Buying a Properety in France

Which Area and Type of Property is Rig= ht for You?

Personal preference<= /h3>
In the end, the choice of location and type of propert= y is down to personal preference. You are probably buying a home in France because you have been reasonably successful in life. One of the rewards of such success should be the ability to do as you please. It is too easy = to forget, as you become immersed in the detailed planning for the purchase, t= hat this whole exercise is supposed to be fun. If you want to throw reason = to the wind and buy the house of your dreams there is nothing wrong with doing so – provided you understand that this is what you are doing. After all, who really needs a castle or chateau?

Do your research.&nbs= p; The time spent will be fun and amply repaid.

Getting to know the areas

The way that is most fun – and undoubtedly the b= est – is to travel extensively and to get to know the areas both in summer and in winter. The need= to know them in both seasons cannot be over emphasised. Some summer resorts close do= wn almost completely in the winter months.&nb= sp; The climate, which was so agreeable in June, can be bloody awful in January. The place that= was a tranquil twenty minute drive from town in May might well involve a two hour nose to tail ordeal in August.

Very few people – the writer included – kn= ow the whole of France well. It is so huge tha= t it is unreasonable to expect someone buying a holiday or even a retirement hom= e to do so. In a sense it is unnecessary. If you lik= e a particular place and would like a home there does it matter that somewhere = else there might be a place you like just as much or even better? Most people therefore select= the area to live from the areas they already know plus, perhaps, another one or= two that they have read about and decide to visit before making their final decision. A fair substitute f= or an initial visit is a bit of reading. &n= bsp; General guides to France, such as that contained in the first part of this book, can give you a reasonable feel for what a place will be like. Follow that up with some more specific reading about the areas that interest you, television programmes e= tc and you will be ready for a productive exploratory visit. Libraries, the Internet and = the French Tourist Board are good sources of information.

Most people know within a few minutes of arriving in a= town whether it is somewhere they would like to live. A two-week self drive holida= y, using some of France= 's wonderful inexpensive small hotels, can therefore cover a lot of ground. Take a large-scale map or mo= toring atlas. Be a vandal. Write your comments about the places you visit on the page. Otherwise you will never remember which was which. Buy some postcards to remind= you of the scenery or, if you are a gadget man, take a video camera. Pick up a copy of the local = paper for each area. Even if = you do not speak French it will give you some idea of what goes on in the area and also supply details of local estate agents etc. Visit the local tourist offi= ce, if there is one, for more information about the area and an idea of what goes = on throughout the year. Lo= ok in estate agents window and make a note – again on the map – of the sort of prices you will have to pay for property of the type that interests you. But don't go inside.= Make it an absolute rule that you will not look at any propert= ies. If you do you will be caught= in the classic trap of focusing on bricks and mortar rather than the area. What matters most is the area where you are going to live. There are nice houses in every area. Provided the initial look at prices doesn't make you faint, if you like the town mark it with a big 4and move on to the next place. If it is not for you, mark the map with a big 8and, likewise, move= on.

Once you have short listed your two or three most like= ly places visit them in both summer and winter. Spend a little time there. Make contact with estate age= nts and look at property to your hearts content.

Generally, when going to see property you will be accompanied by the estate agent. &nbs= p; If you are dealing with a private seller (i.e. someone who is not us= ing an agent), when you do finally go looking at property, take a mobile phone. If you don't hav= e one, buy one. Property in ru= ral France = can be nearly impossible to find and it can save much gnashing of teeth if you can phone and ask for directions. It is also courteous to telephone if you are delayed en route.

Do you want to let the property?

There are two types of people who decide to rent out t= heir home in France. There are those who see the proper= ty as mainly, or even exclusively, an investment proposition and there are those = who are buying what is, predominantly, a holiday home but who wish to cover all= or part of the cost of ownership from rental income.

For the first group this is a business. Just as in any business, the decisions they take about where and what to buy, how to restore the property and what facilities to provide will be governed by the wish to maximise pro= fit.

The second group will have to bear in mind most of the= same considerations, but will be prepared to compromise (and so reduce potential income) in order to maximise their enjoyment of the property as a holiday home. Just where they d= raw the line will be determined by their need to produce income from the property. Many buyers w= ill simply allow their family and a few close friends to use the property. They will let it for, perhap= s, 10 or 12 weeks per year and will cover their basic expenses such as local taxe= s, water, electricity etc from the proceeds. Others will bring in outside= rs and, perhaps, let for 20 weeks per year. They will perhaps produce en= ough to cover these expenses and the interest on a modest mortgage. Some will be prepared to rul= e out use of the property themselves during the prime rental months of July and August. Others, especia= lly those with children of school age, will sacrifice a large part of their pot= ential rental income by using the place themselves during those months.

Whichever group you fall in, you are most unlikely to cover all of = your expenses and both capital and interest repayments on a large mortgage from letting your property, however efficiently you do so.

I will deal later with the issues arising out of renti= ng your property and the likely returns to be obtained. At this point I simply want to str= ess that the choice of the location for your property and the type of property = you buy will have a huge impact on the income you will derive from it. Whichever group you fall int= o you will have to think of the needs and desires of those renting the property as well as your own needs and wishes.

Climate

Most British people buying in France are motivated, in large measure, by the thought of a better climate. What is "better" depends= on your personal perspective. Northern and Western France (Nort= h of the line running approximately Bordeaux to Grenoble and west of Toulouse) share the temperate climate of Britain & Germany. The south-east has a Mediter= ranean climate. Even within th= ese geographic areas there are major variations. A little study in your local library or on the internet will show you the annual pattern of temperature, sunshine and rainfall in the areas you are considering.

Remember that temperature & rainfall charts do not= tell the whole story. Wind (= the cold Mistral can blow for 100 days per year), lack of shelter, altitude and other factors can greatly influence your perception of the climate, which is what really matters. A = place where it rains for 200 days per year (such as parts of Brittany) will seem wetter than a plac= e with the same amount of rainfall but where it only rains for 120 days. Figures can also conceal substantial daily variations.

As always, the best advice is to go and visit your shortlisted areas in both summer and winter.

Source: USA Tod= ay/US Met Office

The British, French & Spanish Climates – a rough Comparison Average Monthly Temperatures (Daily Maximum & Minimum) and Rainfall
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
London<= /st1:place>
Max Temperature (C)=	7	7	11	13	17	20	22	22	19	14	11	8
Min Temperature (C)=	2	2	3	5	8	11	13	13	11	8	4	3
Rainfall (mm)<= /o:p>	61	36	51	43	46	46	46	43	43	74	46	58

Birming= ham
Max Temperature (C)=	6	6	9	12	16	18	21	21	17	13	9	7
Min Temperature (C)=	1	1	2	3	6	9	12	11	9	6	3	2
Rainfall (mm)<= /o:p>	58	48	53	46	56	56	51	71	56	53	64	66

Manches= ter
Max Temperature (C)=	7	7	9	11	15	18	19	19	17	13	9	7
Min Temperature (C)=	2	2	3	4	7	11	12	12	10	7	4	3
Rainfall (mm)<= /o:p>	71	58	58	51	64	71	86	94	81	94	84	86

Edinbur= gh
Max Temperature (C)=	6	7	8	11	14	17	19	18	16	12	9	7
Min Temperature (C)=	1	1	2	3	6	9	11	11	8	6	3	2
Rainfall (mm)<= /o:p>	56	41	48	38	51	51	64	69	64	61	64	61

Cardiff=
Max Temperature (C)=	7	7	9	12	15	18	20	20	17	13	10	8
Min Temperature (C)=	3	2	3	4	7	10	12	12	11	8	5	4
Rainfall (mm)<= /o:p>	91	64	74	53	64	64	69	76	84	91	99	94

Belfast=
Max Temperature (C)=	7	7	9	11	14	16	17	17	15	11	8	7
Min Temperature (C)=	4	5	6	7	9	12	13	13	11	8	6	5
Rainfall (Wet Days)	23	21	26	20	18	19	21	23	21	22	21	22

Dublin<= /st1:place>
Max Temperature (C)=	8	8	9	11	14	17	19	18	16	13	10	8
Min Temperature (C)=	3	3	4	5	7	10	12	12	10	8	5	4
Rainfall (mm)<= /o:p>	64	51	51	48	56	56	66	76	64	74	69	69

Malaga<= /st1:place> (Spain= )
Max Temperature (C)=	16	17	19	20	23	27	29	29	28	23	19	17
Min Temperature (C)=	7	8	9	11	13	17	20	21	18	14	11	9
Rainfall (Wet Days)	8	8	7	9	6	3	1	1	3	8	9	9

Tenerife (Spain= )
Max Temperature (C)=	21	22	23	22	23	24	27	28	27	26	24	22
Min Temperature (C)=	16	16	16	16	17	19	21	22	22	21	19	17
Rainfall (Wet Days)	3	3	4	3	2	1	0	1	2	2	5	4

Le Havr= e (Normandy)
Max Temperature (C)=	6	6	8	10	13	16	18	19	17	14	9	7
Min Temperature (C)=	4	3	6	7	11	13	16	16	14	11	7	5
Rainfall (Wet Days)	14	10	12	11	11	9	9	9	11	12	12	13

Brest (Brittany)
Max Temperature (C)=	4	4	5	6	8	11	13	13	11	9	7	6
Min Temperature (C)=	132	107	102	74	71	58	48	69	86	109	127	147
Rainfall (mm)<= /o:p>	9	9	11	12	15	18	20	20	18	15	12	10

Lille
Max Temperature (C)=	6	6	9	12	17	19	22	23	19	14	9	7
Min Temperature (C)=	1	1	3	4	8	11	13	13	11	7	4	2
Rainfall (mm)<= /o:p>	48	41	43	43	51	56	61	58	56	64	61	58

Bordeau= x
Max Temperature (C)=	9	11	14	16	19	23	26	26	23	18	13	10
Min Temperature (C)=	2	3	4	6	10	13	15	15	12	9	5	3
Rainfall (mm)<= /o:p>	76	64	66	66	71	66	53	58	71	86	89	86

Le Mans=
Max Temperature (C)=	7	8	12	14	18	21	24	24	21	16	11	8
Min Temperature (C)=	2	2	4	6	9	12	14	14	11	8	4	3
Rainfall (Wet Days)	17	15	17	15	16	14	12	10	12	15	14	16

Lyon
Max Temperature (C)=	6	8	12	14	19	23	27	26	22	16	10	7
Min Temperature (C)=	1	1	3	6	10	14	16	16	12	8	4	2
Rainfall (mm)<= /o:p>	43	41	51	61	76	79	66	79	76	86	69	51

Corsica
Max Temperature (C)=	13	13	14	17	21	24	27	28	26	22	17	14
Min Temperature (C)=	4	4	6	7	11	14	17	17	15	12	8	5
Rainfall (mm)<= /o:p>	74	64	61	53	41	23	8	15	43	91	102	84

Marseille
Max Temperature (C)=	11	12	14	17	21	26	29	28	25	20	14	12
Min Temperature (C)=	3	3	6	8	12	16	19	18	16	11	7	3
Rainfall (mm)<= /o:p>	48	41	46	46	46	25	15	25	64	94	76	58

Cannes<= /st1:place>
Max Temperature (C)=	13	12	14	16	20	23	27	27	24	20	16	13
Min Temperature (C)=	4	4	7	9	13	17	19	19	16	13	8	6
Rainfall (Wet Days)	7	8	7	9	8	6	3	3	6	9	7	7

Nice
Max Temperature (C)=	13	13	14	16	19	23	26	27	24	20	16	13
Min Temperature (C)=	6	6	8	9	13	17	19	20	17	13	9	6
Rainfall (mm)<= /o:p>	76	74	74	64	48	38	18	30	66	112	117	89

Paris
Max Temperature (C)=	6	7	11	14	18	21	24	24	21	15	9	7
Min Temperature (C)=	1	1	3	6	9	12	14	14	11	8	4	2
Rainfall (Wet Days)	20	16	18	17	16	14	13	12	14	17	17	19

Strasbo= urg
Max Temperature (C)=	4	6	11	14	19	22	24	24	21	14	8	5
Min Temperature (C)=	-1	-1	2	4	9	12	14	13	11	7	2	0
Rainfall (mm)<= /o:p>	36	33	36	46	66	74	76	71	61	51	48	38

Access

Getting there

Second only to climate in most people's decision proce= ss is the question of access to the property. How will you travel there? How will your family and fri= ends travel? How will = you get about whist visiting?

For those who live in the southern part of England= access by car ferry or tunnel is popular. &n= bsp; Some brave souls from further north still choose to travel by car. Do not under estimate = the frustration produced by regular journeys on our appalling motorway system.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> A car journey from Manchester to Dover is not the = best start to a relaxing holiday. A few years ago I could more or less guarantee a three hour journey = from Leeds to Dover. Today it could be four= , or six, or eight – depending entirely on the congestion on the motorways= and the number of roadworks. However long it takes it is stressful. After four or five such journeys your enthusiasm for visiting your French retreat by car is likely = to diminish.

There is interesting research in the tourist industry = that suggests that if visitors have a journey of more than 1 hour by road at eit= her end of their journey, 25% will not bother to travel. More than 1½ hours an= d 50% won't bother. This may not co= ncern you but it is worth bearing in mind as far as family and friends are concer= ned. It is even more relevant if you are thinking of letting your property on the British market.

For those travelling by car this suggests destinations= close to the channel ports. D= riving on minor French roads is delightful but slow. Driving on motorways is fast= but expensive – vastly better than driving on British ones!

MAP – 1 & 1 ½ HOUR JOURNEY ZONES BY R= OAD FROM CALAIS & LE HAVRE

Despite this many people do regularly drive to and from their holiday home in the Cote D'Azur, a journey which (by motorway) can comfortably be covered from Ca= lais in a long day. Much bet= ter is to take 2 or 3 and enjoy some of the glory of France on the way. The motorway tolls and fuel = saved by travelling off the motorway may even pay your hotel bills!

An alternative to the car, increasingly popular, is tr= avel by train. The combination of Eurostar to Paris<= /st1:City> or Lille and TGV to your destination is painless, but often expensive – especially= if you must travel by Eurostar during the working week. Once again, the worst part, especially for those who live far away from London/Kent, is the joy of trav= el on what passes for a railway system in England. Brunel and Stephenson must be turning in their graves.

= Travel ti= mes by road within UK. "Off Peak" Source AutoRoute
From	To Dover	To Portsmouth
Lo= ndon	1.30	1.30
Bristol=	2.45	1.45
Birming= ham	3.00	2.26
Leeds	3.00	3.45
Manches= ter	5.00	3.30
Glasgow=	9.00	8.30

MAP – EUROSTAR/TGV ROUTES & JOURNEY TIMES

Most people travel by air. Air travel to France = was revolutionised by EasyJet. &nbs= p; In the years before EasyJet travel to France by air was invariably expensive. There are no= w a number of cheap carriers who will take you to many destinations in France,= often absurdly cheaply. Indee= d, for many people the cost of the train to the airport can be as much as the discounted flight to France! Merci, Stellios. To use these services easily you will need internet access.

Cheap fares are not always cheap! Sometimes, particularly if you nee= d to travel at a particular time and cannot arrange your travel either a long wa= y in advance or right at the last minute, BA & Air France can offer competit= ive prices and take you to more mainstream destinations.

Not all places in Britain are equally served wh= en it comes to flying to F= rance and not all places in France are readily accessible.

Major Air Links – = Britain / France

Stanst= ead

Gatwick

Heathrow

Luto= n

Bristol

East_M= idlands

Birmingham

Leed= s

Manchester

Dublin

Belfast

Glasgow

Edinburgh

Aberdeen

Biarrit= z

Bergerac

Bordeau= x

Brest

Caen

Carcass= onne

Dijon

Grenobl= e

La Roch= elle

Limoges=

Lyon

Marseil= les

Montpel= ier

Nice

Nimes

Paris

Perpign= an

Poitier= s

Rouen

St Etienne

Toulous= e

Tours

Note: = Not all flights are daily. No= t all are year round. The list is probably not exhaustive.

Useful cont= acts:

Buzz – www.bu= zz.com

Go – www.gof= ly.com

Easyjet www.easyjet.com

BMI - = www.flybmi.com

Ryanair – www.ryanair.com

Exped= ia – www.expedia.co.uk

&n= bsp;

Getting around once you have arrived

If you are buying a home for retirement, is it in a pl= ace that will still be accessible in 20 or 30 years time? Or will you be uncomfortable drivi= ng up the twisting mountain access road at age 85? Is there any public transpor= t? There will be times when you= will need it. Your car may n= eed repair. You may have br= oken a leg. You may (with luck= !) be invited to a boozy party.

Think about travel once you have arrived by air or train. Most people eith= er hire a car or own their own French car, which they leave at the house or (better) in the airport car park waiting for their next visit. It is worth doing a careful = price comparison. Surprisingly often the cost of insuring, taxing and maintaining your local car plus airp= ort parking and the depreciation of its value can amount to nearly as much R= 11; or more – than renting a new, clean car on each visit, which requires= no "management" on your part. Renting also means you= can choose the type of car you need for that particular visit. If granny is coming, rent an= up market car with lots of legroom and easy rear seat access! Look to cheap, local car hire companies as well as the big na= mes, who sometimes have surprisingly good deals available.

Finally, how will your children/visitors travel when t= hey arrive in the area? Wil= l they have to/be able to rent a car? Remember that many car hire companies have a minimum age limit of 25. Is there any public transport? Will you be = an unpaid taxi service for the duration?

Weekends

Most people who have holiday homes in France = use them regularly at weekends. = Even those who think that they will use them mainly for longer holidays tend to = end up flitting to and fro on a regular basis, captivated by the tranquillity, = the food and the fact that it can be cheaper to fly to France than to get the train = from London to Manchester.

Even if you are intending to live in France = full time your family and friends may wish to visit for weekends. This means that, whatever yo= ur own present intentions, it is sensible to think about how people would travel if they wanted to visit for weekends.

Facilities

Your future happiness with the home you buy will depen= d upon the facilities in the area. Each person will have different requirements.

Are you a golfer?&nbs= p; If so just one or two golf course in the vicinity is unlikely to sat= isfy you for long. Are you thinking of retiring to the area? &nb= sp; If so you will need a major shopping centre within an hour or so by car. Do you visit the t= heatre or opera? What is available? Are you sociable? Is this an ar= ea where you will find "your kind of (English speaking?) people"? Do you expect your teenage children to visit? If s= o, is there anything for them in the area? = The boules club might not cut it!

Most people prefer a property within about an hour's d= rive of a city or substantial town.

Terrain

Each of us has our own preferences as far as the count= ryside is concerned. Is this really what you want, or i= s it a place that is beautiful but, ultimately, unsatisfying? If you are a town person, do= you really want to live 10 miles from the nearest village, albeit in the middle= of scenery that takes your breath away? = If you have lived for the last 30 years in Do= rset will you be happy to spend the next 30 in Paris? These may seem obvious point= s but they catch out many people every year. At best, they mean you have = to move again– at considerable cost.&nb= sp; At worst they ruin the whole experience.

Price Guide

There are various ways of keeping your eye on French property prices generally. Take the various specialist French property magazines and magazines = such as Homes Overseas and Private Villas. Search the internet. Attend property shows – particularly the larger events.

Once you know the area you are interested in make cont= act with several estate agents in the area.

Remember that apparently similar properties can differ widely in price because of factors not known to you such as the property's state of repair, location, views and convenience.

Source: Masculissimo.com

= Price of Property per Square Metre (French Francs)<= /a> = June 2001 – Average Price per M2
	New Property	Second Hand Property
Aix-en-Provence	13 910 F<= /span>	10 550 F<= /span>
Albi	8 610 F	5 320 F
Amiens	11 050 F<= /span>	5 940 F
Angers	10 510 F<= /span>	6 490 F
Angoulême	8 760 F	5 190 F
Annecy	14 200 F<= /span>	9 350 F
Antibes	17 020 F<= /span>	11 550 F<= /span>
Arras	9 880 F	5 820 F
Auxerre	8 720 F	5 410 F
Avignon	10 440 F<= /span>	8 110 F
Bayonne	10 770 F<= /span>	6 900 F
Beauvais	10 490 F<= /span>	6 780 F
Belfort	8 900 F	4 960 F
Besançon	9 060 F	6 750 F
Biarritz	10 290 F<= /span>	8 140 F
Bordeaux	11 050 F<= /span>	7 160 F
Bourges	9 300 F	4 960 F
Brest	9 970 F	4 810 F
Brive	9 100 F	5 440 F
Caen	10 390 F<= /span>	6 370 F
Calais	8 410 F	5 500 F
Cannes	18 080 F<= /span>	12 640 F<= /span>
Carcassonne	7 300 F	4 100 F
Chambéry	9 180 F	5 610 F
Charleville-Mé= ;zières	8 000 F	4 520 F
Chartres	11 000 F<= /span>	6 700 F
Cherbourg	10 460 F<= /span>	5 840 F
Clermont-Ferrand	9 100 F	6 300 F
Colmar	9 580 F	6 550 F
Compiègne	11 140 F<= /span>	7 920 F
Dijon	9 340 F	6 430 F
Douai	9 000 F	5 330 F
Dunkerque=	9 100 F	5 400 F
Evreux	9 950 F	6 400 F
Grenoble	11 800 F<= /span>	6 943 F
La Rochelle	12 960 F<= /span>	7 000 F
Le Havre	10 430 F<= /span>	5 720 F
Le Mans	10 200 F<= /span>	6 760 F
Lens	9 100 F	4 180 F
Lille	11 500 F<= /span>	7 800 F
Limoges	9 600 F	5 510 F
Lyon	11 300 F<= /span>	7 750 F
Mâcon	7 910 F	4 580 F
Marseille=	12 000 F<= /span>	5 850 F
Maubeuge<= /span>	7 330 F	3 200 F
Metz	9 860 F	6 240 F
Montauban=	7 340 F	4 500 F
Montpellier	11 100 F<= /span>	7 220 F
Mulhouse	9 830 F	5 820 F
Nancy	9 010 F	6 130 F
Nantes	10 950 F<= /span>	7 690 F
Nevers	8 060 F	4 370 F
Nice	14 300 F<= /span>	9 700 F
Nïmes	10 770 F<= /span>	7 890 F
Orléans	9 820 F	6 080 F
Pau	8 930 F	5 080 F
Perpignan	9 780 F	5 080 F
Poitiers	11 220 F<= /span>	7 450 F
Quimper	9 490 F	6 160 F
Reims	11 100 F<= /span>	6 860 F
Rennes	10 100 F<= /span>	7 990 F
Rouen	10 800 F<= /span>	6 950 F
Saint Brieuc	8 870 F	5 260 F
Saint-Etienne=	8 250 F	4 030 F
Strasbourg	13 940 F<= /span>	8 210 F
Tarbes	8 530 F	4 370 F
Thionville	8 000 F	4 300 F
Toulon	10 000 F<= /span>	6 600 F
Toulouse	11 000 F<= /span>	7 800 F
Tours	10 380 F<= /span>	6 900 F
Troyes	8 840 F	4 880 F
Valence	9 220 F	5 540 F
Valenciennes	8 000 F	5 400 F
Vannes	9 630 F	6 780 F
Vichy	9 410 F	6 910 F

There are, obviously, huge variations on price dependi= ng on location, aspect, quality, state of repair and desirability.

Remember that property in prime locations can be mu= ch more expensive.

Type of property

In Britain, when we think about homes we think about houses. Comparatively few of us live= in flats and very few indeed in up-market flats. In France, as in so many things,= it is different. If you live = in a town of any size you are likely to live in a flat. Many British buyers are relu= ctant to contemplate this. Yet there can be many advantages to flat living, particularly if you do not have young children and you are looking for a holiday home. The purchase cost will proba= bly be cheaper. It will cost less to run. You will not be responsible for organising the maintenance and repair of the outside of the property. You may have = shared facilities such as tennis courts or a pool. And, at the end of your holiday yo= u can simply turn off the water and electricity and leave. Flats also and often provide= you with a ready-made community of neighbours who can look after your property = in your absence and leave a loaf and milk in the fridge for your arrival.

Of course, there are drawbacks. For the majority of us the most ob= vious is the lack of a private garden. &nbs= p; There will also, usually, be less space – particularly storage space – than in a house.

If you are not ready for such a revolutionary change t= o your lifestyle there are a wide variety of types of house available. From small workers cottages = to luxury villas something will take your fancy and suit your pocket.

If you are buying a holiday home for use, say, 2 weeke= nds per month and twice per year for longer periods who is going to look after = your 2 hectares (5 acres) of land? &= nbsp; Who is going to maintain your glistening pool, - and at what cost?

Think about both your current and future requirements.= In Britain, we are used to moving frequently. We buy a ho= use to suit our present needs and, as they change, we sell it and buy another. This is a very expensive thi= ng to do in France. The move could cost you abou= t 13% of the price of your new home. As a result most French people still live in homes that have been ow= ned for many years, sometimes generations.

Space

Most people underestimate the space they will need in = their home overseas. This is becaus= e they underestimate how popular they will become once they have a villa in Cap d'Antibes! &nbs= p; The combination of your own accommodation needs, the needs of visito= rs and the requirement for storage space means that, if the budget permits, it= is worth thinking of buying one more bedroom than you first contemplated.

Especially if you are buying a property for retirement= you will also need to think about adequate space for "stuff". Most of us are very bad at throwing things away, particularly items of sentimental value and particula= rly when we are taking the major decision of moving away from our roots. Many of us move into a small= er property in France than we lived in in England. This is a recipe for rooms f= ull of packing cases and a lot of matrimonial ill feeling.

Fortunately, in France space is still fairly cheap. It doesn't cost = that much more to buy a house with four bedrooms house rather three. It is certainly much cheaper= to do so now rather than to move later.

Heating

In the North and West of France it can be as cold and = wet as it is in Britain. Or worse. Even in the warmest parts of= the south of France you need a decent heating system because there are numerous days each year = when heating will be needed. It may be a lot warmer than it would have been in Manchester, but if you have been used to daily temperatures of 70ºF (21ºC) then a drop to 60º will ma= ke you feel cold.

Piped gas is rare in rural areas. Bottled gas is too fiddly to= be genuinely convenient. Installing large tanks for Gas can be problematic from a town planni= ng point of view. Solid fu= el has all the drawbacks we forgot about 30 years ago. Solar heating – partic= ularly solar water heating - works well in sunnier areas but cannot be relied on as the sole form of heating. For many people this leaves oil and electricity as candidates. Whichever you choose, instal= ling a good centrally controlled heating system will be money well spent. This is particularly so when you a= re building a new house, where the extra cost can be very small.

Air conditioning

Air conditioning still has the reputation of being a l= uxury item. Some of us think = that giving in to the heat and turning on the air conditioning is "sissy".

We recommend that everyone buying a home in southern <= st1:country-region w:st=3D"on">France = should install at least some minimal air conditioning. With predicted global warming summer temperatures are likely to rise. However macho you may be, if= the 2 a.m. temperature is 35&ord= m;C and you cannot sleep it is hard to deny the value of air conditioning. You may not need it often bu= t when you do you really need it.

For people buying a home for retirement, or with elder= ly relatives who will visit, it is worth remembering that, as we get older, we gradually lose our ability to adjust to extremes of temperature. Temperature that is unpleasa= ntly hot for a 55 year old can be life-threatening for a 90 year old.

Whether to install full air conditioning, possibly com= bined with a heating system using some of the efficient modern technologies such = as heat pumps, or a stand alone portable system will depend on the location of your property, your preferences and your wallet. With portable heaters availa= ble for £300 - £400 getting something makes a lot of sense.

Parking

If you have a nice car and want to keep it secure park= ing is an asset in any country. Much property in France is sold without any dedicated parking space. These can cost a surprising = amount if bought separately.

New or old?

There is no right answer!

Traditionally the French, except for the wealthy, have scorned older, restored property in favour of new build. 30 years ago I can remember = French friends thinking that expenditure on paint was quaint but foolish. This left the market open to= the British to buy up the older homes for a pittance, love them, restore them a= nd live happily ever after. Things have changed. I= n many areas the French have developed an interest in older "character" property. A visit to a French= DIY store will show you that it is not just the British who spend money on home improvements. Also, the seemi= ngly inexhaustible supply of houses and cottages abandoned as a result of rural depopulation after WW2 has, in areas like Brittany and Normandy, almost run out. They have been bought up not= just by thousands of British and other foreigners but by local people. Prices are rising. The habitable £10,000 cottage is, in most areas, a thing of the past – soon to be followed = by its cousin the habitable £20,000 cottage.

The decision between new and old is, in France, basically the same decision as in Britain. It involves considering the featur= es of each type of property in the light of your own personal preferences. Most people are clear from the out= set which they prefer.

New & Old Property in France – a comparison
New Property	Older Property=
Advantages<= o:p>	Advantages<= o:p>
The technical specification and design will be bette= r than in an older property. This is particularly so in areas such as insulation and energy efficiency	The property has "character". Its design may be classica= lly beautiful and the detailed workmanship will probably be superior to today= 's product
It will have been inspected and built to known stand= ards	The garden will be mature
Most people prefer new kitchens, which get more sophisticated each year	It may occupy a better site than a newer property &#= 8211; on the basis that the best were often built on first
It will probably have a reasonable heating system	It may be a more attractive rental proposition than = a new property, especially in rural areas
Electrical and plumbing installations will be to a superior standard	You will feel that you are living in a property in <= st1:country-region w:st=3D"on">France
Few people will have used the bathrooms!	What you see is what you get. You turn on the taps, ther= e is water. You can see the room= sizes and how the sun lies on the terraces. You can see the views and = the distances to adjacent properties
Provision will probably have been made for car parki= ng	It may be cheaper than a comparable new property
You may share common resources such as pools or tenn= is courts with other people	It will probably have more land than a comparable new property
The building will require less maintenance than an o= lder property, certainly for the first few years
It should be cheaper to run
You can design your own property or, at least, often= fine tune the existing design to your special requirements
The fabric will be guaranteed
If you bought "off plan" you may well see = some pre-completion growth in value


Disadvantag= es	Disadvantag= es
The building will be new and brash, not mellow	Older properties can need a lot of maintenance and l= oving care
It can be hard to envisage what you are going to get= from a plan and specification	It will be more expensive to heat and run
You will have to sort out all the small snags inevit= able in any new building. You may spend all your holidays chasing the builder or doing this. You don't speak French.	You may need to spend significant sums on, say, the kitchen and bathrooms to bring the property up to modern standards
You will have to sort out the garden
You may have to decorate
Although technical design may have improved the aest= hetic appeal may be less than that of an older property and the detailed workmanship less rewarding than that of a time when labour was cheap
As a rental property most (British) people prefer a traditional cottage

Investment potential=

The British view property as an investment as well as a home. We expect our house to = rise in value, if not year by year, at least over time. Until recently this was not = really a consideration for the French. As a result there has been a perception that property in France = does not increase in value – or, at least, not to any significant extent.

That perception is false.

There is a grain of truth in relation to some very rur= al areas where there is still a lot of property left over after the massive depopulation of the twentieth century. In 1914 80% of the French li= ved in the countryside. It is = now less than 20%. The thou= sands of rural homes they abandoned in their flight to the city and large towns l= ay empty for many years. T= his depressed rural property prices. &nbs= p; Even in these areas, especially where property has "sold out&qu= ot;, there have been increases in value. &= nbsp; A cottage in Normandy<= /st1:place> bought for £10,000 in 1990 might well be worth £40,000 today.

In popular areas – and, in particular, in popular tourist areas – there have been large amounts of property inflation.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Fortunately, we do not need = to speculate about this. The Fre= nch government keeps statistics through its Land Registry system.

Increase in Value of Property in = France & Britain Source – UK - Halifax survey France – Masculissimo.com<= o:p>
Area	Average Val= ue 1983	Average Val= ue 2001	%age Increa= se
Greater London	£39,8= 18	£170,= 551	428
North = West	£25,5= 78	£65,3= 96	255
Yorkshire & Humberside	£23,0= 90	£59,4= 52	257
Wales	£25,8= 78	£68,2= 67	263
Scotland	£28,9= 27	£63,6= 28	219
Paris – 7^th Ar= ondisement	16,600 FF p= er M2	25,500 FF p= er M2	=
Cannes<= /st1:place> – prime location	21,000 FF p= er M2	36,000 FF p= er M2	=

Sources of Information

When you are thinking about buying a home in France = you are thinking about spending a lot of money, both by way of initial acquisition costs and later cost of ownership. &n= bsp; It therefore makes sense to invest a certain amount of time and mone= y in understanding what you are letting yourself in for. This will almost certainly r= educe your legal and other adviser's bills, as they will not have to explain everything to you "from scratch". It may well improve the qual= ity of the advice you receive as you will be able to direct your advisers to the points that are of most concern to you.

Better still, you will feel more in control of your li= fe and what is going on around you.

There are a number of sources of information. Hardly surprisingly, there i= s a lot more available if you speak French!

Books

Many good books have been written about various facets= of owning property in F= rance. Do not confine yourself to b= uying just one. After all, th= e cost of the book is insignificant compared with the cost of the advice you might otherwise need or the cost of the mistakes you might otherwise make. By buying two or more books you wi= ll also benefit from having the same thing explained in two different ways. As a result you may understa= nd something that troubled you after reading the first book. Do pay attention to the date= the book was published or last revised. &= nbsp; Things can change quite quickly in both tax law and general law. Do not expect the advice to = be identical from all sources. Aside from straightforward mistakes – to which we are all prone – there can be genuine differences of opinion and emphasis between commentators.

The English language books fall into three different categories.

Firstly, there are guides of this type. These are usually fairly bri= ef and general, but should give you enough solid information to allow you to make informed decisions, with your professional advisers, as to your best course= of action in respect of the day to day issues that arise out of buying and own= ing a home in France. These guides include:

Buying a Home= in France – David Hampshire –

Published in 2000 by Survival Books – ISBN 1 901= 130 90 8 - £9.95

Living and Wo= rking in France – David Hampshire

Published in 1996 by Survival Books – ISBN 0 9519804 1 6 2000 £12.95

Living in Fra= nce – Blevins Franks

Published in 2000 by Blevins Franks – ISBN 0 952= 4179 6 0 – £6.99

The second group comprises books intended for lawyers.= As you might imagine t= hese are, generally, longer and more technical. They also tend to be m= ore expensive. No single bo= ok covers all of the issues covered in this volume. Lawyers dealing with this wo= rk will usually work directly from the French sources and so the "lawyers' books" are intended more for students or people wanting a brief general overview of the subject. Relatively recent, straight forward and general volumes include:

Principles of= French Law – Bell, Boyron & Whittaker

Published in 1998 by OUP – ISBN 0 19 876394 8 &#= 8211; £26.99

Property in <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Europe

Published in 1998 by Butterworths= – £95.00

The third type of book, and certainly the most readabl= e, is the book written by someone who has "been there and done that". These are generally amusing records of what it was like to buy a home in France or restore a property = or to live in France. There are quite a number of = such books available from larger bookstalls.

Magazines

There are several magazines catering for the needs of = the person looking for or owning property in France. They are generally monthly or bi-monthly. Some deal solely = with France = whereas others cover other areas as well.

They contain articles about the various regions of France = as well as articles of interest to potential buyers such as articles about legal issues, mortgages, investment opportunities, health care and taxation. They also contain advertisem= ents for developers, estate agents, lawyers etc.

Look out for France Magazine, Focus on France, Living France, French Property News and Homes Overseas.

Property shows and exhibitions<= /span>

Every year there are a substantial number of internati= onal property shows held at various points throughout Britain. These fall into 3 categories= .

The first promote properties in many countries. They are generally large events. They usually ha= ve a number of exhibitors offering property, legal, financial and other services relating to France. Look out for the Homes Overseas shows, run by Homes Overseas magazine. These are generally held in = London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin and other UK venues as well as at vario= us continental centres at least once per year. Alternatively try World of Property or International Property.

The second type of show focuses on France alone. The main events = are organised by French Property News and Focus on France Magazine. There is also a huge French lifestyle event, incorporating a substantial display of French property and= related services, called Vive la France! It is held each January in London

The third category of show is the event run by a sole developer or estate agent. These occur almost every weekend and travel from one smaller city or large town to another. = The parts of France and range of properties and services on offer will probably be less that at= the multi-exhibitor shows.

Even if you intend to go to France and deal directly with= an agent over there a visit to these shows is well worth while. They are full of useful information. You will g= et a feeling for property prices in many parts of France. They are also an easy way to make initial contact with lawyers, mortgage brokers, currency dealers, financial advisers etc and to get a feeling as to whether they are the sort of people= you would like to deal with.

Some of the shows are combined with a seminar programme. See below.

Some are free. Most charge an entry fee of £2 - £5 per person.

Seminars

However magnificently and clearly a book of this kind = may be written there is no substitute for an explanation given by a human being wh= om you can question about the bits you don't understand.

Fortunately, throughout the year there are various sem= inars – generally run by experienced lawyers or financial advisers – = who will cover various topics included in this guide, often in more detail.

These are sometimes run in conjunction with the major property shows – See Homes Overseas and World of Property. On other occasions the lawyers or financial advisers run them themselves.

They are well worth a visit and can help considerably = in the clarification of your thoughts about buying a home in France.=

Estate Agents

95% of British people buying a property in France = will use an estate agent. A good estate agent can make the process smoother and less perplexing. A bad or uncooperative agent= can make it much more complicated.

Whichever agent you use and wherever they are based pl= ease remember that they are being paid by the seller to sell the property. They are not being paid by y= ou to look after your interests. However helpful and professional they may be, if you do not sign a contract to buy then they do not receive their commission and their children starve. They therefore = have their own interests to look after, which broadly coincide with those of the sellers but which might not coincide with yours.

Despite this the estate agent can be a mine of useful information, knowledge about the area and practical help. The large majority is genuin= ely enthusiastic about property in France and about you joining their community. Take advantage of what they = have to offer, form a rapport with them, buy a property through them….but = get everything checked by your legal adviser just as you would in Britain= .

Some agents will tell you that you do not need to use a lawyer. That the servic= es of the local Notary Public (notaire) will suffice. Ignore th= at advice. It is qui= te true that the average French person would not use the services of an independent lawyer when buying a house unless there was something complex a= bout the transaction or about their own circumstances. For a foreigner, however, th= is is generally not good enough. There are many issues on which you will need guidance that it is no = part of the notary's duty to provide. &nbs= p; Furthermore, your French notary will almost certainly know nothing a= bout British law and so will be unable to give you any help as far as such vital issues as who should own the property in order to make the most of UK AND French tax and inheritance rules. As to the functi= on of the notary, see the section on The Notary below.

French based agents<= /h3>
The role of the French estate agent (agent immobilier) is similar to the= role of the British estate agent.   Their job is to find buyers for properties entrusted to them by a seller.   But there the similarity ends.

In England a person can be a plumber today and, without any qualifications or experien= ce, set up an estate agency tomorrow. &nb= sp; They cannot do this in France.   In France in order to practice a= s an estate agent you must be professionally qualified and hold a licence to practice (carte professionelle) and, in most cases, indemnity insurance and a fidelity bond (pièce de g= arantie).   The latter guarantees that i= f you run off with a buyers deposit he will get his money back.   All this is partly an exampl= e of the generally greater paperwork and red tape prevalent in France = and partly a useful consumer protection measure.

There are quite large numbers of agents operating in <= st1:country-region w:st=3D"on">France = without a licence.   That is, the= y are operating illegally.   Ma= ny are foreigners servicing the foreign buyer.   British selling to British, Germans to Germans etc.   Some of these "illegals" are excellent, sk= illed people who offer a service at least as good as many of the legal agents.   Despite this, you are better dealing with a "proper" agent or his genuine employee as you will then be covered by the legislation and the codes of conduct to which the ag= ents must adhere as well as by the insurance and bond.

You can tell whether the agent is licensed because he = must display details of his licence (and, if he has one, his insurance and bond)= in his offices and he must give details of his licence and any insurance and b= ond in all correspondence and contracts. = If you are dealing with the agent by telephone, fax or email he will= not take offence if you ask to see proof of these documents.

Do not worry if your agent does not have a bond.   Some have chosen not to.   This saves them not only the= cost of obtaining the bond but also having to comply with a lot of accountancy regulations.   If your ag= ent does not have a bond it simply means that you cannot pay him the deposit cheque. Instead it must be pa= id to the notary whole will be dealing with signing over the title.   All notaries are bonded.

Many estate agents join the French equivalent of the B= ritish National Association of Estate Agents, known as FNAIM (Fédération Nationale des Agents Immobiliers= et Mandataires) or a competing professional= body known as SNPI (Syndicat Nationaldes Professionnels= Immobilier).&nbs= p; This is worth looking out for as it gives yet more in the way of red= ress in the case of under-performance or dispute.

In order to sell a property for its owner not only mus= t the estate agent be licensed but he must hold a written authority from the owner permitting him to do so.   There are several types of authority or "mandate" (mandat).<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>   The two main ones are the or= dinary authority (man= dat simple) and the exclusive authori= ty (mandat exclusiv<= /i>). As the names suggest, the first gi= ves the agent the authority to sell the property, but similar authorities may h= ave been given to other agents and the owner will have also reserved the right = to sell the property in person – i.e. without the intervention of any agent. The second gives the a= gent the exclusive right to sell the property.&= nbsp; Depending on its precise wording the exclusive authority may or may = not permit the owner to sell the property in person.   Both types of mandate will b= e time limited.   They must stat= e the amount of the estate agents fees and who is expected to pay those fees.   These forms of authority are therefore important.   If= the agent is offering to take the property off the market under a reservation contract (see below) then he will probably not be able to do so without an exclusive authority as other agents could, at that minute, be negotiating w= ith other possible buyers.   = If the agent has an exclusive mandate that does not permit the seller to deal dire= ctly with any buyers then you could, part way through a transaction, be faced by= an agent claiming commission.   If the authority has been given on the basis that the buyer pays all or part of the commission then you need to know this and the amounts involved.   Before you part with any mon= ey you and your lawyer ought to ask to see the mandat.

As you will have gathered from the preceding paragraph= , in France = it is not always the seller who pays the estate agents commission.   This is still the normal pra= ctice, but there are local variations in the normal.   In some places the buyer cou= ld be expected to pay all the commission. In other places the buyer might be expected to contribute half the c= ommission.   Be clear when you are lookin= g at property whether the price mentioned includes or excludes these fees.

In order to protect his substantial commission the age= nt may ask you to sign a document – generally called a bon de visite – before he tak= es you to see the property.   Th= is is a statement that it is he who has introduced you to the property, so avoidi= ng later arguments about who should be paid the commission due.

There are other significant differences from English practice.   Generally age= nts are rather less proactive than they are in = England.   This is particularly true in= rural areas, especially non-tourist rural areas.    You will seldom find p= rinted property particulars or be supplied with photographs. Still less will you find plans or = room dimensions in most estate agents' offices.= They see their role as capturing property to sell and then showing buyers around that property.   Many agents are either "one man bands" or in small firms w= ith a limited range of property on their books.   This is, again, especially t= rue in rural areas but if you walk down any street in Nice or Paris you will see evidence of the large numbers of small agents offering services to the public.   This can make it difficult t= o get a comprehensive view of what is on the market in a locality.   In addition, there are few l= ocal or national groupings of agents. To make matters worse, only about half the property in France is sold through estate agents.   The rest is sol= d in a number of other ways.   In rural areas – where there are only a small number of transactions in = the year – a common method is by word of mouth. Everyone knows that Mme Dupont had died and that her house is for sale.   No one from outside the area= s is likely to be interested.   Why do you need an estate agent?   In such areas your best way of finding out what is available could b= e to ask at the local bar or bakers.    A lot of property is s= old via notaries (see below) or privately via the specialist property press (see below).

One of the reasons that a lot of property bypasses est= ate agents could be the fees that they charge.= By UK (but not US) standards they are high.   Until a few years ago there = was an official tariff that could not be broken.   This no longer exists, but i= t is still a good indication of the likely level of fees that the agent will be asking for.   Generally e= state agents fees vary from 4 to 10% of the purchase price.   The amount will depend on the value of the property an the area it is located.   Cheaper properties generally= pay more commission than more expensive properties and properties in main touri= st areas tend to pay more commission than in less sought after (and generally poorer) areas.   Remember= that you may end up paying all or part of this commission, so the level of charg= es is important to you!   Ag= ents must display their commission tariff in their premises and the rate agreed = in respect of any property you might be interested in is, as already mentioned, specified in the agent's mandat

You are probably best off starting to look for propert= y by using an estate agent in the immediate vicinity of the place where you are looking.   Many rural age= nts will only cover an area about 20km in diameter.   If you are still uncertain w= here precisely you intend to buy, try several adjoining agents or, if there is o= ne in your area, one of the big chains such as Domus.   Local newspapers will give y= ou an indication of which agents are advertising, and so active, in your area. You can also get names out of the = French Yellow Pages (under immobiliers).   The Yellow Pages for popular= areas are kept in many city libraries in the UK. Many agents also advertise in both= the French and UK specialist property press.   An excellent and simple way of obtaining a comprehensive list of agents is to write to both FNAIM and SNPI.   The list, though comprehensive, will probably contain details of specialist agents who do not deal with ordinary residential property as wel= l as those who do.

Estate agents also often operate as property management companies and as property letting agents.&= nbsp; In order to do this they need a separate licence and mandate from the person letting the property.

Developers (Promoteurs immobiliers)

The developer is the person or company building and se= lling new property.   They do n= ot need to be licensed as estate agents (provided they are only selling their = own property).   Many develop= ers sell via third party estate agents. Others sell direct.   Some carry out marketing and sales in Britain.

Marchands de biens

These are people whose business is to trade in property. They are entitled t= o sell property without holding a license as an estate agent but can only sell property that they have owned for a minimum o= f 3 months.   There are also = rules as to the maximum period for which such people can hold property "in stock" without tax penalties. &n= bsp; It is important to understand the status of a marchand de biens if you are buying from one.   Seek advice from y= our lawyer.

Notaries as selling agents

In France just under 20% of all property is sold by a notary acting as property selli= ng agent.   There are some differences from the position when dealing with an estate agent.

It may seem odd to an English mind that the property s= elling agent is also the person who deals with the transfer of ownership on behalf= of both parties.   We are ju= st about getting used to the idea that firms of English solicitors can sell properties.   We are a lo= ng way away from being ready for the solicitor selling the property (and acting for the seller in connection with the legal work) doing the legal work for the buyer as well.

This is not uncommon in France, particularly in rural areas.   It is, however, = one of the occasions when it is probably sensible to exercise your right – w= hich exists in all property purchases – to appoint a second notary specifi= cally to look after your interests.   This is not the expensive disaster that it sounds.   Such is the generosity of the statutory fee levels paid to French notaries for their work that the second notary simply splits the fee with the original notary and charges you nothi= ng!

Another curiosity when dealing with a notary as proper= ty seller is that his fee for dealing with the sale will be paid by the buyer,= not the seller – irrespective of the local custom as far as estate agents fees are concerned.   Aga= in, this is perhaps not as bad as it sounds.   In any case the notary norma= lly charges less than the estate agent would charge – typically 3% of the price of the property, and, even if the estate agent's fee is payable by the seller, it is usually calculated and added to the asking price for the prop= erty. The buyer thus ends up paying the s= eller who, in turn, pays the agent.

UK<= /st1:country-region> based estate agents

There are growing numbers of people based in the UK who = sell property in France. Most popular areas are covered.   Although, under English law,= they are entitled to call themselves estate agents it is important to note that,= in most cases, they are not licensed French estate agents.

They very often work in association with one or more F= rench agents, generally covering a wider area than a single French agent would cover.   They tend to cho= ose properties from the "book" of those French agents that they think will be of particular interest to the British buyer.   They then either obtain the descriptions and photographs necessary to sell those properties (if none ex= ist) or translate the existing materials. = They advertise or market the properties through exhibitions etc and = then act as an intermediary between the potential buyer and the French estate ag= ent – who may not speak English. &n= bsp; Because they deal with British buyers all the time they should be ab= le to anticipate some of the common problems that can arise and smooth the progress of the transaction.

Generally they should share the commission of the Fren= ch agent – who is very pleased that they can expand his potential buyer = base by introducing foreign buyers.   Thus their services should cost you nothing extra.

These people can be very useful, particularly if you h= ave little experience of dealing with France and don't speak French= .

Unfortunately, it is not as simple as that.   Some charge substantial amou= nts of extra commission for their services. = Often they do not disclose that commission to the buyer.   There is nothing wrong with = paying someone who is doing a useful job some commission, but you should be told t= hat you are expected to do so. Yo= u can then decide whether the convenience of dealing with someone in Britain= is worth the extra cost.   A= lways ask for confirmation that the price you will be paying is exactly the same = as you would have paid in France or, if there is an extra charge, the amount of the charge.

Some UK based agents advertise their prices as a global price including the price of the property, tax, notary's fees and all commissions.   This can be very useful for = the British buyer unused to these transactions but it can also, in the hands of= the unscrupulous, be a way of hiding a large element of hidden commission.   Mme Dup= ont has agreed to sell her cottage for €50,000 (about £30,000).   Commission has been agreed a= t 5%. (€2,500) Notaries fees = and taxes will amount to about 8% (€4,000).   An all-inclusive price of €60,000 therefore gives an extra hidden charge of €3,500.   If you are offered property = on this basis check what the price includes.

Many of these UK based sellers are highly experienced and very reputable.   Before deciding which to use ask about their level of experience.   It is more difficult to asse= ss whether they are reputable.   A good starting point is to see whether they are members of FOPDAC (the Federation of Overseas Property Developers, Agents & Consultants – Tel: 020 8744 2362). This is a non-profit organisation that agents and developers can join if they are experienced in the field, are prepared to be scrutinised and wanting to abi= de by its code of conduct.

DIY sales

In France far more property is sold "person to person" than in the UK.   Depending on area this can be between 15% and 30%.   Th= ere are a variety of different sources of information about such properties for sale.

A <= /a>vendre (for sale) signs

As you drive around you will see a number of DIY for s= ale signs. They normally give a c= ontact telephone number.   To ta= ke advantage of property offered in this way you, obviously, have to be in the area and you will probably need to speak French.   If you do not speak French i= t is worth a trial phone call. You= never know your luck!   If the = person who answers doesn't speak English there may be a local English speaking per= son – perhaps in your hotel – who would make contact on your behalf.   As a last resort phone your lawyer.   He s= hould be able to find out the necessary details for you and, if you wish, make arrangements to view.   He will, of course, charge for this work but the saving of estate agents fees = will make his charges look cheap.

Local newspapers

Individuals place advertisements in the "For Sale= " section of the local paper.   Once again, the ability to speak French is an advantage.

"Freesheets"

In some towns and in popular tourist areas in the countryside there are free local news sheets, similar to those in the UK.   In some places there are specialist free property papers. &nbs= p; All are likely to have adverts from private sellers.

National newspapers

These, as in Britain, tend to carry advertisements mainly for more expensive properties

Specialist local property press

In most areas there are specialist magazines which exi= st primarily to carry advertisements from private individuals selling their property.   Some have jus= t a local coverage, others a regional or even national coverage.   Go and browse through a coup= le of newspaper kiosks (presse) and see what is on offer.   Buy them all.   They will giv= e you a good general guide to prices.

There are also several more glossy lifestyle publicati= ons, covering property (particular more expensive property) in main tourist areas such as the Cô= te d'Azur.   Again, buy the lot.   They will be full of useful information.

Specialist British property press

Private individuals advertise in the main specialist B= ritish property press such as Focus on France, French Property News, Living France= and Homes Overseas. Also try more general publications such as Daltons Weekly and Exchange & Mart, especi= ally for cheaper property.   Y= ou may also find advertisements from private sellers in The Sunday Times, Weekend Telegraph & Mail on Sunday.   Generally speaking people advertising in the British press are Briti= sh.

Internet

There is a huge amount of property available for priva= te sale on the internet.   F= inding it can sometimes be tricky.   Remember that you should search in French as well as in English.   The following combinations i= n the search box have been proved to work:

+property +"for sale" +France

+house +"for sale" +France

+apartment +"for sale" +France

+maison= +vendre

+apartement +vendre

You can further limit the geographical area where the property is located by typing in the name of the place where the property is located, but this has very mixed results because of the vary different ways people enter the details of the property the are selling.   The best bet is probably to = use the province or, if you are looking in a city, the city as the limiter:

+apartment +"for sale" +Paris

+apartement +vendre +Paris

&n= bsp;

+house +"for sale" +Var=

+maison +vendre +Var

All too often you will find that the property has been= sold and not removed from the Net.

Property shows

Some of the international property shows have a section where private individuals can post details of property for sale. French Property News shows have traditionally provided this facility.   Others may also do so.   Contact the show organisers = for details.

Auctions (ventes aux enchè= res)

Property in France can be bought at auction, just as in England.

Some auctions are voluntary, others run by court order= .   The voluntary auctions are r= un by Notaries (Marché Immobilier des Notaires). Only notaries are permitted to run voluntary auctions. There are relatively few such auctions. There you will find a combination of properties that the sellers have decided to = sell in this way.   Properties= that have "stuck" in the market, properties that the sellers think will sell best at auction and properties which have been inherited and which the heirs wish to dispose of quickly. &nb= sp; An attraction of such auctions for the seller is that his share of t= he auctioneers fees (usually 1% of the price) is lower that the normal level of estate agents fees (say, 5%).

Other auctions are judicial auctions (ven= tes judiciares).&nbs= p; In theory there are several circumstances where the law requi= res a sale by auction but increasingly, in practice and by consent, these sales take place as ordinary sales by private agreement in order to save the considerable cost of an auction. In a judicial auction you will find properties sold, for example, as a result = of mortgage repossession, unpaid debts, disputes between joint owners, in connection with the administration of the estate of someone who has died or= by virtue of some other court.

Prices can be very attractive.   A few years ago, at the heig= ht of the last recession, there were incredible bargains with prices, perhaps, 30= % of "value".   Now auctions usually offer less spectacular bargains but can still be attractiv= e.   This is because, particularl= y in many judicial auctions, the process is intended first and foremost to recov= er someone's debt. Once that and= the considerable costs have been covered there is little reason to press for a higher price, even though the owner will ultimately receive the excess.

Buying a property at auction is not simple for someone= who does not live in the area and it is vitally important that you have taken a= ll the normal preparatory steps – including seeing a lawyer – befo= re you embark on the process.

The procedure leading up to the auction is basically t= he same whether the auction is a judicial auction or a notarial auction.

First, you must know that the auction is taking place.=    They are usually advertised = 6 to 8 weeks in advance.   Aucti= ons ordered by the court will be advertised by order of the court in the local press.   Notices will als= o be posted in the area.

Second, you must find out what is in the auction.   Brief details of the propert= y to be sold including the commune's land/rating registry (cadastre) reference, the arrangements for viewing, the notary dealing with the sale, the reserve price and the deposit that must be lodge= d in order that you can be allowed to bid.   These details of the propert= y will mean nothing to you. The place could be derelict or next door to a nuclear power station.   You will need to inspect the property and decide whether it is of interest. This is a time consuming and poten= tially costly process. Remember that= you could have to inspect twenty properties to find three you might like and th= en you might be outbid on all three.   An alternative to personal inspection is to get someone to do it for you.   This is not as satisfactory but a local estate agent will, for a fee, go to look at the property and give you a description of it.   If you're lucky he might pos= t or email you some photographs.   His fee, about £200 if the property is close to his office, wi= ll probably be less than the cost of travel.   Some people buy blind. This is for real poker players.

Thirdly, you will need to check out the legal situatio= n of the property before the date of the auction.   Most of the steps needed in = an ordinary purchase will be required (see below).

Fourthly, many properties on sale by auction are not i= n the best of condition. You will therefore need to get estimates as to the likely cost of repairs or improvements so as to make sure that the price you bid is not so high as to make the project non-viable.

Fifthly, you will have to appoint a notary or local la= wyer (avocat) t= o act on your behalf at the auction.   At a judicial auction individuals cannot turn up and bid as they can= in England= .   Only Notaries and Avocats are entitled to bid.    = Even at an ordinary notarial auction you would be brave or foolish not to be represented. The lawyer will explain precisely what will need to be done for this particular auction.   You will have to tell him the maximum price you want to offer and pay him the bidding depost – a refundable deposit levied by the auctioneer in order to allow you= to enter a bid. You will also ha= ve to give your personal details (marital status, occupation, nationality, passpo= rt number etc) a deposit of 10% of the price you are offering, less the bidding deposit.   The full depos= it is paid across at the time your bid is accepted.

You do not need to attend the auction – the lawy= er will be able to do so for you. He will probably require a power of attorney for that purpose.   He will, of course, charge y= ou for this work.. The fee can be substantial, so get an estimate.

Even though you do not need to be present, an auction (especially a judicial auction) is a most interesting event, so you might w= ant to go along. The traditional auction, gradually disappearing, is the "candle" auction (vente à la chandelle).   The sale is à la bougie or aux trois feux= .   This picturesque, if confusing and often noisy, affair sells the property on the extinction of a candle flame.   Once the = last bid has been received a 20 second taper is lit. Once it burns out a second is lit.=    If no further bides are rece= ived a third – the knock down candle (feu d'adjudication) is lit.   Once that splutters out the = sale is made!

If you are successful your deposit will be taken.   You will then have to wait 1= 0 days to know whether you have actually got the property as the results of the auction can be attacked during that period by anyone who is prepared to bid= 10% more than the sale price (surenchère).   This might, for example, be = the dispossessed owner of the property that has been sold for a pittance by the bank that repossessed it.   If the auction is challenged it will be repeated. It can only be challenged once and= it is a rare event.

Although the prices at auction can be very attractive = you must bear in mind that you will face additional costs over and above those = on a normal purchase.   These = are likely to raise the overall costs of buying from the normal 8% – 9% of the price to perhaps 17% - 20% of the price paid.   The extra costs include the = fees paid to your lawyers for dealing with the auction, extra land registry fees= for publishing the result and the fees and charges related to the auction itsel= f.

On the other hand, many people will be entitled to aut= omatic mortgage finance of 60% of the price paid if they buy at a notarial auction.   Check with you= r lawyer if this will apply to you.

It is also possible to buy a French property at auctio= n in Britain= .   This is very rare.   The auction acts simply as a preliminary sale of the property. The sale will need to be formalised in France in the usual way (see = below).

Rental Potential

The most important thing to understand is that there a= re thousands of properties in France which are, commercially speaking, impossible to let.   A rustic house in a rural backwater may find one or two tenants during the year but they will not be anywhere near enough to generate a sensible commercial return on your investment.   If you are interested in such a house you will probably have accepted this and view any rental income as a bonus that may help to defray some of the expenses of ownership.

Assessing rental potential is a skill that takes time = to acquire.   There are, how= ever some good indicators of property that is likely to let well.

1.      Is it pretty?

Most people will be renti= ng your property from a small photograph in a brochure or listings guide.   If your house looks pretty y= ou will get a massively better response.   People who are going on holi= day to Normandy would prefer to live in a traditional Norman cottage (wood beams, wattle and daub construction, steeply angled slate or thatch roof) than in a more thermally efficient, lighter, better laid out modern house built in 19= 89 out of rendered concrete blocks. &nbs= p; In tests run by the author 80% of people asked chose the same 3 prop= erties out of 24 displayed when asked which property they would choose to rent.   Brittany Ferries (who run a property rental programme) tell me that some of their properties are so pre= tty they can find tenants 50 weeks of the year.   A more usual figure for Brittany might b= e 16 weeks per year.   Given a choice, always buy a property that will "take a good photograph".=

2.      Is it near a village or town?

Most people like to be ab= le to walk to a village or town – ideally one with a bar and restaurant as = well as a supermarket, baker and other amenities. If you cannot walk to a village the village should be no more than a short car ride away

3.      Is it accessible?

Who is your target audien= ce?   Do you want to rent to the B= ritish or the French?   Will the= y be able to find you?   Will = they want to drive to you?

The British audience will= arrive by car from one of the channel ports/tunnel or via a major airport (see "Which Type of Property & Area Will Suit You" above)

Ideally you should be wit= hin 1 to 1½ hours drive of these access points, but in practice people will d= rive considerably further – especially to get to an attractive property – because driving on French roads is a pleasure after the chaotic and overcrowded British ones.

Clear directions – = so that people don't spend 2 hours covering the last half mile – and a clear signpost to show they have arrived will encourage repeat visitors.

4.      Are there attractions to bring people to your area?

There are thousands of to= urist attractions in Franc= e.   What is important is to be i= n an area that has a number of attractions.   The attractions will attract people and people will rent your property.= To find out the tourist attractions in the area you are thinking of buying contact the French Tourist Office and/or study the tourist guides to= France available in libraries and bookshops.   If you see the attraction fe= atured prominently, so will your guests.

It may be enough to have = one major attraction – such as Disneyland – which brings millions of visitors but where there is lots of competition to provide accommodation.   It may be better to have sev= eral smaller attractions, maybe at different times of the year.   A local abbey could attract a small number of visitors year round. = A flower festival or classic car rally could attract many more for a limited period.

Remember that facilities = such as golf or access to first class beaches are themselves tourist attractions. Remember too that something very l= ocal, such as the lady in the village who runs pottery or cooking classes, could provide all the visitors you need, provided you strike a deal whereby she refers visitors to you.   20% of rent received should do the trick!

The attractions near to y= ou will not only determine the number of visitors but the type of visitor.   Your property should be gear= ed to deal with them.   So, for example, if you are near an area famous for windsurfing your property shoul= d be furnished robustly enough to cater for the young enthusiasts, should have somewhere to store their gear and somewhere to dry off wet clothing.   This will help attract people choosing between your property and that of your neighbour and will bring re= peat visitors.

A property miles from any attractions will appeal only to a very small clientele, however pretty the property and however lovely the countryside.

5.      Does the property have all the required facilities?

Different markets require different facilities.   T= hink what, for you, would make the place special and do a bit of market research= by asking people similar to those you want to attract what they would like.

The biggest issue is whet= her to have a pool.   If you are catering to a family market in rural France a pool will dramatical= ly increase bookings.   They= are expensive.   It will cost £10,000 - £15,000 to construct a decent sized pool and, perhaps, £3,000 per year to maintain it.

6.      Are you prepared to forgo using the property during peak periods?

If you can make it availa= ble for rental July, August and early September (particularly August) and also at Easter you will dramatically increase your rental income.

7.      Are you going to use the services of a managing agent?

This is someone who will = look after the letting of the property, deal with the cleaning and handovers, pay the bills, look after repairs etc. &n= bsp; They will typically charge about 20% of rental income received as th= eir fee.   Management compani= es generally operate only in popular areas where there is enough demand to keep them in business.

If you do not use a manag= ing agent you will still (usually) need to employ a cleaner and someone to deal with handovers.   This co= uld be the same person and, in rural areas, would probably be a neighbour.

In our experience it is s= eldom sufficient to rely on a management company if you want to let the property = to its full potential.   Own= ers, through family, friends, work mates and other contacts, are usually better = at filling the off season weeks than a management company is.   The management company, howe= ver, will capture passing trade that you would not pick up and can redirect visi= tors from over-booked property to yours.

In our experience the peo= ple who make the most money from rental income are those who do not use a management company but deal with these things themselves.   This does not mean you shoul= d not use a company!   You may = have neither the time nor the inclination to do this work yourself.

If your property is well = located, attractive and clean you should expect about 30% repeat visitors in most areas.   Generally it tak= es 4 or 5 years for a rental property to reach its full potential.

Having said all of this, what can you expect to genera= te by way of rental income?

In our experience a reasonably diligent person, doing = their best to find tenants and not relying wholly on a management company but not totally obsessive about the property – can expect to produce roughly = the following results:

Renting out your property – Performance Targets

Area & Type of Property

Target We= eks

%age retu= rn

Paris – Apartment

35

8

Nice – Apartment

30

7

Cote d'Azur villa

25

5

Normandy/Brittany – coastal house/apartment

20

6

Normandy/Brittany – inland

16

5

At= lantic Coast

20

6

Dordogne

16

5

Proven= ce

16

5

Other Inland France

12

4

The Target Weeks is the number of weeks you could expe= ct to let an average property provided you did not use it for July or August.

The %age return is the amount you should expect to gen= erate as a percentage of the value of the property, after payment of all agents f= ees, water, electricity, cleaning and other outgoings related to the rental peri= od but before taking into account your own personal tax liability.

THESE ARE GENERAL GUIDES ONLY and will vary significan= tly from property to property, management company to management company and own= er to owner.

If you are thinking about renting out your property it= is VITAL that you get legal advice from a lawyer who understands both the Fren= ch and English law and tax systems. A few properties in Fr= ance cannot be rented out on a professional basis. All letting will have far reaching= tax consequences in both countries.

Capital Growth

One of the great attractions of owning a property is t= he potential for the asset growing in value whilst, at the same time, you enjoy the use of it.   Few woul= d say that you get as much fun out of 10,000 Abbey National shares as you do out of a flat in Antibes! The flat in = Antibes is also less likely to go bust,= or to be taken over and lose half its value overnight.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>   In case there are any libel lawyers reading, I am not suggesting that Abbey National is likely to go bu= st.

=

For some pe= ople the choice of place to buy a property – or the selection of which of seve= ral places to choose – is governed by likely capital growth.

=

In popular = areas – and, in particular, in popular tourist areas – there have oft= en been large amounts of property inflation.

=

The Alterna= tives to Buying

Rental

If you are retiring there is a lot to be said for temporarily renting a place in the area where you are thinking of living. It is best to do this for a full y= ear before deciding whether to live there.   Allowing for time thereafter= to find and buy a property probably means an 18 month rental.   Try to rent something simila= r to what you are thinking of buying and do not rent unseen - take a short holiday to find your = rental property.

If you rent you are less likely to commit yourself to = a purchase in an area you turn out not to like. It also avoids the expensive process of having to sell the property = and buy another, either in France or back in England.   The overall cost of moving i= n France = is likely to be about 13% of the price of your new property, 8 – 9% being the fees on the purchase of the new property and 5% being the estate agents' fee for selling the old one. = A move back to England would (depending on the value of the property bought) be likely to cost abo= ut 8% - 5% sales expenses in France and 3% purchase expenses in England.

There are drawbacks to this course of action:

1.      In the recent past property prices in many areas have risen rapidly.   For example, if you had been buying in Nice then delaying 18 months 2 years ago would probably have cost= you about 15% - 20% in increased property cost.   This is = a lot more than your money would have made if invested, so the delay would have c= ost you money.

2.      The rent you paid out is dead money. &nbs= p; This would probably be about 5% - 6% of the value of a property per annum for a property let on an 18 month let.

3.      You want to get on with your life, especially if you have just retired.

4.      Moving is stressful.   You will = have to do it twice rather than once.

5.      Moving into temporary accommodation can produce a lack of attachment to the area, which can mean that you don't commit to it and give it a fair try. You are always looking back over y= our shoulder at England<= /st1:place> rather than forward to France.

6.      It can be hard to find good accommodation available on an 18 month let.

If you are thinking of a holiday home it can also make= sense to rent rather than buy.   The biggest drawback to owning a property overseas is that you feel compelled to take all your holidays there.   You are paying for it so you should use it.   If you invested the money sp= ent on the home it would generate a good income, which would pay for a holiday anywhere in the world.   = Of course, renting is never as good as owning your own home.   You do not know the quality = of what you will find on arrival. You won't be able to leave your clothes there and so travel light.   You won't have friends there= and so feel part of the community.   You won't be able to offer the use of the property to family and friends. You may find that yo= ur investment of the cash saved has performed less well than the house would.<= /p>
Exchanges

Why not spend your holidays in someone else's home = 211; free of charge?

If you have an attractive property in England= you may well find a French family who are only too pleased to leave their house in = Provence for Aug= ust to stay in your place in London – whilst you do the reverse. Not only do you change houses but cars and possibly dogs too.   What about leaving the kids behinds as well?   No, that’s a joke.

Timeshare

Timeshare is a great product, too often sold by crooks= .

The accommodation is almost always first class and, of= ten, the annual usage charges are reasonable.&n= bsp; The problem is that the purchase price is usually out of all proport= ion to the value of the property.   But, if you buy second hand you can pick up timeshare weeks for £750 that will enable you to swap in and out of resorts all over the world.   It is not like o= wning your own property.   It w= on't go up in value.   But if = you only have 3 or 4 weeks overseas holiday per year it is very flexible and wo= rth a thought.   Be VARY CARE= FUL who you buy from.     Where possible deal directly with a private seller.   If you are going to deal wit= h a company ONLY deal with a resale company that is a member of OTE (The Organisation for Timeshare in Europe) an= d, if in any doubt, despite the low cost of the second-hand purchase, use a lawye= r to protect your interests.

Good sources of resale timeshare direct from the owner include your supermarket notice board (WANTED: Timeshare week in one bedroom apartment in France<= /st1:place>), Exchange & Mart and Daltons Weekly.

We would strongly advise you not to deal with so called "Holiday Clubs".

Part-ownership schemes

This is not timeshare.   It is a scheme whereby sever= al people buy a home for their joint use.   Those people could be you an= d your children, you and your neighbours or friends or complete strangers.   The property is normally own= ed through a company. You own a percentage of the shares of the company proportionate to your agreed usage = of the property.

For example, you may buy the right to use an apartment= in Nice for 2 months per year.   The apartment may be worth £200,000.   You may have paid £40,= 000 for the right to use it for August and £10,000 for the right to use it for November.   You would= own 2 out of 12 shares in the company. You would pay 2/12ths (16.66%) of the annual running costs of the property.   You would eit= her appoint a professional manager or, if you were friends, get together every = year to decide about furnishing, repairs etc.   You can (subject to the rule= s of the group) either use the property yourself during your period of entitleme= nt, allow friends to use it or rent it out.

It can work very well.   You get all the holiday you need.   You don't have to= worry about finding tenants or the property being empty.   You only pay for what you use.   You should see a long-term growth in the value of your investment as you own the house that = lies below the company structure.   With luck, you become friends and therefore can leave property in the house and furnish it to a better standard than you would find in rental property because you trust each other.

If you are thinking about going into such a scheme you= MUST take advice from a lawyer familiar with French law AND the law of the count= ry where the scheme has been constituted.

Inspecting Property<= /h2>
Whatever property you are thinking of buying you should think about having it inspected be= fore you commit yourself to the purchase.

In fact – foolishly – very few buyers of property in France do this.   There is no tradition of doing so.   = It costs just as much and causes just as much disruption to repair property in= France = as in England= , so you don't want any surprises.

A new property will be covered by a two year guarantee= (responsabilité= ; garantie = biennale), running from the date of handover (= reception des travaux), covering minor but not trivial defects in a new property.   The property will also benefit from a guarantee in respect of major structural defects that will last for 10 years (garantie décennale). As a subsequent purchaser you assu= me the benefit of these guarantees.   After 10 years you are on your own!= For property more than 10 years old (and, arguably, for younger prop= erty too) you should consider a survey.

If you decide on a survey there are a number of options available to you.

Do it yourself

There are several things that you can do yourself. These will help you decide when to instruct a surveyor to do a proper survey and help direct him to any specif= ic points of interest.

Checklist – Do-it-yourself inspection of property

Task

4

Title

   &n= bsp;        Check that the property corresponds with its description in the title

   &n= bsp;        number of rooms

   &n= bsp;        plot size

Plot

   &n= bsp;        Identify the physical boundaries of the plot?

   &n= bsp;        Is there any dispute with anyone over these boundaries?

Are there any obvious f= oreign elements on your plot such as pipes, cables, drainage ditches, water tanks etc?

Are there any signs of = anyone else having rights over the property?   Footpaths, access ways, cartridges from hunting etc?

Garden/Terrace

   &n= bsp;        Are any plants, ornaments etc on site not being sold with the property

Pool

   &n= bsp;        Is there a pool?   If so:<= /p>

   &n= bsp;            = ;        What size is it?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Is it clean and algae free?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Do the pumps work?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        How old is the machinery?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Who maintains it?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        What is the annual cost of maintenance?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Does it appear to be in good condition?=         = ;

Walls - Stand back from property and inspect from ou= tside

   &n= bsp;        Any signs of subsidence?

   &n= bsp;        Walls vertical?

   &n= bsp;        Any obvious cracks in walls?

   &n= bsp;        Are walls well pointed?

   &n= bsp;        Any obvious damp patches?

   &n= bsp;        Any new repairs to walls or re-pointing?

Roof – inspect from outside property

   &n= bsp;        Does roof sag?      &= nbsp;

   &n= bsp;        Are there missing/slipped tiles?

   &n= bsp;        Do all faces of roof join squarely?

   &n= bsp;        Lead present and in good order?

Guttering & Downpipes – inspect from outsi= de property

   &n= bsp;        All present?

   &n= bsp;        Securely attached?

   &n= bsp;        Fall of guttering constant?

   &n= bsp;        Any obvious leaks?

   &n= bsp;        Any recent repairs?

Enter Property

   &n= bsp;        Does it smell of damp?

   &n= bsp;        Does it smell "musty"

   &n= bsp;        Does it smell of dry rot?

   &n= bsp;        Any other strange smells?

Doors

   &n= bsp;        Signs of rot?

   &n= bsp;        Close properly – without catching?

   &n= bsp;        Provide proper seal?

   &n= bsp;        Locks work?

Windows

   &n= bsp;        Signs of rot?

   &n= bsp;        Close properly – without catching?

   &n= bsp;        Provide proper seal?

   &n= bsp;        Locks work?

   &n= bsp;        Excessive condensation?

Floor

   &n= bsp;        Can you see it all?

   &n= bsp;        Does it appear in good condition?

   &n= bsp;        Any sign of cracked or rotten boards

Under floor

   &n= bsp;        Can you get access under the floor?

   &n= bsp;        If so, is it ventilated?

   &n= bsp;        Is there any sign of rot?

   &n= bsp;        How close are joists?

   &n= bsp;        Are joist ends in good condition where they go into walls?

   &n= bsp;        What is maximum unsupported length of joist run?

   &n= bsp;        Is there any sign of damp or standing water?

Roof Void

   &n= bsp;        Is it accessible?

   &n= bsp;        Is there sign of water entry?

   &n= bsp;        Can you see daylight through the roof?

   &n= bsp;        Is there an underlining between the tiles and the void?

   &n= bsp;        Is there any sign of rot in timbers

   &n= bsp;        Horizontal distance between roof timbers

   &n= bsp;        Size of roof timbers (section)

   &n= bsp;        Maximum unsupported length of roof timbers

   &n= bsp;        Is roof insulated – if so, what depth and type of insulation?

Woodwork

   &n= bsp;        Any sign of rot?

   &n= bsp;        Any sign of wood boring insects?

   &n= bsp;        Is it dry?

Interior walls

   &n= bsp;        Any significant cracks?

   &n= bsp;        Any obvious damp problems?

   &n= bsp;        Any sign of recent repair/redecoration?

Electricity

   &n= bsp;        Check electricity meter.   &nbs= p;

   &n= bsp;            = ;        How old is it?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        What is its rated capacity?

   &n= bsp;        Check all visible wiring.   <= /p>

   &n= bsp;            = ;        What type is it?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Does it appear in good physical condition?

   &n= bsp;        Check all plugs

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Is there power to plug?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Does plug tester show good earth and show "OK"

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Are there enough plugs?

   &n= bsp;        Lighting

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Do all lights work?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Which light fittings are included in sale?

Water

   &n= bsp;        Do all hot and cold taps work?

   &n= bsp;        Is flow adequate?

   &n= bsp;        Do taps drip?

   &n= bsp;        Is there a security cut off on all taps between mains and tap?

   &n= bsp;        Do they seem in good condition?

Hot Water

   &n= bsp;        Is hot water "on"?   If so, does it work at all taps, showers etc?

   &n= bsp;        What type of hot water system is fitted?

   &n= bsp;        Age?

Gas

   &n= bsp;        Is the property fitted with city (piped) gas? If so:

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Age of Meter

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Does installation appear in good order?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Is there any smell of gas?

   &n= bsp;        Is the property fitted with bottled gas?   If so:

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Where are bottles stored?   &nbs= p;

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Is it ventilated to outside of premises?

Central Heating

   &n= bsp;        Is the property fitted with central heating?   If so:

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Is it "on"?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Will it turn on?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        What type is it?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Is there hear at all radiators/outlets?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Do any thermostats appear to work?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Are there any signs of leaks?

Fireplaces

   &n= bsp;        Is property fitted with any solid fuel heaters? If so:

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Any sign of blow back from chimneys?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Do chimneys (outside) show stains from leakage?

   &n= bsp;            = ;        Do chimneys seem in good order?

Air conditioning

   &n= bsp;        Which rooms are air conditioned?

   &n= bsp;        Are units included in the sale?

   &n= bsp;        Do the units work (deliver cold air)?

   &n= bsp;        What type of air conditioning is it?

   &n= bsp;        How old is it?

Phone

   &n= bsp;        Does it work?

   &n= bsp;        Number

Satellite TV

   &n= bsp;        Does it work?

   &n= bsp;        Is it included in the sale?

Drainage

   &n= bsp;        What type of drainage does property have?

   &n= bsp;        If septic tank, how old?

   &n= bsp;        Who maintains it?

   &n= bsp;        When was it last maintained?

   &n= bsp;        Any smell of drainage problems in bathrooms & toilets?

   &n= bsp;        Does water drain away rapidly from all sinks, showers and toilets?

   &n= bsp;        Is there any inspection access through which you can see drainage taking pla= ce

   &n= bsp;        Is there any sign of plant ingress to drains?

   &n= bsp;        Do drains appear to be in good condition and well pointed?

Kitchen

   &n= bsp;        Do all cupboard open/close properly?

   &n= bsp;        Any sign of rot?

   &n= bsp;        Tiling secure and in good order?

   &n= bsp;        Enough plugs?

   &n= bsp;        What appliances are included in sale?

   &n= bsp;        Do they work?

   &n= bsp;        Age of appliances included?

Bathroom

   &n= bsp;        Security and condition of tiling?

   &n= bsp;        Ventilation?

Appliances

   &n= bsp;        What appliances generally are included in sale?

   &n= bsp;        What is NOT include in sale?

Furniture

   &n= bsp;        What furniture is included in sale?

   &n= bsp;        What is NOT include in sale?

Repairs/Improvements/Additions

   &n= bsp;        What repairs have been carried out in last 2 years?

   &n= bsp;        What improvements have been carried out in last 2 years/10 years?

   &n= bsp;        What additions have been made to the property in last 2 years/10 years?

   &n= bsp;        Do they have builders receipts/guarantees?

   &n= bsp;        Do they have building consent/planning permission for any additions or alterations?

Defects

   &n= bsp;        Is seller aware of any defects in the property?

Estate Agent's Valuation & "Survey"=

It may be possible to arrange for another local estate= agent to give the property a quick "once over" to comment on the price asked and any obvious problem areas. = This is far short of a survey. It is likely to cost about £200.

Mortgage Lenders Survey

This is no substitute for a proper survey.   Many lenders do not ask for = one and, where they do, it is normally fairly peremptory, limited to a check on whether it is imminently about to fall over and whether it is worth the mon= ey the bank is lending you.

French Builder

If you are going to do a virtual demolition and rebuil= d then it might make more sense to get a builder to do a report on the property.   A reputable and experienced qualified builder (maître d'o= euvres) will also be able to comment on whether the price is reasonable for the property in its existing state. Make sure you ask for a binding written quotation (devis) for any building work proposed.   These are exc= ellent documents that set out clearly the work required and the charge for doing it.   Would that British builders gave them.   As = in any country it is as well to get several quotes, though in rural areas this can= be tricky.

French Surveyor

There are a number of options here. There is no single profession of surveyor in France as we have it in Eng= land. Instead, different professionals c= arry out surveys that are different from each other and appropriate in different circumstances.   Seek adv= ice about which to use in your case. &nbs= p; The local notary or estate agents can put you in touch with the right people.   In most rural a= reas there will be limited choice but, for obvious reasons, it is perhaps better = not to seek a recommendation from the estate agent selling the property.   Alternatively, if you are us= ing UK lawy= ers, they will probably have a recommendation.   If you prefer you can select "blind" from a list of local members supplied by the surveyors professional body.

Architect (= architecte)

An architect's survey will, as you might expect, tend = to focus on issues of design and construction although it should cover all of the ba= sic subjects needed in a survey.   The body to contact for a list of local architects is the College of Architects. This is not a training establishme= nt but the architects' professional body, as in the Royal College of Surgeons. Costs vary depending on the size a= nd complexity of the house and the distance from the architect's base.   Allow £500 - £15= 00 for an average house.

Valuer/Surveyor (expert immobilier)

The survey from an expert will focus on measurement and valuation, but will also cover the essential issues relating to the structure of the property. For a list of experts contact the Chambre des Expe= rts Immobiliers.&nbs= p; Experts produce two type= s of report.   The more common= is the expertise, a report of limi= ted scope – really the initial observations of a trained eye.   Such a report will contain l= ittle in the way of testing.   = The less common is the fuller structural report (bilan de santé). Not all surveyors produce the latter reports.

As with architects, costs vary depending on the size a= nd complexity of the house and the distance from the surveyor's base.    They will also vary to reflect the depth of report required. Allow £500 for a basic report on an average house and £5= 00 - £1500 for a more complex report.

Whichever type of report and whether it is from an arc= hitect or a surveyor you will find that it is different from the sort of report you would get from an English surveyor. &= nbsp; Many people find it a little "thin", with too much focus on issues that are not their primary concern.   It will, hardly surprisingly= , be in French. You will need to h= ave it translated unless you speak very good French and have access to a technical dictionary.   Translation= costs amount to about £60 - £100 per thousand words, depending on whe= re you are located and the complexity of the document.   Incidentally, always use an English person to translate documents from French into English.   An alternative to translatio= n of the full report would be to ask your lawyer to summarise the report in a le= tter to you and to have translated any areas of particular concern.

A few French surveyors and architects, mainly in the p= opular areas, have geared themselves to the non-French market and will produce a report rather more like a British or German survey. They will, probably, also prepare = it in bilingual form or at least supply a translation of the original French document.

UK Qualified Surveyor based in France

A number of UK surveyors – usually those with a love of France – have seen a ga= p in the market and have set themselves up in France to provide British sty= le structural surveys.   As = in this country they usually offer the brief "Homebuyers" report or = the fuller "Full Structural Survey".= This is not as simple as it would first appear.   To do the job well they must= learn about French building techniques and regulations, which are different from those in Britain.   Without this knowledge the r= eport will be of limited value.   Prices a generally slightly more expensive than for a French report,= but it will be in English and so avoid the need for translation costs.   Your UK lawyer should be able to recommend a surveyor able to do a survey in your area.   Alternatively, look for advertisers in the main French Property magazines.

Check they have indemnity insurance covering the provi= sion of reports in France= .    Check also on the pers= on's qualifications and experience in providing reports on French property and g= et an estimate.   The estima= te will only be an estimate because they will not know for sure the scope of t= he task until they visit the property and because travelling time means that visits to give estimates are not usually feasible.

UK based Surveyor

Some UK surveyors provide reports from a base in the UK. These can be very good but travell= ing tie often makes them impractical – especially in remote areas –= and expensive.   Make the same checks as for a UK surveyor based in Fr= ance.

Timescale

Most surveys can be done in 7 – 10 days.

Contracts "subject to survey"

This is unusual in France.   Legally there is nothing to = stop a French preliminary contract (compromis de vente) containing a get out clause (clause suspensive= ) stating that the sale is conditional upon a satisfactory survey being obtai= ned. It is unlikely to meet with the ap= proval of the seller, his agent or notary unless the transaction is unusual.   For example, the purchase of= a castle where the cost of a survey could be huge.   In an ordinary case the sell= er is likely to tell you to do your survey and then sign a contract.   This does expose you to some risk.   The seller could = sell to someone else before you get the results of the survey.   You may be able to enter int= o a reservation contract (see below) to take the property off the market for a couple of weeks and so avoid this risk.   Alternatively, you may make a (probably) unenforceable "Gentleman's Agreement that the seller will n= ot sell to anyone else for the next two weeks and so allow you to have your su= rvey done.   It helps if you h= ave established a good relationship with the seller or his agent and have shown= you are a serious player, perhaps by having already placed the deposit money wi= th your lawyer (see above).   The seller is reluctant to place a clau= se suspensive in the contract because of the difficu= lty of deciding what is a satisfactory survey.   The problem exists in England too.   If you try to pull= out because the surveyor says the paint is peeling in the kitchen (and your wife has decided she doesn't like the house after all) the property can remain frozen until your dispute is resolved, possibly through the courts.

General

Whichever report you opt for its quality will depend i= n part on your input.   Agree cl= early and in writing the things you expect to be covered in the report. If you to not speak French (and the surveyor doesn't speak good English) you may have to ask someone to write on your behalf.   Your UK lawy= er would probably be the best bet.   Some of the matters you may wish to think about are set out below.   Some of these will involve y= ou in additional cost.   Ask wh= at will be covered as part of the standard fee and get an estimate for the ext= ras.

Checklist – Things you may= ask your Surveyor to do

Task

Electrical condition and continuity check

Drains check including assessment of drain to point = where they join mains sewers or septic tank

Septic tank check

Rot check

Check on cement in property constructed out of cemen= t

Check of underfloor area= s, where access cannot easily be obtained

Check on heating and air conditioning

Check on pool and all pool related equipment and hea= ting

Wood boring insect check.   Roughly half of France is infested with termites, so this is important

Useful Names & Addresses

Renting out your property – Performance Targets
Area & Type of Property	Target We= eks	%age retu= rn
Paris – Apartment	35	8
Nice – Apartment	30	7
Cote d'Azur villa	25	5
Normandy/Brittany – coastal house/apartment	20	6
Normandy/Brittany – inland	16	5
At= lantic Coast	20	6
Dordogne	16	5
Proven= ce	16	5
Other Inland France	12	4

Checklist – Do-it-yourself inspection of property
Task	4
Title
&n= bsp; Check that the property corresponds with its description in the title
&n= bsp; number of rooms
&n= bsp; plot size
Plot
&n= bsp; Identify the physical boundaries of the plot?
&n= bsp; Is there any dispute with anyone over these boundaries?
Are there any obvious f= oreign elements on your plot such as pipes, cables, drainage ditches, water tanks etc?
Are there any signs of = anyone else having rights over the property? Footpaths, access ways, cartridges from hunting etc?
Garden/Terrace
&n= bsp; Are any plants, ornaments etc on site not being sold with the property
Pool
&n= bsp; Is there a pool? If so:<= /p>
&n= bsp; = ; What size is it?
&n= bsp; = ; Is it clean and algae free?
&n= bsp; = ; Do the pumps work?
&n= bsp; = ; How old is the machinery?
&n= bsp; = ; Who maintains it?
&n= bsp; = ; What is the annual cost of maintenance?
&n= bsp; = ; Does it appear to be in good condition?= = ;
Walls - Stand back from property and inspect from ou= tside
&n= bsp; Any signs of subsidence?
&n= bsp; Walls vertical?
&n= bsp; Any obvious cracks in walls?
&n= bsp; Are walls well pointed?
&n= bsp; Any obvious damp patches?
&n= bsp; Any new repairs to walls or re-pointing?
Roof – inspect from outside property
&n= bsp; Does roof sag? &= nbsp;
&n= bsp; Are there missing/slipped tiles?
&n= bsp; Do all faces of roof join squarely?
&n= bsp; Lead present and in good order?
Guttering & Downpipes – inspect from outsi= de property
&n= bsp; All present?
&n= bsp; Securely attached?
&n= bsp; Fall of guttering constant?
&n= bsp; Any obvious leaks?
&n= bsp; Any recent repairs?
Enter Property
&n= bsp; Does it smell of damp?
&n= bsp; Does it smell "musty"
&n= bsp; Does it smell of dry rot?
&n= bsp; Any other strange smells?
Doors
&n= bsp; Signs of rot?
&n= bsp; Close properly – without catching?
&n= bsp; Provide proper seal?
&n= bsp; Locks work?
Windows
&n= bsp; Signs of rot?
&n= bsp; Close properly – without catching?
&n= bsp; Provide proper seal?
&n= bsp; Locks work?
&n= bsp; Excessive condensation?
Floor
&n= bsp; Can you see it all?
&n= bsp; Does it appear in good condition?
&n= bsp; Any sign of cracked or rotten boards
Under floor
&n= bsp; Can you get access under the floor?
&n= bsp; If so, is it ventilated?
&n= bsp; Is there any sign of rot?
&n= bsp; How close are joists?
&n= bsp; Are joist ends in good condition where they go into walls?
&n= bsp; What is maximum unsupported length of joist run?
&n= bsp; Is there any sign of damp or standing water?
Roof Void
&n= bsp; Is it accessible?
&n= bsp; Is there sign of water entry?
&n= bsp; Can you see daylight through the roof?
&n= bsp; Is there an underlining between the tiles and the void?
&n= bsp; Is there any sign of rot in timbers
&n= bsp; Horizontal distance between roof timbers
&n= bsp; Size of roof timbers (section)
&n= bsp; Maximum unsupported length of roof timbers
&n= bsp; Is roof insulated – if so, what depth and type of insulation?
Woodwork
&n= bsp; Any sign of rot?
&n= bsp; Any sign of wood boring insects?
&n= bsp; Is it dry?
Interior walls
&n= bsp; Any significant cracks?
&n= bsp; Any obvious damp problems?
&n= bsp; Any sign of recent repair/redecoration?
Electricity
&n= bsp; Check electricity meter. &nbs= p;
&n= bsp; = ; How old is it?
&n= bsp; = ; What is its rated capacity?
&n= bsp; Check all visible wiring. <= /p>
&n= bsp; = ; What type is it?
&n= bsp; = ; Does it appear in good physical condition?
&n= bsp; Check all plugs
&n= bsp; = ; Is there power to plug?
&n= bsp; = ; Does plug tester show good earth and show "OK"
&n= bsp; = ; Are there enough plugs?
&n= bsp; Lighting
&n= bsp; = ; Do all lights work?
&n= bsp; = ; Which light fittings are included in sale?
Water
&n= bsp; Do all hot and cold taps work?
&n= bsp; Is flow adequate?
&n= bsp; Do taps drip?
&n= bsp; Is there a security cut off on all taps between mains and tap?
&n= bsp; Do they seem in good condition?
Hot Water
&n= bsp; Is hot water "on"? If so, does it work at all taps, showers etc?
&n= bsp; What type of hot water system is fitted?
&n= bsp; Age?
Gas
&n= bsp; Is the property fitted with city (piped) gas? If so:
&n= bsp; = ; Age of Meter
&n= bsp; = ; Does installation appear in good order?
&n= bsp; = ; Is there any smell of gas?
&n= bsp; Is the property fitted with bottled gas? If so:
&n= bsp; = ; Where are bottles stored? &nbs= p;
&n= bsp; = ; Is it ventilated to outside of premises?
Central Heating
&n= bsp; Is the property fitted with central heating? If so:
&n= bsp; = ; Is it "on"?
&n= bsp; = ; Will it turn on?
&n= bsp; = ; What type is it?
&n= bsp; = ; Is there hear at all radiators/outlets?
&n= bsp; = ; Do any thermostats appear to work?
&n= bsp; = ; Are there any signs of leaks?
Fireplaces
&n= bsp; Is property fitted with any solid fuel heaters? If so:
&n= bsp; = ; Any sign of blow back from chimneys?
&n= bsp; = ; Do chimneys (outside) show stains from leakage?
&n= bsp; = ; Do chimneys seem in good order?
Air conditioning
&n= bsp; Which rooms are air conditioned?
&n= bsp; Are units included in the sale?
&n= bsp; Do the units work (deliver cold air)?
&n= bsp; What type of air conditioning is it?
&n= bsp; How old is it?
Phone
&n= bsp; Does it work?
&n= bsp; Number
Satellite TV
&n= bsp; Does it work?
&n= bsp; Is it included in the sale?
Drainage
&n= bsp; What type of drainage does property have?
&n= bsp; If septic tank, how old?
&n= bsp; Who maintains it?
&n= bsp; When was it last maintained?
&n= bsp; Any smell of drainage problems in bathrooms & toilets?
&n= bsp; Does water drain away rapidly from all sinks, showers and toilets?
&n= bsp; Is there any inspection access through which you can see drainage taking pla= ce
&n= bsp; Is there any sign of plant ingress to drains?
&n= bsp; Do drains appear to be in good condition and well pointed?
Kitchen
&n= bsp; Do all cupboard open/close properly?
&n= bsp; Any sign of rot?
&n= bsp; Tiling secure and in good order?
&n= bsp; Enough plugs?
&n= bsp; What appliances are included in sale?
&n= bsp; Do they work?
&n= bsp; Age of appliances included?
Bathroom
&n= bsp; Security and condition of tiling?
&n= bsp; Ventilation?
Appliances
&n= bsp; What appliances generally are included in sale?
&n= bsp; What is NOT include in sale?
Furniture
&n= bsp; What furniture is included in sale?
&n= bsp; What is NOT include in sale?
Repairs/Improvements/Additions
&n= bsp; What repairs have been carried out in last 2 years?
&n= bsp; What improvements have been carried out in last 2 years/10 years?
&n= bsp; What additions have been made to the property in last 2 years/10 years?
&n= bsp; Do they have builders receipts/guarantees?
&n= bsp; Do they have building consent/planning permission for any additions or alterations?
Defects
&n= bsp; Is seller aware of any defects in the property?

The European Union (EU)

= Travel ti= mes by road within UK. "Off Peak"

Source AutoRoute

= Price of Property per Square Metre (French Francs)<= /a>

Investment potential=

Source – UK - Halifax survey France – Masculissimo.com<= o:p>

Developers (Promoteurs immobiliers)

Marchands de biens

UK<= /st1:country-region> based estate agents

"Freesheets"

Auctions (ventes aux enchè= res)

Estate Agent's Valuation & "Survey"=

Architect (= architecte)

Valuer/Surveyor (expert immobilier)

UK Qualified Surveyor based in France

UK based Surveyor

Raising Finance to Buy a Property in <= /span>France

UK<= /st1:country-region> Mortgages