Location is one of the most important factors in a property purchase. And France certainly has that in its favour. It is just a few hours from Britain – 22 miles across the Channel – making it easy to visit if you choose it as your permanent base or regular holiday destination. It is also the most popular foreign destination for Britons, with almost 8 million of us visiting each year.
This fondness for France and its culture, food and pace of life is reflected in the number of us who aspire to owing a home there.
Language is another factor in its favour – not only is it the most popular second language taught in Britain but English is also their second language, making communication less of a problem than in many other European countries.
And then, of course, there is price. The difference between prices here and there makes France a very temping location to buy a property. The prospect of buying an unmodernised old farmhouse for just £15,000 has lured many Brits to buy up and then re-develop homes in France. However, the most desirable areas on the south coast are among the most expensive places to live in Europe.
Lifestyle is the other major attraction – good food, great wine, the relaxed pace of life and a more favourable climate conjure up a cafe society, sipping pastis in the village square, watching the old men of the village playing boules and soaking up the sun by the Med as the yachts sail past.
Most of us are familiar with France as we probably have visited at least once – even if only on a day trip by ferry. But we dont really know the true France. It is a very industrial country – not the rural farming nation that we like to think it is.
France is a far larger country than Britain – double the size – which means that many of the cheaper homes are very remote. France is not as densely populated a Britain with a slightly smaller population of 56 million living in a country of 210,000 square miles. That is why some rural areas have very low property prices. The French themselves do not want to live in a far-flung village with no shops, no jobs and no transport. Homes in the more desirable areas – such as the Riviera – where the French themselves want to buy holiday homes are much more expensive.
The sheer size of France also means that you must not look at it as one country but a series of very different regions where the type and the cost of property varies widely and where customs and traditions and even the language often bear no relation to other regions.
There are 95 mainland ‘departments’ similar to our countries and these in turn make up its 22 regions. In addition France is divided into 20 or so historical provinces – these are the ones we are more familiar with as tourists and include Normandy, Brittany, province and Gascony.
France may only be 22 miles away across the Channel but in many respects it is a world apart. So before getting carried away at the prospects of buying far more for your money in France, remember the extra costs – add at least 10%-15% to the purchase price, the extra hassle and the often poor resale market which can mean that homes in France are not a good investment.
In addition, the cost of living in France – particularly in tourist areas – is not always as cheap as it may seem. So you may have to allow for a much larger income than you may have previously thought. Generally you will need a minimum income of £12,000 (excluding mortgages and/or rents) to live full-time in France but this will not allow you to live the good life.