 |
 12th May 2008
|
French Property Buying GuideWelcome to the FrenchEntrée Property Buying Guide. This zone provides detailed information on how to find and buy a house in France. In these pages you will find articles on on finding French property, house prices, selecting a region of France, the purchase process, the French legal process, the costs plus hints, tips, French property terminology and FAQs. See also our New Build Zone plus our Investment Property Zone. And last but not least search our database of property for sale in France or see the listings from from private vendors. In fact, everything you need to purchase your house in France. Elsewhere in FrenchEntrée... Do you need finance for your property purchase in France? Visit our Mortgage Zone for full details on how and where to get a home loan. Want advice on how the French legal system works? Then visit our Law Zone. Or need information about taxation and tax residency in France? Check out our Tax Zone. For information on insurance, credit cards and opening French bank accounts go to our Finance Zone. And for full deals on the euro and currency exchange visit our comprehensive Currency Zone. If you are looking to do up your property visit our Renovation and Decoration Zone.  
  F A Q Legal ProcessCommon questions about buying French property Find them for me!Click the links to list French Estate Agents French Estate Agents French Property Developers  Sell your French propertyProperty listings for private sellers If you are selling a French property as a private vendor why not advertise it on FrenchEntrée.com - we have thousands of visitors every day and we are the cheapest place to advertise PLUS we guarantee your property advertisement will appear in the all-important Google search engine! Advertise your French property here Need to buy euros?Organising currency to buy your French property Looking for advice or a quote from a euro currency dealer? Enquire here Hot Topics on French property & life in FranceWhat our Topic Hosts have got in store...Tech Corner.jpg){kind=small} Help and advice on PCs, telephones, satellite and the internet in France.Le Gastrozone .jpg){kind=small} Your guide to buying & preparing good French foodDownshifting .jpg){kind=small} Have you really got what it takes to get away from it all?Gite Business  Can you make a living from holiday accommodation?Maison Secondaire  Buying and looking after your holiday home in FranceVegetarians .JPG){kind=small} "Ni poisson, ni viande": tales from the veggie vanguardHealthcare in France  Helping you navigate the French health systemTopics coming soon... Swimming pools Language learning Business start-ups Become a Topic Host Metric converterConfused by ounces, grammes, kilos, hectares etc? Site MapComplete listing of site contents: Site MapClassified DirectoryLooking for property or planning a move to France? Check out the new FrenchEntrée Classified Directory featuring:Builders France and French building suppliers Surveyors France Banks France France currency traders and brokers Insurance France Health Insurance France Broadband and ASDL Internet Connection in France French Languages Courses and Services Law Firms France and Legal Services in France French Mortgage Lenders and French Property Mortgage Brokers Removals to France French Estate Agents Property Developers France Satellite TV France Tax Services France and French Tax Advisors Swimming Pools France International removals Holiday Home Insurance  Get a French property insurance quote Looking for Bed & Breakfast in France? French property rental owners adviceLayMyHat.com is a website with free advice, newsletters and discussion forum for holiday rental owners on how to get more bookings. We recommend it!Holiday cottage Dordogne - Southern CharenteIdeal gite rental for househunters or holidays |
Property Buying Guide - Latest Stories
|
Thanks to our advertisers and sponsors - their support enables this site to remain free for all visitors.
Beautiful & Affordable
 Your own villa in Cote d'Azur, Dordogne or Languedoc-Roussillion with guaranteed rental returns and full property management. Learn more
Apply for your mortgage
 Apply online for your French mortgage today and fast track your quotation. Euros and Sterling mortgages available.
Apply now.
Superb new development in the Languedoc
 An exceptional site located at the heart of the Albere massif, 1km from the sandy beach and golf course of St Cyprien. Le Parc des Oliviers consists of 12 villas furnished to a very high standard with private gardens, and 48 hotel suites. Attractive price for the villas and high yield. More.
Try before you buy!
 Own your own holiday home with siblu exclusif, France's holiday lifestyle specialist and only UK company to own prestigious holiday parcs and sell mobile homes in France
Is your house protected?
 Peace of mind when your French holiday home is left unoccupied or holiday let. Comprehensive French house insurance policies in English. - Get a French house insurance quote
Canvas Holiday Homes
 offers luxury mobile homes sited on parks throughout France from as little as £30k – Finance Available.
No inclination for renovation?
 We offer high calibre new developments throughout France. Request your free copy of our current portfolio and find out about the financial advantages of purchasing new.
Renewable Energy and Energy Saving Products
 Underfloor Heating Systems and Renewable Energy Products including Wind and Water Turbines, Solar Thermal, and Solar Photovoltaic systems. More info from Eco-Power.
Your ideal French getaway?
 Beautiful architect-designed homes, an excellent selection of well-located plots, all the advantages of a new-build property and guaranteed rental income if you need it. Find out more.
Dordogne holiday homes from £21,950
 A luxurious and hassle free option when buying in France, your very own holiday home or lodge on our 4 star country parks in the Dordogne. Learn more.
Holiday Complex for sale
 The Lake Vassiviere holiday complex spans over 20 hectares and features 100 chalets, a campsite, numerous buildings and building authorisation which opens up many opportunities for the site. Read more on the Lake Vassiviere Holiday Complex Opportunity.Freehold and leaseback holiday homes
 Traditional Normandy homes available overlooking Omaha Beach golf course. Prices from €148,000. Guaranteed rental returns for leaseback purchasesAvoid unnecessary taxation in France
 Tax planning is essential if you are to avoid paying on to Caesar more than is due to him. Blevins Franks mini-site Explains moreSave a fortune on Euros
 If you need advice or a Euro currency exchange quote, make a no obligation enquiry to Moneycorp, FrenchEntrée's Currency Partner. Books on Buying French Property Are you moving to France and needing more information on buying your French property? The FrenchEntrée bookshop features a wide range of books covering the buying process, French law, living in France and the regions of France. Visit the FrenchEntrée Bookshop to make your purchase. |
Finding the perfect place can be a daunting task - read our 
Read our 
The first quarterly report from the French federation of estate agents FNAIM suggests that the housing market may be in for a smooth landing rather than an abrupt fall. Michael Streeter analyses the figures.
As in other countries, people selling a house in France have certain obligations and duties. Here Laurent Juillet of The International Law Partnership examines the selling process in detail
With the cost of energy rising, it’s more important than ever to find the most effecting ways of heating and providing energy for your house. Marc Asker of EcoPower considers the options and gives some practical advice
Hunting for houses in France can be as exciting and daunting as anywhere else. Here the FrenchEntrée team offers practical advice about how to decide what to buy and where
Further evidence that the French property market has slowed down and that prices may already be falling have come in the form of two new studies, one from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the other from French estate agents
The trend towards promoting Alpine properties as all-year round holiday homes is growing. An example are developers MGM, who have just launched a new mountain and lake leaseback complex
If you’re looking to sell your house in France, what’s the best way of going about this? Michael Streeter looks at some of the reasons why people sell their French home and considers some practical selling tips
The French Alps have seen plenty of snow this year, but as Wendy Bull of property search company Wendy’s Houses explains, there is much more to them than snow and ice. Here she gives some advice on house hunting in the mountains
Retired IT consultant Robert Taylor and his partner Kate are building their own environmentally-friendly home in the south of France. Here Robert describes how and why they are doing it
The housing market in France has become used to buyers from around the world. After news that the Longhai International Trading Company has bought a château, Michael Streeter wonders if the Chinese are next in line
We asked FrenchEntrée regular readers to share the benefit of their property purchasing experiences with others looking to buy in France. Here is a selection of what they had to say…
FrenchEntrée’s survey of people buying property and living in France has shown that the most popular type of purchase is a house that has already been done up by someone else
A group representing French property owners has claimed that the taxe foncière has risen by nearly 40 per cent in just five years and has attacked government plans to help tenants rather than homeowners and landlords
In its end of year assessment of house prices in 2007 and its prediction of trends for 2008 the FNAIM estate agency organisation has struck a cautious note, but downplays the likelihood of a major fall in house values
Rising sea levels, hotter summers, milder winters and more extreme weather – all these are forecast to be the result of global warming. Michael Streeter wonders how much attention we should pay to them when house hunting in France
What do the next 12 months hold in store for the housing market in France? In our definitive annual survey, FrenchEntrée asked experts for their views on the housing situation in 2007 and the prospects for 2008
It’s easy to be ruled by our heart rather than our head when buying a property in France. Here’s a checklist of practical factors that need to be considered before you commit to buy…
With the cost of energy – and especially fuel – rising and with many people concerned about doing their bit for the environment, we asked Lee Coleman, the distributor in France for renewable energy company Navitron, what the options are for cutting heating and electricity bills
Moving to France can sound idyllic and for many people it is. But sometimes things can go horribly wrong. Read Sara Bowles’ extraordinary, moving and ultimately uplifting story of her family’s move to a new life in France
Looking for your dream home in France requires some hardheaded thinking and planning. Dew Driessen of house hunters French Lifestyle Consultants provides some useful tips
Buying a home by the sea is a dream many of us have, but you need to be sure about the legal situation, especially if your house is right on the sea front. Here lawyer and tax adviser David Anderson of Sykes Anderson explains the law
.jpg)
A survey has highlighted the hot and not so hot spots in the French housing market. And as Michael Streeter reports, the study argues that though price increases may be slowing, there are signs that property in France will continue to rise in value in the coming years
France’s sometimes complex planning regulations on building new homes or renovating existing ones have been simplified by changes that came into effect on 1 October 2007. Lawyer Laurence Daurignac of the International Law Partnership explains what they mean 
According to a survey nationals from Ireland and Britain are key players in the six billion euro market for overseas buyers of French property – though they tend to favour cheaper houses than other foreign buyers
A British couple thought they had found their ideal home in France in which to retire. The house and location seemed ideal. But just two days before they were due to complete the deal the pair found some worrying problems no one had warned them about…
The asking price of a house is one thing. But what about all the other costs involved in purchasing a property in France and living there? Property finder Louise Davies provides a summary
The attractions of a particular region and the price of a property are the two main factors that influence overseas residents when buying a house in France, according to a survey of FrenchEntrée readers
As more and more people consider investing in the French property market Michael Streeter examines the trend - and looks at the key questions for investors to consider planning to buy 
The supply of energy to households in France has now been liberalised, though the restrictions on it means few French residents are likely to swap suppliers. But if they do, the new rules could spell headaches for some homeowners….jpg)
If you’re letting your property out in France you might want to consider longer-term lets, especially over winter. Ross Husband of RentaplaceinFrance.com offers his advice on how to make the most of your letting potential
A survey carried out by Bank of Scotland International has showing that France remains the most popular choice for Britons wanting to move abroad. Meanwhile, just under half of all Britons are interested in either living in another country or buying property overseas.
Look before you leap…….Ross Husband argues that even if you’ve already made the decision to buy in France, you should consider renting a place first to see if life there is really for you
Nicolas Sarkozy has plenty of urgent issues to deal with as the President of France. But will his election as the new head of state have any impact on the French housing market? Michael Streeter examines what difference, if any, the new man at the top will make to overseas buyers
How do you find your French house? Why did you choose it? And what lessons have you learnt? Each month FrenchEntrée asks a homeowner to explain their choice of property in France. This month we talk to…….Graeme and Graziella Swan
Research by foreign currency experts Moneycorp suggests that unforeseen expenses faced by Britons buying a place in the sun – including France – may be as much as £19,000
The Conservative Party has proposed a new form of taxation that would see people who fly often being hit by even higher costs. Michael Streeter examines the reaction to a controversial policy that could have an impact on Britons buying homes in France
More and more Britons who are looking to buy property in France are being tempted by new developments. Property finder Emily Southcombe of Tricolore Property Search weighs up the pros and cons of buying off plan
A study from foreign currency specialists Moneycorp has found that France remains one of the most popular locations for Britons buying abroad, after Spain. A growing trend is for people to live in France but work it the UK, the survey found
Richard Colledge and his wife Pam have lived in France for 14 years. Richard used his experience of retail in France and the UK to open Petticoat Lane, a shop selling British groceries in the small town of Chabanais in the Charente. Here he gives us a run-down of a week in their working life
Ellie Jones and her husband Nick moved to the Auvergne in the heart of France in search of a new life – and a place where they could keep horses. Here Ellie describes their first winter in this striking but sometimes chilly part of the country…
FrenchEntrée reader David Darling and his wife Shirley have decided to have their own home built in the Charente in south west France. Here David describes how they have found the process so far – and what made them go down the self-build route
Cathy Davis and her husband Philip decided to buy a house in France they had found on the internet, even though she had not yet visited it. Here Cathy describes what she thought when she finally got to see the place she hoped would be her perfect home
Looking to build a new house in France? Or extend an existing property you have bought? Here lawyers Jérôme Frances-Lagarrigue and Julia Jones examine how French planning law works and consider what you need to know before you get started – and what to do if planning permission is refused .jpg)
British surveyor Brian Hersee rejects the common assertion that the French do not have house surveys and argues that it makes even more sense to get one carried out when you are buying property in a foreign country 
Before you can start looking for your place in France, be it a holiday home or a permanent residence, it’s important to narrow down your search to a particular region, or selection of regions. France is a big place, after all...
Recent variations in the weather have prompted people to wonder whether the country is already showing the effects of global warming
Buying property in France is usually a straightforward process but that does stop the unwary from making mistakes. Here estate agent John Wright of St Jean Properties in Normandy gives his advice on what to do – and what to avoid - when buying a house in France
Peter Magee sold his French farmhouse privately. Here he offers some practical, commonsense advice to people selling their French property with or without an estate agent...
Once you have agreed to buy a house in France, and signed the compromis de vente, you are committed to buy, or forfeit 10% of the price. In many cases the sale will be subject to certain conditions, the most common...
Whether you buy direct through a notaire or you go to an agence immobilier a notaire still has to oversee the legal aspects of the sale. The big difference between the British and French systems is that rather than buyer and seller using their own solicitors, the French notaire acts for the state....
From 1 November 2006 anyone selling a house in France has to get it surveyed and then graded by an expert for its energy efficiency. This new survey, which can cost up to €250, also tells prospective buyers how much carbon dioxide gas is produced when heating the home
Over 7000 properties