We’ve got the power!


It’s good for the planet, it’s good for your pocket – energy-effi cient living is moving up to the top of the wish list for a growing number of people looking to buy property in France, says Julie Savill


H


ands up anyone who enjoys paying more than they need to on household bills. No


one? I thought as much. If you are embarking on the search for a place in France, it may well be that you want to consider the energy effi ciency of properties or the potential to improve that in the future. Walking around a French


village, have you ever wondered where everyone is? Why every house is tightly shuttered up? A level of energy effi ciency is built into the culture in France and people grow up knowing how to make the most of what nature


provides. When I fi rst moved here, we would take every opportunity to fl ing open the windows and shutters but we soon learned that we were just letting the house overheat in the summer. By contrast we’d often see windows wide open on a sunny winter’s morning as our neighbours gathered every bit of free heat. Older country houses are


often built with one face towards the south where it will be bathed in any available sunlight and the warmth that comes with that. Shutters and windows are opened early to take advantage of this and then


32 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: May/June 2024


closed to conserve the warmth as the sun moves around. Traditional stone properties


with thick walls have their own in-built level of insulation. They take some time to warm up but, once heated, those walls tend to act as a storage heater, retaining the warmth and keeping you cosy. However, even with those chunky stone walls, there are other elements to take into consideration. Windows are often single glazed, lofts uninsulated, old wooden fl oors and doors can be draughty. If you are looking for a


property to use simply as a


summer bolthole then none of this is likely to impact on your choices particularly. However, if you are aiming for year-round use, there are steps you can take – either in your initial property selection or in improvements you make following your purchase.


THE STYLE FACTOR For a considerable proportion of people, a traditional stone property with old-fashioned charm is the dream; it certainly was mine. Fast-forward a few years and I would happily consider a purpose-built, more modern house with far better


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148