Book Description
French Property Buying Guide 2004
Thinking about buying a house in France? Thinking about investing in a French property? Not sure where the proven centres of buying activity, and economic growth are? Or which areas afford property investment potential? Perhaps you’re not sure how to go about it or what’s available in your price range? Look no further than the French Property Buying Guide 2004. This unique, working guide is the must-read for the serious, potential buyer looking anywhere within France’s five corners. It is packed with expert buying advice, a comprehensive Steps To Buying chapter, expert overviews of France’s regions and their property markets, case studies of successful movers, maps depicting the chronologically numbered hotspots and around 1,200 properties for sale. Bought to you by the
publishers of French Magazine and the specialist books on buying properties abroad, the Mguides series, this is a unique guide to finding your perfect French home.
The French Property Buying Guide 2004 contains more than 370 colour pages packed with expertly researched buying and property market advice on almost 100 proven ‘hotspots’ of buying and economic activity across the whole of France. It gives 1,200 examples of real properties for sale in France, supplied by more than 50 immobiliers, case studies, maps, and comprehensive chapters on the French Property Market in 2004, Buying and Selling in 2004, Letting in 2004, Your Purchase in 2004 and a mammoth Steps To Buying section.
The guide is split into three easy-to-navigate sections including a Buying Guide with Case Studies, Regional Property and Price Guide and Facts, Figures with a Buyer’s Reference. The guide features Cross France House, Apartment and Lettings’ matricies to make comparison of these factors nationally, accurate and easy.
From the Author
The French Property Buying Guide 2004 is the definitive guide to buying a property in France.
The Regions. France is officially divided into nearly 100 departments, which are local administrative areas quite similar to the British Countries. They, in turn, make up the official French regions. This guide has grouped the French regions and their departments into 15 sections under the headings and in the order outlined below (the names in brackets are the official French versions)
Brittany (Bretagne)
Côtes-d-Armor (22), Finistère (29), Ille-et-Vilaine (35), Morbihan (56. Brittany is France’s main agricultural producer and has a strong agricultural and livestock industry. The area is most loved due to its rolling fields and moors, long jagged coastline and magnificent beaches. Nicknamed "Little Britain" due to the popularity of the region by the British, Brittany remains one of the cheapest and most convenient areas in France to buy.
Normandy (Basse-Normandie, Haute-Normandie)
Calvados (14), Manche (50), Orne(61) (Basse-Normandie); Eure (27), Seine-Maritime (76)(Haute-Normandie). Normandy is the land if the Bocage, of farmlands, hedgerows and enclosed fields which prospers from its production of meat, milk, butter, cheese and cider apples. The area of Normandy is peaceful and pastoral with endless countryside and clean and sandy beaches offering something for everyone to enjoy.
Nord-Pas-De-Calais & Picardy (Picardie)
Nord (59), Pas-de-Calais (62), (Nord-Pas-de-Calais); Aisne (02), Oise (60), Somme (80) (Picardie). Industry and commerce form the mainstays of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais economy, which is the European centre for mass retailing. The idea that Calais is overrun by British commuters is a myth; there is also a strong local interest. The region exemplifies a historic feel with gothic cathedrals, memorials and battlefields and you will never be far away from a fantastic restaurant.
Ile-De-France
Ville de Paris (75), Seine-et-Marne (77), Yvelines (78), Essonne (91), Hauts-de-Seine (92), Seine-Saint-Denis (93), Val-de-Marne (94), Val-d’Oise (95). This area is the established centre of luxury, art, publishing, high fashion clothes and jewellery, with a quarter of France’s manufacturing industry situated in Paris. With comfortable ban lieu and elegant apartments the area is hugely popular with the foreign buyer, but do not come without high price tags.
Champagne-Ardenne
Ardennes (08), Aube (10), Marne (51), Haute-Marne (52). Wine and champagne (including Moet et Chandon) production has dominated this region, and specifically Epernay and Reims, since the 16th Century. Thriving employment markets in this area make it the ideal location for relocators planning to live and work the French way. The region contains magnificent architecture surrounded by woods and water meadows. Champagne’s association with luxury means that foreign buyers are willing to pay more than the norm for property.
Alsace, Lorraine & Franche-Comte
Bas-Rhin (67), Haut-Rhin (68) (Alsace); Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Meuse (55), Moselle (57), Vosges (88) (Lorraine); Doubs (25), Jura (39), Haute-Saone (70), Territoire de Belfort (90) (Franche-Comté). This region has a thriving property market, with prices continually rising and demand exceeding supply. There is great buy-to-let investment potential as the constant flow of European workers ensures future profit from sales.
The Loire (Centre, Pays De La Loire)
Cher (18), Eure-et-Loir (28), Indre (36), Indre-et-Loire (37), Loir-et-Cher (41), Loiret (45) (Centre); Loire-Atlantique (44), Maine-et-Loire (49), Mayenne (53), Sarthe (72), Vendée (85) (Pays de la Loire). A landscape of forests, small towns and villages dotted along Loire’s river lends itself particularly to Gité tourism. This region is famous for its lush and verdant valleys, gastronomic delights and elegant chateaux and the popularity of the Loire’s holiday market makes it a safe investment for those seeking rental income.
Burgundy (Bourgogne)
Côte-d-Or (21), Nièvre (58), Saône-et-Loire (71), Yonne (89). Burgundy is renowned for its abundance of Michelin-starred restaurants and the production of fine wines, which are produced primarily in the Cote d’Or vineyard area. The regions property market is extremely fast moving due to the gastronomic delights, world-renowned vineyards and diverse landscapes.
Poitou-Charentes
Charente (16), Charente-Maritime (17), Deux-Sèvres (79), Vienne (86). A series of town or inter-regional cottage industries supports this area, whose economy leans mainly towards agricultural production. The traditional country towns, famous for its historic Atlantic ports and rolling plains and bocage, are speckled throughout with Gités but are mainly dominated by renovation properties.
Limousin & Auvergne
Corrèze (19), Creuse (23), Haute-Vienne (87) (Limousin); Allier (03), Cantal (15), Haute-Loire (43), Puy-de-Dôme (63) (Auvergne). Tourism and the technological industry, including the production of electrical fittings, dominate Limoges’ economy. The region exists of untamed countryside, hot springs and spas and volcanic mountain ranges so many buyers are drawn here to pursue an outdoor life. With an excellent rental potential and a tourist driven economy, Limousin is a good place to invest.
The Rhone-Alps (Rhone-Alpes)
Ain (01), Ardeche (07), Drôme (26), Isère (38), Loire (42), Rhône (69), Savoie (73), Haute-Savoie (74). The Rhone-Alpes are surrounded by snow-capped mountains, lush green valleys, lakes and rivers. The ski resorts around Mont-Blanc have a tourism-based economy, with international stars like Chamonix trading off its cosmopolitan restaurants and exclusive boutiques. This extends to the Lake Annecy villages and the popular resorts of Annecy, Talloires and Thonon-les-Bains. Foreign buyers are reminded that demand outstrips supply, rendering property expensive.
Aquitaine
Dordogne (24), Gironde (33), Landes (40), Lot-et-Garonne (47), Pyrénées-Atlantiques (64). Renowned for producing some of France’s finest wines, the Aquitaine region owes its wealth to its vineyards and pine forests. The area’s industry has grown, and the strikingly beautiful coastline has aided development of the tourist industry. The area is hugely popular with the imposing Atlantic coastline offering the property hotspots.
The Midi-Pyrenees
Ariège (09), Aveyron (12), Haute-Garonne (31), Gers (32), Lot (46), Hautes-Pyrenees (65), Tarn (81), Tarn-et-Garonne (82). Traditionally an agricultural area, and despite recent depopulation, this region’s economy has regenerated. Averyon is an up and coming departement with a rugged landscape and fairly inexpensive properties, while Toulouse is ideal for the buyer seeking a thriving city location. Famous for its strong southern sun and beautiful landscapes, the area is in popular demand, and easier access has provided an inevitable rise in property prices.
Languedoc-Roussillon
Aude (11), Gard (30), Hérault (34), Lozère (48), Pyrénées-Orientales (66). The Languedoc region offers endless coastal resorts and acres of vineyards. Attractive towns can be found posing Catalan traditions, which has led to tourism as a major contributor to this areas economy.
Provence, Cote D’Azur & Corsica (Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur, Corse)
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04), Hautes-Alpes (05), Alpes-Maritimes (06), Bouches-du-Rhône (13), Var (83), Vaucluse (84) (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur); Corse-du-Sud (2A), Haute-Corse (2B) (Corse). The Côte d’Azur’s Mediterranean climate, endless sandy beaches and international kudos have created a tourist-based economy in Cannes, Saint-Tropez and Nice, which in turn has encouraged a thriving property buying and rental market, both for permanent movers and second-home buyers. Fuelled by international investment, a seemingly boundless property market has grown up, leading to foreign buyers a guaranteed return on their property investment.
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