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any visitors to France fall under its
spell, entranced by the relaxed
lifestyle, superb weather, fabulous
countryside, mouthwatering food, good-value
wines... I could go on and on. They then start
thinking about buying a house here:
sometimes as a maison secondaire, but often as
a main residence and an alternative to the
bustling lifestyle in the UK, and also because
France offers so much more for your money.
Even within a target area such as ours (the
south-west) there are so many variations and
options to explore – but before your visit, you
need to do your homework.
France has recently redefined its regional
maps and, as a consequence, new regions have
been created and old names have started to be
used. The former regions of Poitou-Charentes
and Aquitaine have been merged to form
Nouvelle Aquitaine, while Midi-Pyrénées has
been absorbed into the large region called
Occitanie. To confuse matters, Occitanie
includes Languedoc-Roussillon which
previously fell into south-east France.
Decision time
What could influence your choice of area? The
most important decisions perhaps concern
how near to the coast you want to be, how
rural or how much part of a community, and
the climate that you desire. France has several
microclimates and some areas can have
30 French Property News November 2016
Old favourites
Seduced by the south-west? You’re
not alone – but choosing a specific
househunting location can be tricky.
Peter Elias helps to narrow your
search area with tips on climate,
community and value for money
significantly better temperatures or rainfall
levels than neighbouring towns. It is also
important to consider communication systems
and the proximity of airports, ferry ports, rail
services and motorways.
I think it’s fair to say that the popularity of
Poitou-Charentes boomed in the period
2001-2006 as the area was opened up to UK
buyers with cheap flights into La Rochelle,
Poitiers and Limoges, plus an excellent TGV
service. Importantly for buyers, though, the
area is well south of the Loire Valley, often
considered the threshold for better weather.
One other important factor that many
buyers consider is value for money. Limousin is
popular for this, an area of real beauty
bordering the Massif Central. But beware:
there is a world of difference between ‘cheap’
and ‘value for money’, and there’s normally a
reason for prices in one area being
substantially lower in comparison to a
neighbouring area. The weather in northern
parts of the department of Corrèze, for
example, is strongly influenced by the
proximity of the Massif, with towns such as
Treignac and Uzerche getting their share of
snowfall and frosts in the winter months.
Further south in Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, for
example, the climate is much softer, hence the
town and surrounding area are known as the
‘Limousin Riviera’. Non-savvy buyers could be
tempted to buy what appears to be a ‘bargain’
property an hour or so north of Beaulieu,
which looks on the face of it a very comparable
property for a significantly lower price. But
they could be paying over the odds due to
regional price variations, and face difficulties
in the future when they come to resell. An
example of an attractive purchase in Limousin
representing good value for money is a pair of
houses near Meyssac for €375,000 (pictured
above). The property offers rental income
potential, a lovely pool area, and there are six
Plus Beaux Villages within a 30-minute drive.
Another good-value area of south-west
France is the Périgord Vert, consisting of 78
communes, mostly in the Dordogne, with a
large part comprising the Parc Naturel
Régional Périgord-Limousin. The park covers
a surface area of 1,800km2 and is fed by
three great rivers: the Vienne, the Charente
and the Dordogne.
Due to the variations in elevation (85-556m
above sea level), the park possesses different
natural habitats such as moors near
Champagnac-la-Rivière, bocage (mixed
woodland and pasture), meadows near water
courses and wonderful forests of principally
chestnut and oak. South of Mareuil you
encounter heathland and dry grassland, and
there are also lots of little pools and lakes.
The climate in the park is temperate but it
can show local variations: in the north-east the
climate is generally continental, whereas in the
www.completefrance.com
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This pair of houses in
Limousin with lovely pool
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home or rental opportunity
Five-bedroom house
with guest cottage and
pool in the Périgord Vert
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south-west it is maritime. Some protected
south-facing slopes can even possess a
sub-Mediterranean climate, so local knowledge
is important and can make a big difference. We
are currently marketing a 19th-century
farmhouse, renovated to the highest standard
and set within a tranquil corner of the Périgord
Vert. In addition to the five-bedroom principal
house, this property also offers a renovated
guest cottage, pool, landscaped gardens,
350m2 barn (incorporating a garage and
workshop), stable block with hayloft above
and some two hectares of land – all for under
€800,000 (pictured above).
www.completefrance.com
One safe way to choose a location is to opt for
the popular spots of Charente or Dordogne,
which have been favourites with British buyers
for decades. Charente is, in fact, one of the
original 83 departments created after the
French Revolution in March 1790. Cognac and
pineau are two of the area’s renowned
products – along with butter – but, for many
visitors, the lasting impressions are of the
superb fields of sunflowers that dominate the
rolling countryside. The vines of the Grande
Champagne are also a wonderful sight, and
there is even a university in Segonzac to help
students learn how to taste cognac. Visit it and
you will be invited to taste five samples of
different ages and, to cap it all, you will leave
with a certificate awarded by the university.
Prices around the most popular Charentaise
towns of Cognac, Jarnac, Barbezieux and
Angoulême tend to be highest, so you need to
go more rural to find better value for money.
One property that we have previously sold and
that is now available again is a modern house
near Vouzan, 10-15 minutes’ drive east of
Angoulême. An immaculately presented
bungalow, it boasts four to five double
bedrooms, a magnificent terrace overlooking
the gardens and a pool, available for €399,995
(pictured above). Buyers in Charente should be
aware of existing wind farms and the plans to
Jarnac, Charente
build more in some areas. Some agents
disclose where the planned projects are while
others can be economical with the truth –
windmills do certainly impact upon price, but
quite to what extent is difficult to prove.
Love it or hate it, Dordogne is probably the
number-one destination for our buyers. The
‘Dordogneshire’ nickname was actually given
to the area around Eymet following a large
influx of British buyers. Today, Eymet is home
to 2,500 permanent residents, of whom
roughly 25% are British. Budget flights arrive
at nearby Bergerac and Bordeaux airports and
passengers holiday in the hundreds of gîtes
that dot the area. The countryside here is
pretty, the climate hotter than at home, the
food famous (foie gras is a local speciality) and
the Bergerac and Bordeaux wines plentiful and
of good quality. But in persuading people to
stay for good, the first and most important
factor is the price of property. Here you can
buy a beautiful six-bedroom maison de maître
in a market town such as St-Astier, complete
with a successful four-bedroom rental
business, for a recently reduced price of
€699,300 (pictured, below). Such properties, in
a town and close to all facilities such as
schools, shops and restaurants, are hard to
find for this budget.
If your budget is smaller, how about an
enchanting woodland cottage with three
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Six-bedroom ‘maison de maître’
in Dordogne
© flairimages/Fotolia
Down
Four/five-bedroom
bungalow with pool and
garden in Charente
November 2016 French Property News 31
FPN LOCATION
bedrooms, in a tranquil setting with the
chance to get close to deer, wild boar and
woodpeckers? A woodland path provides a
mesmerising walk to the pond among oak and
beech trees, and this area is a delight in the
spring with an abundance of wild flowers
including primroses, violets and bluebells. In
summer there are wild strawberries and in the
autumn many varieties of mushroom including
the highly prized cèpes – the Périgord summed
up perfectly, all for €269,999 (pictured right).
Climate and community
© Denis Badet/Fotolia
32 French Property News November 2016
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Three-bedroom cottage in a tranquil
woodland setting in Périgord
The idea of living in the French countryside
is certainly seductive, and working closely with
a reputable agent can save you a considerable
sum. Choose agents who live in the heart of
the area where they operate and, as such, are
part of the local community – their local
knowledge can be an invaluable tool in your
property search. A property in decent
condition in a popular area is likely to be a
better choice than an exceptional property in
a less desirable location; opting for the latter is
one of the most frequent mistakes that buyers
make in France. If possible, visit a shortlisted
property several times at different times of the
day, which will help to indicate factors such as
traffic and sunlight. Bear in mind that the
position of the sun varies tremendously as the
Limeuil, Dordogne
© Tudorish/Dreamstime
France does occasionally experience extreme
weather, so be wary of areas that come under
the influence of strong winds such as the
Mistral and Tramonte; the latter affects the
coastal region from Perpignan to Narbonne,
created by the difference in pressure between
the cold air of a high-pressure system over the
Atlantic and a low-pressure system over the
Mediterranean. The high-pressure air flows
south, gathering speed as it moves downhill,
and is funnelled between the Pyrénées and the
Massif Central. One area near the Massif
Central has experienced a 41°C difference
between its minimum and maximum
temperatures during a single day – this is quite
an extreme, and will not suit many. Extreme
high air temperatures can contribute to
cardiovascular and respiratory disease, while
pollen and other aero-allergen levels are also
higher in extreme heat.
Village life in France can be a bit like turning
the clock back 50 years in the UK: when you
walk into a shop or bar, everybody speaks and
acknowledges you. It gives you a chance to be
part of a community. Be cautious about going
too rural though, as you can easily become
isolated, and think ahead to the future a little
– you may be able to manage several flights of
stairs today, but what about in 10 years’ time?
Also don’t forget that French property buying
fees will add around 15% to the property sale
price (notaires’ and agents’ fees plus stamp
duty), so it’s an expensive business if you get it
wrong the first time.
seasons progress. Getting out of the car and
walking around the immediate environs is also
a top tip. This may give you an opportunity to
meet potential neighbours, but will also give a
better feel for what to expect from the
environment, such as church bells, cockerels
crowing or a railway line.
The recipe for success is research, research,
research; location, location, location; and a
generous pinch of a good agent. The reason for
that ‘location, location, location’ saying is,
simply, that it’s so vital to a buying decision
that it should take up the top three spots on
the list of things to consider! Hopefully, you
now have a better idea of what you need to be
considering for your search. n
Domme,
Dordogne
Peter Elias is managing director of estate agency
Allez Français
Tel: 0033 (0)5 55 28 46 40
allez-francais.com
www.completefrance.com