| It's not difficult to see why French country | | | | same as buying a French town house or a flat in |
| property is attractive to so many people. From | | | | Paris, for example. Much of the process is the |
| small cottages in tiny rural hamlets (which | | | | same, and the paperwork, and I'm sure you'll do |
| nevertheless often have substantial gardens) to | | | | your research and get the right advice and help. |
| grand manors and even chateaux, there's a | | | | However, there are one or two things that you'll |
| French country property to suit nearly everyone. | | | | only come up against with rural French properties. |
| What's more, unlike the UK for example, there | | | | For a start you may well find you own bits and |
| are plenty to go around. If you visit France for | | | | pieces of land that are not attached to yours - |
| the purposes of buying a French home you'll find | | | | we didn't find out until after we'd bought ours that |
| no shortage in rural areas no matter what your | | | | we had a small garden half a mile away! Now this |
| budget. Visit any small town in France and the | | | | need not necessarily be a problem, but with land |
| local agents will invariably have plenty to show | | | | sometimes comes responsibilities - fencing for |
| you. | | | | example - you need to check this kind of thing. |
| A few words of caution though, from someone | | | | Then there's sanitation. Frequently French country |
| who has been there and done it. | | | | property is not on mains draining. In itself that's |
| I know how easy it is to get carried away. It's all | | | | not a problem but there are new rules and |
| too easy to get caught up in the romance of | | | | regulations that could prove expensive to some |
| buying a home in France and forgetting the things | | | | unwary buyers. |
| you would never miss out if you were buying at | | | | Then there are rights of way, rights of access |
| home. Just like buying any property you need to | | | | and 'chemin rural' (kind of a footpath although |
| keep your wits about you. | | | | they can be driven down sometimes). This is |
| You need to be very careful about your budget. | | | | something that should be checked during the |
| If you're buying a house that's in excellent | | | | buying process but it's wise to do your own |
| condition this is less of a concern - as long as you | | | | investigating just to be sure. You wouldn't want to |
| check everything works as they claims it does - | | | | find that your dream French house had a farmer's |
| but if you're buying to renovate things can add up | | | | track right through the middle of the garden. Don't |
| rather quickly. | | | | think it couldn't happen - one of the houses we |
| There's a common belief that renovating a | | | | looked had exactly that. |
| property in France is cheap. Sadly that's just not | | | | The French house buying process is complicated. |
| true. Admittedly it may be cheaper than where | | | | It's not rocket science, but for most of us it's |
| ever you currently call home but you can't buy a | | | | different to what we know. There are different |
| tumbledown cottage for forty thousand Euros | | | | regulations and different legal practices. |
| and then think you'll get it up and running and | | | | Added to that there's the language that, unless |
| habitable for another ten thousand. Think of at | | | | you're fluent, is another hurdle to overcome. |
| least doubling your investment and you'll probably | | | | However, it's my experience that if you do a little |
| be nearer the mark. | | | | research and a little reading, and can maintain a |
| But I certainly wouldn't want to put anybody off. | | | | sense of humour for when things go a bit astray, |
| Searching for French country property can be a | | | | you'll be fine. Your French agent will normally go |
| joy in itself and the thrill of finding the place that's | | | | out of their way to make your search for a |
| right for you and eventually moving in are | | | | French country property as painless as possible. |
| wonderful experiences. I'm just advocating a little | | | | It's worth your while to go out of your way to |
| clear-headed thinking in amongst all the fun! | | | | help them. |
| Buying country property in France isn't quite the | | | | |