One of the best things about this book is the way it is beginner-friendly- it does not assume that you already know a lot about France and theFrench way of life. It begins with a thorough rundown of the French way oflife, from motoring regulations and the telephone system to the healthsystem, including useful stuff such as whether your computer will workthere.
I personally know Brittany and Normandy pretty well but not much else so Iwelcomed the regional guide to the other parts of the country – the typeof countryside, how built up they are etc, which gives exactly what youneed to know on the types and prices of houses there and also lesspractical but fun info on regional food specialitities.
But the heart of the book is all its detail on actually buying a house,from finding and dealing with estate agents to the buying procedure. Withthis book I feel forewarned about the differences between buying a housein France and in the UK (for example, I now know that it is very rare toget a survey done before buying a house in France) and know what to expectonce I start house-hunting in earnest!