Why Buy A French Holiday Home
French Holiday Home
Many people dream of buying a French holiday home, which is not surprising as France is the second most popular European holiday destination amongst Brits. Lots of people from the U.K. choose to spend their holidays in France year after year and plan one day to buy a holiday home in France. Why not make this year the one when your dream comes true?
Owning your own holiday home is such a different experience from renting other people’s homes for your holidays. There is something so special and so relaxing about feeling part of the community when you arrive, so easy not having to pack for your holiday and so simple to arrange travel to somewhere you know how to get to! No nasty surprises when you arrive (except perhaps the amount the grass has grown in your absence), no need to find out how things work and where all the local amenities are. As soon as you arrive you are home from home and ready to relax and enjoy. If you are feeling tempted by the idea of your own holiday home in France then this is the time of year to take action. If you find the house you want by Easter you should be able to spend your summer holidays in your own French home.
Where To Buy A French Holiday Home
Many people who contemplate buying a holiday home in France know exactly where they want it to be. Usually this will be somewhere that already holds memories of wonderful holidays and a place that has been returned to many times. For some people it may be a more difficult decision especially if you have spent holidays in many different parts of France. After all, it’s hard not to fall in love with whichever part of France you are currently in! Being such a huge country, with a diversity of landscape, climate, lifestyle and property prices it not surprising that the choice of where to buy a French holiday home may be difficult and confusing.
I think the most important factors to take into account when choosing where to buy are the lifestyle you want to enjoy by owning a holiday home in France and the ease of getting from your U.K. home to your French property. It may be that you want easy access to the coast, or you may be happy being close to a leisure lake, a river or a canal. You may want mountains or may prefer gentle rolling hills. You may want to enjoy a sophisticated French lifestyle or you may prefer a traditional, rural lifestyle. There is plenty of information on the Healey Fox website about the different regions of France and what they offer and about flights from U.K. airports to those in France but if, after researching you are still unsure quite which part of France will suit your needs then please call us on +44 (0)1306 775 008. The team at Healey Fox have more than 30 years experience of France and its properties and we are always happy to have an informal chat with you to share our knowledge of France.
- We have 30 years experience of the French Property Market
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How To Finance A French Holiday Home
All advertised prices of properties for sale in France must, by law, include the agency fee. This means that the only additional costs involved in buying a French holiday home are the Notaire’s fees which range from 7%-10% of the purchase price (the higher percentage being charged in the cheaper property). Healey Fox make no charge for our service as we share the fee that our partner French agents charge.
Anyone looking to raise finance for the purchase of a French holiday home would be wise to consider taking out a French mortgage. There is no need to be daunted by the thought of coping with the process in a foreign language; at Healey Fox we work in partnership with BNP who have a dedicated mortgage department for non-French residents.
The advantages of a French mortgage are that it leaves your U.K. property free of debt, interest rates are low and it offers protection during the purchase process. At the start of buying your chosen holiday home you will need to pay 10% deposit. If you apply for a mortgage against your U.K. property and should it be refused you will not be able to withdraw from the purchase of the French holiday home and get your deposit refunded; only the refusal of a French mortgage will entitle you to a refund of the deposit.
