Where, why, what, which? Narrow down your criteria to make your search for that perfect home easier (property details on p36)


F


or most of us, moving to France is a very diff erent deal to moving within the UK.


You probably won’t be tied to one area by family or a job. The range of architectural styles, the varied climate, the amount of land and the value for money can all be tempting and confusing in equal measure. Sometimes buying a property


is a heart matter rather than a head one and that will defi nitely play a part in most French property purchases. However, before you let your heart make any decisions, hold back, play it cool and give some serious thought to what you are getting yourself into.


FIND YOUR ‘WHERE?’ A lot has been written about the size of France and the wildly varied climates, landscapes and property styles. If you have spent time holidaying in this richly diverse country you may already have favourite regions, departments or even towns. If not, your fi rst job is to whittle down the prospective search area to something manageable. It’s easy to fi nd yourself spending much more time driving between properties


Home sweet home?


So, you’ve decided 2025 is your ‘buy a house in France’ year – exciting! Julie Savill explains how to make sure you fi nd the ideal property for you and the lifestyle you want


on viewing trips than actually walking around them and considering their attributes. Lifestyle will play a huge part


in this. There are only so many places that ski enthusiasts are going to have easy access to the slopes, and there is little point in buying somewhere way down south if you are not a fan of long, hot summers. All in all, southwest France from Poitiers down to the Mediterranean coast covers pretty much all options and has the added advantage of effi cient road, rail and air links to the UK and Channel crossings. ‘Where?’ should be the fi rst


criteria on your wishlist, and as you add more must-haves and nice-to-haves to that list, it will start to create a framework that you can use to keep yourself on track and share with your agent


34 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2025


to make sure you end up with a property that will bring you joy for years to come.


STYLING IT OUT Next on the list should be ‘What?’ and this is a really big question, so you might start with the style of property that really speaks to you. Here your wishlist might become a visual moodboard. Hop onto Pinterest or go back through your issues of French Property News and start gathering images of properties that catch your eye. It doesn’t have to be all roses round the door and blue shutters; there is a world of choice out there and practicality needs to be a big part of making the right selection. For instance, if you are


aiming to purchase a second home that you will use for,


say, six or eight weeks of the year, it might be a good move to consider a more modern property that needs very little maintenance. Architectural style will be,


to some degree, dictated by where you are focusing your search. Stone colours, for instance, are quite local as are roofi ng materials and window shapes. However, if you can paint a picture of a style, a vibe, a feel that pleases you, it will help any agent you turn to for assistance in your search.


SIZE MATTERS Next up is size. It matters. You could fi nd that your budget goes a lot further in some parts of France than it would in the UK. The prospect of those extra bedrooms, the additional fl oor, the multiple bathrooms


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