Anyway, I don’t have a great deal of news, seems I’ve been too wrapped up in my own stuff to pay much attention to France [...]]]> It’s been a while since the last post. I’ve been busy with a renovation project and I’ve been on holiday (which I needed after lugging plasterboard, etc up and down ladders!).

Anyway, I don’t have a great deal of news, seems I’ve been too wrapped up in my own stuff to pay much attention to France in general – except the Tour De France, which almost got exciting

One thing I have found that could prove to be very useful to you is a new website which lists all kinds of English speaking businesses: EnglishSpeakingFrance.com.

If you haven’t quite got the hang of speaking French yet, or you’re comfortable having a chat to your neighbours but worried when it come to dealing with builders, banks, insurance etc., then this might be just what you’re looking for.

The site’s pretty new, but I’ve had a word with the owners and they’re adding new listings every day to build it up. They would also like to hear from you if you are having trouble finding a trade or service.

If you have your own business in France you can add a simple listing for free – although you might want to take advantage of an upgrade to give yourself more impact (which is hardly going to break the bank at just a couple of Euros a month).

Businesses of any kind can be listed, including gites and chambre d’hotes – and English or French – the only rule is that you must have at least one person who can speak English. More details here.

It will be interesting to see how it develops. I read somewhere that there are a couple of thousand English speaking businesses in France so they’ve got their work cut out!

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Jeff has allowed me to take some extracts from his book so I thought I would do posts every so often giving you [...]]]> My friend Jeff has written a book about buying a house in France – or a French farmhouse – or whatever. It’s appropriate if you are looking for a French renovation project too.

Jeff has allowed me to take some extracts from his book so I thought I would do posts every so often giving you a rough outline of some of France’s regions. A short, sharp sample if you like, rather than an exhaustive exploration.

If you’re looking at buying a house in France I would recommend you get a copy of The French Property Buyer’s Guide for yourself. Two reasons. First, I promised Jeff I would recommend it well I would, wouldn’t I! But actually it is a good overview of what you can expect, what you should do and what you should watch out for.

It’s only $14.95 and it’s an ebook so you can download it to your computer and be reading it in five minutes. What’s more, Jeff will give you your money back if you don’t find it useful. Can’t say fairer than that! Get your copy here.

Here’s that first extract. If you’re looking at buying a house in France in the north:

The North Coast: Nord Pas De Calais, Picardie, Normandy and Brittany

Not surprisingly, given it’s proximity, this area is very popular with the British. There are many ferry services to and from England and also the channel tunnel with it’s fast rail link. It’s so popular in fact that it’s not unusual to find an English pub, a fish and chip shop or a cricket team.

For some this is ideal and helps cushion the culture shock of a different country. Others perhaps are looking for a more French experience and so may wish to look in other departments.

If you’re looking for little fishing villages hugging a rugged shoreline, there are plenty of them. Nord Pas De Calais borders Belgium and has immaculate beaches and the famous resort of Le Touquet. Picardy (Picardie in French) has a short coastline and is less well known generally although it too has well kept beaches. Not the best area of France for sunbathing perhaps, with weather like the south of England, but a nice area if you like the countryside. Conversely there are areas inland which were at the centre of the French industrial revolution and much of the manufacturing heritage is still evident.

The coast around Normandy and Brittany (the French call it Bretagne) offers the more attractive areas in my opinion – although you may feel differently. The important ports of Dieppe, Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre and St. Malo are all in this area making it popular and very busy. Parts of Le Havre are heavily industrialized but the harbour itself on a misty Spring morning is stunning. Dieppe feels a bit more personal, a bit more friendly and has an olde worlde sort of charm. To be fair, each port has it’s own character and all are worth a visit though these towns themselves aren’t places I would choose to live.

In lower Normandy (Basse Normandie) you’ll find Deauville and Trouville which were made popular by the Victorians and still retain a great deal of the feel of a wealthy yesteryear although going a bit threadbare round the edges perhaps. Still very popular however, with the French as well as expats, they provide some of the most expensive property in the whole region. This is also the area of the famous beaches of the D-Day invasions.

Brittany has Dinan and Dinard which are both lovely places to visit with enticing narrow streets in the older parts of town and lots of restaurants and cafes. Bretons, as the locals are known, are as fierce as any about their heritage and don’t need much of an excuse for a party to celebrate some aspect of it. The coast here is a bit wilder, particularly in the west. It’s very much to my taste but not perhaps to everyone’s. When it gets a bit windy you’ll definitely need a good coat. Invigorating though!

Inland these departments provide a range of different environments. There are forests, farmland and, in the main, gently rolling countryside. It’s littered with half-timbered houses for which the region is famous, abbeys, chateaux and a good number of more recent tourist attractions. There are plenty of orchards as well in Normandy – producing the delicious brandy-styled Calvados. The region also makes Benedictine, a herbal liqueur usually taken as a digestif after dinner.

The popularity with foreign buyers has, as you would expect, resulted in big rises in property prices over recent years. Coastal areas, particularly if there’s a view of the sea, are expensive by French standards and not always cheap by English ones! Things are generally more stable now than a couple of years back – as they are across the French property market – but this is still a sought after area for many and most of the real bargains are long gone.

If you’re looking for a renovation project for €20,000 you’re not going to find it here. You will however find good value property away from the coast and renovation opportunities still exist, you just have to be more realistic about it than ten years ago.

Extract from: The French Property Buyer’s Guide

Perhaps a French farmhouse is your dream?

Plenty of people look at property for sale in France through rose-tinted glasses. It’s easily done – especially if you’re mixing a French property hunting trip with a vacation. A bit of warm sun, the chance to relax, a nice lunch with a glass or two of wine… [...]]]>

Perhaps a French farmhouse is your dream?

Plenty of people look at property for sale in France through rose-tinted glasses. It’s easily done – especially if you’re mixing a French property hunting trip with a vacation. A bit of warm sun, the chance to relax, a nice lunch with a glass or two of wine… common sense can go straight out the window!

I’ve done it myself. Fortunately most of the time we get the chance to correct our errors but for those new to the French property market I thought I would do a quick run through of the French house buying process…

So you book your appointments with your French property agents, go along and see the house, fall in love with it and decide it’s your dream. Nothing else will do. Like I say, we’ve all done it.

First thing you have to do is sign an agreement to purchase called a Compromis De Vente. This is a legal document and sets out a number of things, amongst them is that the owner has the right to sell, it says where the property is, and what price is agreed to be payed.

At the same time as signing the compromis de vente you must also pay a 10% deposit. You then have a 7 day cooling off period. After that, in almost all cases, if you try to pull out of the deal you will lose your money.

So you can see that when you’re buying French property it’s kind of important to understand the compromis de vente!

If you don’t, I would suggest you get it translated before you sign anything.

One useful thing you can have added to this document is clauses suspentives – provisions that must be satisfied in order for the sale to proceed. There is a tremendous variation in property for sale in France so clauses suspentives can take almost any form. Could be planning permission, could be that you will buy provided you can get a certain extra piece of land, could be that you want a survey done, could be that you want the heating or electric checked out.

You can try to add anything. Try being the operative word. The vendor of your French property has the right to allow or refuse any clause so a period of negotiation might happen.

One good thing about the French property buying process is that once both parties sign the compromise de vente the property is pretty much yours. It is taken off the market and no further offers can be made.

I should perhaps make a note here about prices. If the price of a French property is set at 200,000 Euros then it cannot be sold for more than that. It’s actually illegal for someone to accept an offer of, for example, 210,000 Euros. So when you are searching for French property bear in mind that while nearly everybody does negotiate, an offer at the asking price usually secures it.

OK, let’s assume the compromis de vente is to your satisfaction. You and the vendor sign it and a copy is mailed to you. You may or may not meet the vendor, you probably won’t both be at the signing at the same time. Frequently the signing is done at the agent’s office, sometimes at a notaire (notaires are a bit like solicitors – they do all the official paperwork).

A date is usually set for completion when you will sign the Act de Vente – the official paperwork to transfer the property to you. This will usually be about three months into the future but can be less. In the meantime all kinds of checks are done.

When we bought our French house there were tests for the presence of lead (plomb), asbestos (amiante) and termites (termites). Rules have changed – and are continuing to change – so it’s important that you check and understand the process.

Assuming all goes smoothly – and if you’ve done your homework it should – then on the appointed day you and the vendor meet at the notaire. You need to have arranged for all monies to be at the notaires by this date. He or she is acting for the government, not you or the vendor, so you should have no fears on that count. The notaire will explain a few things, you sign the paperwork and the place is yours.

If your French isn’t very good you might want to arrange for a translator to be there so you understand everything. There are lots of foreign buyers of French property so notaires are quite used to this.

That’s it, congratulations, you are now the proud owner of your French home!

There are no “deeds” as such to a French house but you will receive plenty of paperwork  – mostly copies of what you signed – from the notaire eventually. Some months later you might also receive a small check – usually under 100 Euros. This rather bizarre event happens because part of what you pay on the day you sign the act de vente are taxes to the French government and they almost invariably slightly over-estimate the amount. Don’t ask me why.

What then happens is people forget all about it until a check arrives in the mail. It’s usually enough for a decent meal for two so why not just celebrate it!

In a nutshell, that’s your process for buying almost any kind of property for sale in France. There is an oddity that is rare but can happen. If the local Mayor thinks a property in his or her local area (commune) is of particular importance he can purchase it. In that case you’re just going to have to look for something else because there is no right of appeal and no negotiation.

As I say, it’s quite rare and usually happens before the compromis de vente stage anyway.

This isn’t a detailed explanation, it’s just an overview. you really must check for yourself.

Rules change. When we bought, getting a survey of a French house was practically unheard of. In the last few years there have been many new regulations and there are more in the pipeline. Make sure you understand. If you aren’t confident in your command of the French language, get things translated. Don’t just trust an English speaker who might say “Oh don’t worry about that, nobody bothers” or “that will be OK”. You are about to spend a lot of money. You wouldn’t take risks in your own country, why do so here?

Never forget an agent is working for the vendor – not you. Ask as many awkward questions as you can. If you’re not sure, walk away. I guarantee there is another French dream house out there for you somewhere. Try and keep your rose-tinted glasses in your pocket!

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