There has been a great deal of volatility in the currency markets in the last couple of weeks. The situation is changing by the hour and if you’re looking to send funds back to France or elsewhere in the world,…
Dear FrenchEntrée Clients, Members and Readers, In these unprecedented times, with Coronavirus impacting on all of our personal and professional lives, we hope that you and your loved ones are healthy and safe. We also wanted to let you know…
Wondering about how solicitors draft up wills without leaving the comfort of their home? This video from Stone King should answer your questions!
Finding a qualified chartered surveyor in France doesn’t have to be a wild goose chase says John Snell Q. How do I find a good surveyor in France? A. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has a global presence and…
In the heart of Burgundy’s wine country, this sun-dappled département boasts some of the most achingly pretty towns and villages in the region – all knitted together by gorgeous vineyards, says Dominic Bliss They are some of the greatest names…
The dollar was by far the week’s strongest performer, rising an average of 4.8% against the other major currencies To a great extent the rush for the dollar is a reflection of the huge uncertainty posed by the pandemic. Despite…
The euro started the week relatively well as investors considered it might be a safe haven, but retreated as the days passed. EU finance ministers pledged to take action, but the meeting did not yield any concrete steps and the…
The FrenchEntrée Property Team answers your questions Q. I am looking at properties in Paris and my agent is recommending I sign a ‘Search Mandate’. What is this, and what are the pros/cons of such an arrangement? A. In some markets,…
In these uncertain times it can be difficult to separate the facts from the fake news. We’re on hand to answer your questions about how coronavirus affects France, and your plans. I own a holiday home in France and pay…
Brexit seemed to come and go without much ceremony or change, but what is going to happen to the value of the pound over the next 11 months? We asked Adam Jordan, a senior currency broker at moneycorp, what the…
Charlotte Macdonald is an associate solicitor in Stone King’s international and cross border team. Over a new 12-part series of articles Charlotte answers legal and practical questions that are often asked by her clients in relation to France; whether that…
If you’re considering selling your holiday property or French home, you probably have a lot of questions. In this guide we’re going to take a quick look at some of the most common queries and provide some links to more…
Fibreglass pools fall into the bracket of “one piece pools” and, more commonly in France, “monobloc”. That is to say they arrive at your property all in one piece! Fibreglass pools are a great option for a property in France. They…
After one of the mildest Januaries on record you might be considering opening your swimming pool early this year. How can you make sure your pool is ready for a brisk spring dip? Please note this guide pertains to chlorinated…
Armed with fabulous antiques, and tenacity, Rosemary and Richard Conquest turned a dilapidated 15th-century manor into a wedding venue fit for royalty. Greg Cook has a nose around. You know you’ve created something special when visitors to your new home…
Charlotte Macdonald is an associate solicitor in Stone King’s international and cross border team. Over a new 12-part series of articles Charlotte answers legal and practical questions that are often asked by her clients in relation to France; whether that…
Are you worried about rising energy costs and the long-term effects of powering your home with climate-harming fossil fuels? Energy companies are constantly hiking their prices while the climate emergency is dominating headlines around the world. Conversely, the French government…
When the Chapmans stayed at their favourite Dordogne guesthouse on a house-hunting foray and fortuitously found it was for sale, they snapped up the pretty manor, says Nicola Venning. When Christopher and Sarah Chapman visited the Dordogne in 1990, their…
Ready to (re)build your dream home from the ground up? From planning permission to septic tanks, Stephen Davies gets down to brass tacks Q. We’ve been told we need to apply for a Certificat d’Urbanisme in order to get planning…
First lured to Gironde by friends, Brooklyn-based journalist Yolanda Edwards was seduced by Saint-Yzans-de-Médoc’s moreish fare, wine and relaxed pace of life… Why did you choose Saint-Yzans-de-Médoc? We live permanently in Brooklyn, New York, but our second home is in…
Whether you’ve been letting your property for a long time or are just starting out, it’s important to do all you can to make your property pay. Here are our top tips for making money from renting your second home…
Good news – capital gains tax (CGT) will not be affected by Brexit CGT does not apply to your principal residence but to second homes. Formerly, EU nationals with property in France paid 19% on gains from renting or selling…
Laura Habgood shares handy tips to maximise rental income in both high and low season Laura Habgood of Holiday France Direct specialises in summer lets. She advises landlords on the best way to manage their properties and how to advertise…
Restoring a derelict paper mill in Dordogne would terrify many; yet the Randalls have not only tamed this property, they’ve transformed it into a stunning luxury residence. Greg Cook gets the grand tour… It’s becoming an established fact that the…
Leaving the EU will not stop British people buying homes in France – either for a permanent move to France or for holidays. Plenty of non-EU citizens – Aussies and Americans, for example – own property in France During the…
Mar Bonnin-Palmer makes sure you don’t get caught out by post-Brexit swings in the currency market How come using a currency specialist costs less than a bank? Exchanging funds is a currency specialist’s primary activity; while a High Street bank…
A snip at just over €250,000, this six-bedroom maison de maître in Haute-Vienne has buckets of charm – and then some… Stylish wainscoting, check. Warm, muted tones, check. Marble flooring, check. Recently restored to its former glory, this maison de…
Ready to make the move? The FrenchEntrée Property Services team reveal their top search areas – on and off the beaten track… AUVILLAR Tarn-et-Garonne Once upon a time, Auvillar, perched high on its rocky outcrop, was one of the key…
Gloriously rural, but dotted with charming fortified villages, stone houses and sleepy towns, the Tarn is a little pocket of France from the past, says Dominic Bliss There’s a hilltop village in the Tarn called Cordes-sur-Ciel. It’s said to…
Perhaps you dream of owning a place on the Med, where you can sit and watch the sun go down, sipping a glass of wine as you look out over your very own expanse of aquamarine heaven. Maybe you hanker…
Elizabeth and Jonathan Adey left the Cotswolds to set up a gîte in a medieval granary in the Tarn. They share the joys – and pitfalls – of finding the perfect property with Sylvia Edwards Davis Meet the Movers NAME:…
Pyrénées-Orientales, Occitanie Thuir is many things: a proud part of Catalan country; home of the famous Caves Byrrh; and an altogether attractive southern town, tinged with the dusty red hues of the sun-kissed Pyrénées-Orientales. For prospective homeowners, it offers up…
January is often a time where we make big plans for the year ahead. We recalibrate after the Christmas break and make our New Year’s Resolutions. If one of your wishes for 2020 was to buy a French property with…
MGM, the leading alpine property developer, had a brilliant year. Not only did they launch numerous new developments, but they tripled their year-on-year UK sales figures, with Brits snapping up apartments in droves. Seven new developments are due to launch…
Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur First things first: Vence is not to be confused with its next-door neighbour Saint-Paul-de-Vence, the better-known of the pair. It’s an easy mistake to make… After all, they’re both medieval hilltop towns, sound similar and sit just…
The FrenchEntrée Property Team answers your questions Q. We’ve made enquiries with several estate agents in Languedoc, but they don’t seem to be very interested in arranging viewings – perhaps because we’re British. What do we need to do to…
Corrèze has a rich medieval past with evidence of these times to be found throughout Correze’s towns and villages.
For those wondering about the chances of getting a mortgage in France after Brexit, you can still get a 20-year fixed rate mortgage at historically low rates, and house prices in France are still affordable. If your dream has been…
Rent caps have been extended to 28 new towns and cities across France. Tougher controls have been rolled out in “zones tendues” (tense zones) or areas affected by severe housing shortages – preventing landlords from imposing unreasonable rent hikes on…
A “deserted” village in Haute-Saône is selling 24 vacant homes, derelict apartments and empty shops for a song in a bid to rejuvenate its fast-dwindling community. Desperate to entice fresh blood to an area where more than 22 per cent…
Yearning for that elusive double-whammy: affordable housing and attractive job prospects? Look no further than Besançon. According to Le Parisien, the capital of the Doubs département has it all (and then some), making it the best city to live and…
Annaliza Davis reveals why this idyllic area of France, which is a just a short hop across the Channel, is such a hit with overseas property buyers and visitors alike…Justly famous for its coast, richly verdant countryside, history and heritage,…
Ready to make the move? The FrenchEntrée Property Services team reveals its top search areas – on and off the beaten track MARCIAC Gers, Midi-Pyrénées Marciac is located in the south of the Gers département, an area encompassed by the…
If you own property in France you should to be aware of the rules around ‘domicile’. Daniel (Dan) Harris, Head of International and Cross-Border at Stone King LLP, explains why.
Gîte businesses Property investors from northern Europe are attracted to this area by the reasonable prices and the wide variety of beautiful properties available. Characterful old farmhouses with plenty of outbuildings can be converted into guesthouses with several separate gîtes,…
Cows outnumber people in the rolling countryside of Limousin, making it the perfect spot for Britons in search of a second property where they can really get away from it all, says Dominic Bliss. The good old farmers of Limousin…
Which of these urban beauties on Paris’s doorstep, both with wonderful green spaces, would you pick? Yvelines For a right royal property hunt, head to Yvelines in the Île-deFrance, west of Hauts-de-Seine. It’s home to some aristocratic hard-hitters – not…
Six years ago, David Reid and Kate Wilde quit the UK for Provence. With a flair for design, they set about creating a wonderfully quirky family home – fun being their top priority, says Nicola Venning “I do love a…
Having bought an abbey in Burgundy on a whim, Tanith and Clive Cummings were met with a petition from angry locals. The couple tell Jeannine Williamson how they battled on Mild curiosity from new neighbours followed by initial exchanges in…
Ready to make the move? The FrenchEntrée Property team reveals its top search areas – on and off the beaten track. SAUZÉ-VAUSSAIS Deux-Sèvres, Nouvelle-Aquitaine You’ll find Sauzé-Vaussais (Sauzé to locals) out west, in Nouvelle-Aquitaine’s lush Deux-Sèvres département. Close to the…
