1. Location, location, location
You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again, location is critical when you start your house hunting expedition. Work out before you look, do you want to be near facilities, in a town, in the country, in between? Do you want neighbours or on your own in tranquil bliss? Do you need to be close to a port, airport or train station for travel reasons? Need to go back to the old country for family or business commitments for instance. Once you know what you want, work out what you don’t want. For instance you might not fancy living near a farm (can be a bit smelly)… then start to narrow down the area and move on to step 2.
2. Make friends with the estate agents
Searching on the internet is brilliant but don’t forget to make friend with the immobiliers and notaires. A notaire conducts the legal work of buying and selling but they may also act as a sales agent for properties. They are not allowed to advertise the properties so you can only see details in the notaire's office window usually, sometimes this brings the price down. However it also means that the notaire might not have the expertise of an immobilier.
If you’re searching online use the phrase maison a vendre and the location you’re searching in for instance maison a vendre st remy de provence…
When you register with an agent be clear about your budget and let them know if you’re willing to buy a property which needs renovating. Again be clear about how much renovating you’re prepared to take on...
Five Top Tips for Buying a property in France
Not sure how to get your property search off the ground? Let us takes you through the nitty-gritties of house-hunting in France and on the route to finding your dream home!
You’re after a bargain, not more than you bargained for.
Find Your Dream Home in France