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Properties
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One of the advantages of France is the enormous variety of properties
available. To begin with there is a huge variety of types of houses, from villas
in the south to ski chalets in the mountains, from granite farmhouses to stately
homes and Château. We offer all of these (see the search options on our home
page by clicking on Properties in France).
In addition to the house itself, there are a number of other important
elements to the property. These include:
- Swimming Pool. Unless you are living in one of the cooler regions
of France, a swimming pool can be a major advantage. It is not only the
south with has long and hot summers; one can have these in the north of
France as well. Consequently, in much of France this is an important
addition to any property, offering not only fun and exercise, but also
relief when the temperatures soar. It can also be an advantage if you decide
to sell your property sometime in the future.
- Outbuildings. Many properties, especially in the country, come
with outbuildings. Depending on the nature of the outbuilding (and subject
to planning permission), these can be used for a variety of purposes. For
example, they can be converted to gites (providing an additional source of
revenue) or they can be used for horse stables, a workshop, garage, storage
and so on. Should you desire any of these facilities, the presence of an
outbuilding provides not only an initial starting point, but also one may
consider that obtaining permission to convert an existing outbuilding may be
easier than obtaining permission to build a brand new building if an
existing outbuilding does not already exist.
- Land. France has more land per person than most other European
countries (especially when compared to England). As a result, land prices
(except for premium wine estates and similar high-demand items) are
relatively low and one can typically buy an acre for about a thousand
pounds. If your property does not come with as much land as you would like,
it is worth checking if any of the neighbors are willing to sell. If your
property borders on a farm, private forest or other area it may well be
possible to pick up the odd acre and thereby expand your property to the
size that you would like. If this possibility is important to you, when
offering to buy a house you may want to make an offer which is conditional
on buying neighboring property. This has the advantage that if you cannot
get the additional land your require, you are not committed to buying the
house. In addition, it will encourage the potential house seller to have a
talk with his neighbor and try to sort out the land requirement for you
(such things are often most easily sorted out between locals). Finally, if
you buy the additional land with the house you will likely be able to
negotiate a fair price for the land but if you buy the house first then you
are in a weak bargaining position when trying to buy additional land.
- Garden. Depending on one's personal preferences, you may want a
large or a small garden, ornamental trees and shrubs, fruit trees (or even a
mixed orchard), vegetable plots and so on. As long as there is sufficient
land, you can develop any of these given work and some money. The main
exception of course is fruit trees and other mature trees; if these are not
already there it will take some years for them to establish and grow.
- Extensions. It is common to buy a property with the idea of
renovating or extending it. Internal (non-structural) renovations are
normally not an issue. However, you will likely need planning approvals for
external changes or extensions and may need them for internal structural
changes. Before committing to buying a property, you should check with the
local authorities that your plans are not subject to approval issues. If you
are rushed to make an offer on the property and consequently do not have
time to check this, it is common practice to include this as a condition of
the contract. This gives you time (until the final sale) to check things out
and if it turns out that there is an issue, you can use the contract
condition to get out of buying the property without losing your deposit.
- Community and Facilities. When searching for a new home, it is
important to look not only at the available properties in France, but also
at the nearby community and facilities. These include good schools (if you
have children), nearby shops, entertainment and so on. It also includes
sports and leisure facilities (e.g. beaches, water sport facilities, ski
slopes, camping and hiking routes).
- Local Plans. Where every you buy, there is the possibility that
future constructions (e.g. shops, roads, new rail links, waste disposal
facilities) may increase or decrease the value of your property. It is worth
talking to the local planning authority to see if there are any plans that
may affect you or your property.
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