THE appeal of packing it all in and buying a vineyard plays on the minds of many, but as property prices rise is it possible to pick up a bargain?
This is the question asked by journalist Chris Wilson on the Expat Telegraph website as he trawls around the south of France.
But his plan to pick up a few hectares of vines with a pleasant little mansion to while away the hours in is soon brought crashing down to earth as prices of a €1million or more are quoted.
ONCE people have set up their holiday home website many just leave it to merrily hang around on the internet hoping to catch passing customers.
But those who promote their site effectively will get plenty of people visiting it and booking a week or two in the sunshine.
ONE of the best ways to search for a property is to spend some time in a region so that you can get a good feel for the place.
But it may cost you a small fortune in hotel fees or to let a holiday home, however a house swap may be a very cheap alternative.
DRIVING up the narrow lane towards the top of the hill something large and brown caught my eye, was that a grizzly bear I saw stood at the edge of the forest?
A little further on and I saw a sign for the French national field archery championships that were taking place just outside Sarlat in the Dordogne. I breathed a sigh of relief.
HEADING to France for a fresh start is challenging enough, but what problems and pitfalls might you face if you are looking to start a business?
Obviously the main obstacles are the language, the bureaucracy and the red tape you will have to wade through.
But for business coach Sandra Du Cros, pictured, there are other areas that people need to be aware of when starting up in France.
AS the summer season comes to an end maybe your thoughts are already turning to next year and ways to promote your holiday home website.
What is important is to make sure that your site is looking its best before attracting people to it, so now is a good time to take a look around your pages.
If you have a section with prices on make sure they are up to date and tally with the rates you intend to charge next year.
OIL and gas fired central heating, electric radiators and wood burning stoves are common forms of heating in a French home.
But there is a national programme to promote the use of solar energy, which may be an option especially in the south of France.
ONE of the best things about a life in France is the range of fresh produce on offer.
But being faced with an array of strange names and descriptions for everything from fish to lettuce can be a real challenge.
AS the church clock struck four in the afternoon the market opened for the sale of the day’s cèpe mushrooms.
The large, bun-like cèpes were all neatly stacked in wooden crates with official tickets detailing their weight and the sellers attentively stood by.
QUESTIONS about housing and property are sure to be zipping around your mind when you are thinking of moving to France.
A useful website that can provide help is run by the L’Agence Nationale pour l’Information sur le Logement (ANIL).