Why The British are Buying French Property
Brits Are Buying French Properties Thanks To The Way Of Life And The Climate
When it comes to buying a home abroad, France has for many years attracted the second largest number of British buyers, being supplanted only by Spain. French property for sale has always attracted a certain section of the British public, not those looking for beachlife, hot sun and bars open all night. It is the joy of nature, local markets, French patisseries and beautiful French properties that makes people want to buy a property in France. According to a survey published recently by BNP Paribas the two most quoted reasons that Brits are buying French properties is because of the way of life and the climate. The survey also notes that Brexit has had a very limited impact on the number of buyers and that 23% of people looking for French property for sale actually accelerated their buying plans following the U.K. decision to leave the the EU.
Living The French Way Of Life
What is it about the lifestyle in France that makes buying French properties so interesting to the Brits? If we look at the largest two groups of people who tend to search for French property for sale it throws some light on the question. Generally buyers are young families or retirees. Both these groups are drawn to a way of life which focuses on the importance of family and on a simpler, less consumer focussed lifestyle than we currently experience in Britain. For young families the inexpensive nature of French properties means that they can often sell in the U.K. with no need to raise a mortgage when buying in France it allows them to focus less on earning money and giving more time to enjoy life as a family. Retirees are also drawn to buying French properties by the value for money which they offer which allows them to invest some of the funds from the sale of their U.K. property for future income. But it is not only about the money. Much of France has been described as the ‘land where time stood still’ and for many older people, even though they are in a different country, there is more they feel familiar with than in the U.K. at times. Obviously, most of what I have described relates to rural France but it is to the rural parts of France that U.K. buyers are heading looking for French property for sale.
Climate Is One Factor That Brings British Buyers To France
The French climate is a further attraction to buyers looking for a home away from Britain. The majority of U.K. buyers head for South West France when buying French properties. Here the climate offers early springs, long warm summers, beautifully extended autumns and short, sharp winters. It is a climate well suited to the average Brit being neither too hot nor too cold but bathing in days of wall to wall sunshine for much of the year.
Chasing a dream?
Finally, the question has to be….do most people find what they are searching for when buying French properties? In my 30 years of experience I would say that they do. There is certainly an element of life appearing to be better in France than in the U.K. simply because it is not your culture, nor do you totally understand everything so one can live a little like an ostrich with head buried in the sand! However, nearly all the people I have ever helped to buy French properties have reported their joy at the friendliness of their neighbours, their love of the simpler lifestyle and their enjoyment of the challenge of getting to grips with something new and different.
A beautiful house, at half the U.K. price and living in a stress free sunny environment, this is why the British are buying French property.
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