Usually we focus on how to be eligible and obtain a mortgage in France to buy the property of your dreams. This week we flip this on its’ head, and explore how to NOT be eligible for a French mortgage.…
Alistair Lockhart, FrenchEntrée’s Property Director, shares some thoughts on how French Property buyers can make their lives – and their relationship with their estate agents – easier: I first got involved with French property in 2004, when my wife and…
No matter if there’s rain, shine, you’re indoors or out, owning holiday homes is easy and still very possible. Whether it’s the picturesque South of France, rolling hills of Tuscany, sunny Mallorca, snow capped Chamonix or quintessentially English countryside of…
Forget ‘to the manor born’ – live your best life in South West France by owning one of these wonderful manor houses! Gironde €659,600 Dating from 1884, this Manor House is situated in a peaceful environment with views of 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…
This is probably the most asked question about the French property market. Typically my response would be, “Oh, you know, pretty steady…”. The French property market is historically very stable. Dare I say, even unexciting. In 2020 though, when all…
In this week’s Mortgage Update we’re going to look back on some of the genuine questions asked by FrenchEntrée readers and prospective property buyers, and share the answers from our team. Q: “My wife and I are both over 70…
Given the current economic uncertainty it will come as no surprise to our readers to learn that enquiries for new French mortgages on purchases have increased over the last few weeks. Enquiries for remortgaging and equity release have remained steady.…
You wouldn’t go and dine in a restaurant if you didn’t think you had enough money in your bank account to pay the bill. You probably wouldn’t buy a car from a dealer without knowing if your credit card might…
Here at FrenchEntrée we try to make our property articles as practical as possible, to save you time, effort and money. This week we asked our amazing (and very busy!) FrenchEntrée network of partners a simple question… “If you could…
Securing a mortgage in France doesn’t have to be difficult and can be more cost-effective than paying for your property in cash FrenchEntrée Property Director Alistair Lockhart advises prospective buyers on the best way to secure a mortgage and get…
This week we take a look at some of the most commonly-asked questions from international buyers looking to take out a mortgage in France. These are genuine questions posed by our readers over the last few weeks. If you have…
We are fortunate to work with a network of highly experienced, licensed estate agents across the most popular areas of France. This week, as some countries ease out of lockdown and others face a potential second wave, we examine what…
If you are just setting out on your journey to buy a property in France – maybe a holiday home or perhaps you plan on emigrating – here are 12 of the most important things you should be aware of:…
This week we take a look at the French Property Market as we approach the end of August 2020, as well as offering some top tips for prospective buyers on how to build a good relationship with an estate agent…
In the current economic climate, many French property owners are keen to maximise the equity they have tied up in their homes, or are looking to restructure expensive loans from 10 years ago. A typical scenario we might see is…
If you haven’t already heard, mortgage rates have never been lower. This means that borrowers may be able to restructure their mortgage costs by moving to a more competitive deal. Remortgaging your French home may not have occurred to you…
FrenchEntrée Property Tips Webinars – Buying in France before Brexit. Dreaming of owning a property in France, but unsure on what you need to know pre Brexit? Following on from the success of the first webinar (which is now available…
This week we hear from FrenchEntrée Partner Sophie Folley, based in the Pyrénées Atlantiques in South West France. Sophie explains how the pandemic and lockdown affected the market and the way they do business, and what the future might hold.…
French banks have, for many years, been happy to extend credit facilities to overseas buyers of French property. As a general rule of thumb these will typically following the same vetting standards and income-to-debt ratio calculations as with a domestic…
Generating an income from a property in France has long been an aspiration of would-be buyers. Some clients are looking to earn just enough from the property to cover some bills, the taxe foncière and a couple of nice bottles…
This week we hear from Andrew Hosker of Blue Sky Immobilier in Nice, a bilingual online agency who have recently joined the FrenchEntrée network. “Blue Sky Immobilier theoretically started 15 years ago when two friends from university were discussing the…
This week we hear from a longstanding partner of FrenchEntrée, Freddy Rueda of Real Estate Languedoc. We’ve been working with Freddy for a number of years now, marketing his fantastic properties in the Languedoc region to our international readers. Freddy’s…
On June 1, a series of measures adopted by law last October will come into force, changing certain rules governing the management of co-propriétés (co-ownerships such as in apartments buildings). Many of the old laws had been in place since…
We’ve spoken to several clients over the last few weeks who are keen to understand more about interest-only mortgages in France. In many countries, including the UK, an interest-only mortgage is a cost-effective way to borrow, and works particularly well…
This week we hear from Susie Hollands, CEO and Founder of the Paris agency Vingt Paris, one of our FrenchEntrée partners. “Here at VINGT Paris, we’ve actually been very busy during the confinement. Indeed, very few vendors have decided to…
Who keeps the money if the sale falls though? When purchasing property in France, two contracts will be signed and upon the signature of the first, the purchaser will pay into a notary’s account a deposit which will either be…
French people are confident not only that they will soon complete their current property buying or selling project, but that house prices in France will drop once lockdown ends. Consortium Immobilier conducted a survey on a panel of 1,219 people…
The CV19 crisis has left thousands of overseas property transactions in standby. Notaires and Estate agents are closed or working only in specific and urgent transactions. You might have found the property of your dreams in France but now you…
To say that 2020 has been a rollercoaster for the our marketplace would be a serious understatement. At the start of the year we witnessed the release of all that pent-up Brexit-related demand from British buyers, along with the usual…
Editor’s note: Since this article was published, the French government has amended some of its rulings. For the latest, see here. The French government introduced various emergency rulings on 25th March 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. One particular ruling,…
Valerie Marsden-Holmes tells Sylvia Edwards Davis how she and husband Richard fell head over heels for an 18th-century Gascon farmhouse with breathtaking views of the Pyrénées. Meet the Movers NAMES: Valerie and Richard Marsden- Holmes BOUGHT IN: 2011 MOVED FROM: Lincolnshire MOVED TO: Gers…
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 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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Our experts reveal their top property search tips to help you find your new home in France…Knowing where you want to buy is very importantFrance is a vast and diverse country and it’s paramount that you do your research to…
New to the French property market? Our comprehensive guide will help you find your bearings… The process of buying property in France is fairly straightforward and well-regulated. Every year, thousands of overseas buyers purchase new homes in the Hexagon without…
