Popular Locations To Buy A Property In France
5 Most Popular Places To Buy A French Property
Once people have decided to buy a house in France the next major decision is …where to buy a French property? Usually when searching for a house in the U.K. we are restricted by the need for access to our employment and to our families and friends but buying a French property is completely different. We tend to have the whole country on offer, unless we have already fallen in love with somewhere special on a holiday. So, for those of us with no fixed location in mind there are two ways of starting the search for property for sale in France. Firstly we can identify what we would like from the place we will be calling home (either permanently or for holidays) and then it can be a good idea to look at which are the most popular areas with other U.K. buyers. So at Healey Fox we have looked at the most popular destinations chosen by our buyers over the last 12 months and thought we would share that information with people who are looking for property for sale In France.
Charente in France
This department of Poitou-Charentes has been popular with buyers from the U.K. for a long time. People often choose it because of its situation within France, being half way down it benefits from a better climate than the U.K. but still can be readily accessed by car. People who buy houses in Charente love the fields of sunflowers, the huge open skies and the plethora of leisure lakes. Depending on which part of the department in which the property is situated a house in Charente can also offer an easy journey to the Atlantic coast for days out. The price of property in Charente is also another big attraction with lovely village houses, country cottages and farmhouses for sale from €100,000 and even less. The areas around Chef Boutonne and Sauzé Vaussais are amongst the most popular with our buyers, maybe because they are equidistant from Limoges and Poitiers airports and close enough to the coast at La Rochelle to enjoy happy days on the beach.
Dordogne in France
Property for sale in Dordogne has long attracted U.K. buyers, so much so that it has sometimes been called Dordognshire to indicate the amount of British people with homes there. For many people looking for property for sale in France knowing that there will be other English speaking people in the area is an asset. It is not only the presence of other expats that appeals to those who buy in Dordogne, the reasons the original expat settlers were attracted to the area still remain. It has beautiful countryside, lovely medieval market towns and warm, sunny climate. The area around Eymet has been most often chosen by our buyers, not necessarily in Eymet itself but in one of the charming villages around, all of which have easy access to Bergerac airport. Property prices are not quite as much of a bargain as in Charente but there is a good selection of really attractive houses for sale from €200,000.
Aude in France
Healey Fox buyers looking for French property for sale in the sun head to Aude in Languedoc Roussillon to find a bargain. This is one of the best value areas of the south of France in which to buy. The scenery is dramatic, with an abundance of Cathares castles to enjoy. It’s also easy to get to the beaches of the Mediterranean and to the mountains of the Pyrénées. Many of our buyers have chosen to buy homes with easy access to Limoux, renowned for its incredible winter festival. It is a charming, bustling town with all facilities and the villages around have a good selection of inexpensive houses for sale. If you are heading to the sun of the South of France in Aude you can expect to pay anything from €150,000 for a pretty village house.
Ariège in France
A lesser known department in which to look for French property for sale is Ariège. It adjoins Aude and is suitable for those more interested in the mountains than the sea. Many of the properties for sale in Ariège are less than 20 minutes from ski slopes and, of course, from the lovely mountain walking trails. This is a new area for Healey Fox to offer so it is included here, not because many of our clients have bought there yet but because it is beginning to tempt people and those of our clients who have viewed properties seem to buy! There is a selection of property for sale starting from €100,000 and we would suggest looking in Ariège for anyone wanting to discover an area a little less known than many of the currently popular parts of France.
Pyrénées-Orientales France
This is the area that is popular mainly with British buyers looking for a holiday home in the sun. It has even easier access to sea and mountains than Aude with locals boasting that they can ski in the morning and swim in the afternoon. You could even finish the day with aperitifs in Spain! There is a good selection of small apartments close to the sea on the market from €125,000. For those looking for a larger home then the inland properties are truly delightful and there are many of these lovely homes on the market from €200,000. Access from the U.K. is easy with Perpignan airport as a destination for many flights from the U.K.
Please call us on 01306 775 008 for information on where or how to buy in France. At Healey Fox always like to share our experience and knowledge with people embarking on the excitement of buying a property in France.
