial journey. For this reason, one must be willing to accept some separation from family and existing friends if one is moving permanently to France.

That being said, every year many thousands of people find that the purchase of a property in France and moving here fulltime is a great investment in the quality of life for themselves and their families. One just needs to carefully weigh up the advantages and disadvantages before making any major decisions.

Once one has decided to move to France, one needs to think about the type of property one wants. Is a property in need of renovation acceptable, or are you looking for a property that is nicely done up and ready to move in? Are you thinking of the peace and space of living in the countryside, or do you prefer the facilities and excitement of town life? A easily maintained apartment or a roomy and rambling farmhouse? An easily maintained house of modern construction, or an older property with character?

Once you’ve decide on what you are looking for, one can of course go to France and visit various estate agents (immobilier). However, for many people, it saves time and money to start the search online. There any many internet sites offering a wide choice of properties in every region of France. You can use them to get a general idea of what types of houses are available, and at what prices, in each region of France. One should remember that house styles and prices vary significantly from region to region. You may even see exactly what you are looking for, in which case you can use the on-line form to contact the seller or the selling estate agent. If not, one can visit local estate agents in France to check what they have to offer. However, an on-line search in advance means that at least one will go to France better informed in advance.