Where to live in France - choosing your dream home

Buying in France is all about changing your lifestyle and making the right choices. Choice of property, choice of location, choice of area – these are exciting factors that come into play when you are looking for your dream home. It can help to make a checklist to keep your feet on the ground and your choices sound. Heart and head can work together and practical considerations will help make your dream come true.

Where do you want to live? Consider climate, accessibility and countryside. Do you want to be surrounded by friendly neighbours or in the middle of rural peace and quiet? You are never very far from a boulangerie over here, but how important is access to local services and amenities. Do you need to travel back frequently to the UK? If so, remember that the TGV may be a cost-effective alternative to flying.

What kind of home do you want? Consider the number of bedrooms you need and how much land you want. Is this a permanent move or do you want to find a holiday home? Do you want a character stone farmhouse, logis, maison de maitre or easy to maintain pavillon? Do you want to take on a renovation project or merely lift a paintbrush in your new home?

Do you want to run a business? Gites and chambes d’hotes are favourite business opportunities, but there are others. How about re-opening a café in a small village or running a restaurant? If you want to run gites or chambres d’hotes remember that income is seasonal and not guaranteed.

How much do you want to pay? We all have budgets to suit our own circumstances and want to find a dream home without breaking the bank! When looking at the cost of buying a house, remember there are three main elements to a house price – net vendeur, agent’s commission and notaire’s fee. In common with most French estate agents our advertised house prices do not include the notaire’s fee, so make sure you know this cost if you want to stay within your budget. Do be aware that some agents or companies will add a supplementary management fee or service charge within their all-inclusive price, levied for overseeing the legal process. There are no hidden fees or extra costs within the service we provide as a registered French agent. We will take you through the whole buying process, providing advice and help with every aspect of purchase along with translation of our sales documents.