Living And Viewing Property in France in Autumn
Autumn In France
When I owned a French property I used to long for autumn days. Living in the south of France meant that summers were long and hot and sometimes overcrowded with tourists.
By October and November I remember the sun still shone, the skies were still blue but there was a crispness in the air that felt welcome after the long, drowsy days of summer. Even when I lived in central France, in Limousin, the summers always seemed so much longer than I had been used to in the U.K. and probably the Limousin autumns were ever more exciting as the evenings would sometimes be cold enough to need to light a log fire.
My memories of autumn in France consist of foraging for mushrooms, gathering chestnuts, collecting kindling from the woods, brilliant orange, yellow and golden brown trees, blue skies and lots of sunshine. It was also a time when us locals had more time to spend together as those who were dependant on tourism finally had a break, so autumn was a time to spend sitting in the sun in market squares with a coffee or two chewing over the events of summer, visiting neighbors for aperitifs and sitting by log fires, sharing meals of seasonal produce with friends. I just have to write about autumns in France to smell the wood smoke and to feel the sensation of tingling toes and fingers after a morning spent outside collecting food for supper.
A Good Time To Look For French Property
Most people seem to want to view properties for sale in France in the summer months. Ideally I would always choose the autumn. One reason for this preference is that any good French estate agents are rushed off their feet in the summer allowing them little time to spend getting to know each client and to find out exactly what they are looking for. Secondly, the owners of properties for sale are not so open to discuss offers for their houses while there are still plenty of clients coming to view. However, as winter approaches owners realise that a low offer may be preferable to waiting until the spring before the buyers start property hunting again. Finally, seeing a house when the garden is in full bloom, the sun is shining and the owners are drinking aperitifs on the lawn means that you are seeing everything in its very best light. How much more sensible to look, not only at the property, but also at the surrounding area when life has settled down to normal; the holidaymakers have left and it may even be a grey, miserable day (although these remain rare in autumn and you may need to wait until December and January to see houses and their surroundings at their most challenging).
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How To View French Properties For Sale
It is important to have a good idea of where you want to buy before you start to look at French properties on the internet. Make sure that your chosen area has access arrangements that suit you, has the right climate, the right kind of French lifestyle and that suitable French properties are for sale in your price range.
Once you have fixed on an area then it is time to find a few properties that look as though they may suit your requirements. You can talk to the agents advertising them to find out more about them if you need to and once you feel that there may be a few properties worth viewing then it’s time to make the arrangements to go to France.
A good agent will be able to discuss your chosen properties with you and to tell you if they have others that they think might be of interest and then between you you can work out how long you need to spend with that particular agent to view his or her properties. Hopefully you will work with a company or agency which may be able to introduce you to other nearby agents who have similar properties so that you can make several viewing appointments while you are visiting the area. However, do allow time in your schedule for revisits to any possible properties and leave enough time to make sure the local area is where you want to buy your French home. Finally, make sure that you give useful feedback to the agent showing you the properties, working with your feedback will help them to find the right house for you.
Quick links
- Why is Limousin property so cheap
- Bargain French property
- Buying a property in France for less than 100K
- Buying property in France is affordable
- Properties in Limousin for sale
- Properties in Deux Sevres for sale
- Properties in Charente for sale
- Properties in Dordogne for sale
- Properties in Midi Pyrenees for sale
- Properties in Languedoc Roussilon for sale
