IF you have decided on an area of France, and are keen to buy, obviously finding the right property is going to be your biggest challenge.
You will know what you are looking for, but snapping up the first thing you see that closely matches, might well be the wrong move.
When in France take your time and don’t rush into a decision whilst stood in front of the house, make the decision to look at as many houses as possible.
Even if you come back to the one you saw first, you will have a better idea of prices and will be more confident when making an offer.
Conversely don’t look forever and see house after house being snapped up by others, be thorough with your research and know what you are after.
This will help you sort out the homes that fit your requirements from those that are close, or are a ‘maybe’, or are a ‘what if’… you know what I mean.
And if you have found a property that fits the bill act quickly and decisively, because by the time you return to France there is a good chance that it will have gone.
Naturally the area you have picked you will know and hopefully you have got the finances in place that will take some of the pressure off, but there are other considerations.
Many people buy a place that needs some work, be clear exactly what that might involve, and if you would not attempt to do it in the UK it isn’t going to be any easier in France.
Be sure of the budget you have for any renovation work, there are plenty of properties with half finished extensions that come back on to the market.
The French system for buying a home is well established, don’t try and change it, it is much better to understand it and work with it.
Also if you enjoy cycling and walking for example, make sure leisure facilities are close by or if you enjoy travelling, that a train station or autoroute can be easily accessed.
And if it is your first home in France don’t be so far off the beaten track you are impossible to find, it will be hard on you but also difficult to sell such a property in the future.
Comments
15 responses to “Tips on finding property”
Hiya
We are looking to buy some land in Corsica – ideally Lumio. Does anyone know how I can assess things like acceptable going rates, who best agencies are and so on? Many thanks Sarah
Hi,
We are planning to sell (direct – no real estate agency charges) our house (300 sqm) in the Alps – 12 kms far from Grenoble in a tiny and cosy village. More inputs to be posted on the web very shortly. In case anybody is interested, you can always contact us.
Regards
Hi, I’m a non- EEC resident (NZ/Australian) but would like to buy a holiday property in France. Is this possible? If at some time in the future I wanted to live there would it make it any easier being a property owner to get a work permit?
Thanks,
Pamela.
Hi Pamela
Many thanks for your message.
The Australian embassy in Paris should be your first stop:
http://www.france.embassy.gov.au/
But there is also some info available on the French diplomatic service
website at:
http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france_159/entering-france_2045/getting-visa_2046/index.html
Employment opportunities are very difficult and unless your French is good, or you have particular skills, you may find it difficult to find something.
Hope this helps.
Craig
Hi,
We’re looking at properties in France but can’t understand what is menat by e.g. T3 or F4 when looking at properties – the english translations don’t have an explanation
Thanks
Ian
A French norm is to advertise a property as “Tx”, where “x” is a number (e.g. T2, T3, T4, and so on). This system is most commonly used for apartments rather than houses.
This method is essentially just a count of the number of rooms. So a T3 apartment is an apartment with 3 rooms. Note that this excludes bathrooms and toilets. So a T3 apartment may have a living/dining room, plus 2 bedrooms. A T1 would be a “studio” apartment.
The Tx system is only approximate as it does not provide any information on the size of the rooms. Also, it can be slightly ambiguous; for example a combined living/dining room counts as only one room but if one was to put a solid divider between them it would become 2 rooms.
In some parts of France one will see the “Fx” system instead of the “Tx”. Both systems are identical, it is just that some parts of France use the letter “F” and some use the letter “T”.
One may also come across the term “xF”, which is completely different than “Fx”. The “Fx” system is the number of rooms an apartment has (see explanation above) whereas “xF” is the number of “faces” that a house has. In the “xF” system, “F” stands for the French word “face”, which is equal to the English term “side”. So a “2F” house is a house that has two sides (in other words, it is a row house or terrace house). A “3F” house is an end of terrace house (otherwise known as semi-detached) as it has 3 sides. A 4F house is a detached house, as it has 4 sides (in other words, no adjoining houses).
We are thinking about buying a property in France to rent.
How can we protect ourself the tenants sqautting?
Lorraine
Proceed with care! Consider renting furnished and targeting an ex-pat renter to be on the safe side. In major cities you should manage to do this. If you need more specific information contact me via our website.
Hi,
I have been browsing french property websites and I have seen a few interesting private sale properties on IFP and FPL. The lack of agency commission has interested me but I am concerned about the difficulty in buying direct from a vendor without agency representation.
My french is ok, so language shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Instead I am unsure of the buyer and seller roles in a private purchase. Does anyone have any advice from personal experience or links to good information specific to private sales in France. The only info I have so far found online is the general purchase info found in the IFP Guides: http://www.french-property.com/guides/france/purchase-real-estate/legal/
All help gratefully received.
Thanks
Steve
Hi
I am looking for a 4 bed house to rent for 12 months in the Midi-Pyrenees, I am moving from Ireland with my husband and 2 children.
Kind regards
Fiona
hi there, we’re looking to buy in the south west. Can anybody suggest where might be best to benefit from passing tourist trade to up our income, are some places saturated wtih gites and b&bs and to be avoided? thank you!
Hi
We are Aussies looking at purchasing a property in France to convert to a B&B and gite. Is the area of Limousin, Creuse a good place to offer this kind of servie. What kind of tourist trade operates in this area? Is it necessary to have a permanent visa to operate a business in France?
Many thanks
Lisa
I am a British builder recently moved to France with my wife and son. I am seeking a place to rent with a gaeden anywhere in France for at leat six months. I am willing to help renovate in return for a reasonable rent.
Thanks
I have a house that I am selling in the
Auvergne – may consider renting it – are you looking at furnished or unfurnished.
What areas have you in mind?
Make contact and perhaps we can take this further.
Would you consider buying the house if it meets your requirements –
Renovated
3 beds –
sitting room
dining room/family room
modern kitchen
open fire
two bathrooms
104 m2 living area
large barn 100 m2 – would make a second home as the walls and roof are sound or storing building materials etc
land 1.04 hectares
Primary school 10 mins away (walking!)
School bus comes to the village for the senior schools.
Phone me – Wednesday evening – or after 8.30 French time during the week.
If you like it – would you consider buying my home? Price 175000 Euros ono. If you want to see pictures and a written narrative – contact me.
Rosemary
0044 117 9799929
Don’t forget that if you want to contact someone directly then clicking on their name will open up a message with the person’s email address or link you through to their website.
Any questions just shout.
Craig