Is property selling in your region?

We have discussed this matter in the past.
I wondered if there are any new people on the block who have
recently bought a property?
Is there a sudden exit from Uk to France seeking a more simple life?
Many of the empty properties in my village have been snapped up recently.

Hello, I’m new to this site and this is my first posting.

I currently live near Aberdeen (Scotland) and as my (intended) retirement came ever closer, I had started to make plans to move and live in France. Unfortunately some idiot came up with the idea of holding a referendum about leaving the EU and what was once a simple proposition is now more complicated :frowning:

Myself and my wife went to Bordeaux in May and looked at properties in the Dordogne region. However I’m now uncertain that this is the right area to buy into, as I have read comments that if you buy in the “wrong area” then you may have great difficulty reselling in a reasonable time period because the potential pool or buyers can be very restricted.

Obviously there are numerous factors to consider when purchasing/selling property but as if often said the three most important ones are, location, location, location!

For starting point, I just wanted a few pointers/independent opinions from individuals “on the ground” who have experience in the French property market.

This could help me look at more favourable (?more sellable) areas then I would have otherwise been able to find by myself or by being guided by housing agents.

Also, it would help me build a network of people I could potentially draw upon for advice, or discuss other matters with, like the effect that Brexit is having. I have never lived long-term in France, although I have lived abroad in many other (English speaking) countries as well as more recently in China.

As to the type of property I would like. Detached, traditional, preferably already fully refurbished and in good condition, central heating, double glazing, 3/4 beds, reasonable outside space, barn/garage, close to amenities. Budget up to ÂŁ250K.

Time scale was in the next 12 months, but should I wait and see, or do it now? Nobody really knows the answer! I can’t disinvest from the UK before next April and therefore I have to consider the tax implications if I wanted to live permanently in France but still hold property/investments in the UK.

It’s bright and sunny here today but -2C, better go and defrost the car!

Thanks for reading this post!

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Quite honestly, if you are buying a house in France with thoughts of reselling already in your mind, maybe renting would make more sense. Then you can choose a location you actually want to live in, rather than a location where you think houses sell fastest. Outside of Paris and the big towns, where property is not far short of UK prices and you probably don’t want to live anyway, France doesn’t tend to have much of property market as such. The cost of the transaction is enough in itself to disincentivise people from making a habit of moving unless they have to.

The housing market throughout France is very different to that in the U.K. In all areas there will be more housing supply than demand for them. If you buy in a popular region with a reasonable turnover of housing stock you will stand more chance of selling on easily too. Good houses sell, poor houses don’t but, as with everything, price is important. Your budget would buy a good house in many parts of the Dordogne or a better one in documents of the surrounding regions. In my area you could start at looking at properties listed at €100,000 less than your budget with that wish list. In the old Poitou Charente houses do seem to be selling. I was holding the keys for a neighbour who sold his property after June 23 and needed to arrange a rendezvous with his agents on site and they rang twice to ask if they could postpone the date as they were all so busy.
Only you can decide on the area and only a crystal ball can say for sure what the future holds. If you are not sure about which area to choose or even about the strength of your commitment to living in France consider renting for an extended period as this will allow you to get a feel for the area and if you like it to look at the local housing stock in detail.

I suppose Mr Gray you should start your search when you are actually ready.
Viewing properties which you do not intend to buy is a pain in the neck for the agents and the owners.
Not a game of snakes and ladders!

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I think that a potential buyer has the right to look at houses when it suits him. The agents and sellers will have to hope that their property is the one. If it is it would have been a pity if he hadn’t viewed.

There is a difference between a potential buyer to a person who is “just looking” for entertainment purposes
or to gather information.
Viewing a property is a little more personal than walking through a store glancing at gowns or gloves.
Most immobiliers have to spend time driving to the property.
We all see things differently…that is for sure.

We all need to start somewhere but thanks for your terse “advice”, or rather your opinion.

You live in a narrow world. I bought my house in France on impulse first seeing it on a day when we had planned to do little more than look at prices in windows. In other areas I have made some expensive purchases in the past after years of attending boat and motor shows and even sampling what was on offer from time to time. My advice to anybody who is planning to move to France is to get as much in place before they break their ties to their old life; sample a few things to check that they are logistically and financially viable. That includes looking at houses. I’m amazed that someone who has a house on the market can afford to put off potential buyers.

My narrow world" is wide open to those who are potential buyers.

Not too sure of how many impulse buyers there are in France…

but as I said we all have our own views.

How do you recognise a potential buyer? Surely anyone interested in your house fits that description.

No David…not everyone.

Especially not someone who is looking to re locate in a few years time.

Or someone who is looking for a small property for summer holidays.

I will sell my property to the right person at the right moment. I am not

rushing off any where.

Don’t buy - rent! Oh and -2C is nothing - we go down to around -15C so pick your area carefully if temperature is important. You’ll need to go considerably further South than France for a year round temperate climate.

Maybe you have a hidden agenda when talking about selling your property but there are thousands of others who will not be happy that there are people out there telling potential buyers to keep away.

Seems to me it all hinges on where you draw the line between “potential buyer” and “time-waster”. Everyone wants the first but nobody wants the second. And let’s face it, time-wasters do exist…

I have bought and sold several times in France in different regions.

You get to know a lot about an enquirer on the telephone before they

see your property.

In most of the cases I have sold my properties myself without the agents whom

I had contacted with the view to paying a commission.

But with all respect if someone is contemplating moving to France in the distant future…well then they are unlikely to be ready to sign a compromis for a long time.

In view of such a situation I suggest that these people are looking at property at the time and exspense of the immobilier and owner.

If someone is hoping to live her in France by all means visit regions, villages, study climate, amenities and the style and prices of property. Plenty to see on the internet without visiting peoples private properties.

No hidden agenda Mr Martin ! But this is my home and I am happy to invite friends and clients to share what we have here…when I wish to do so.

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It’s your home but you have advertised it for sale. That changes everything.

Hello,

This is also a first post. We are Americans getting ready to retire to France. We’ve made 3 viewing trips and saw many houses. I suppose the owners of the houses we didn’t choose could consider us time wasters, but the owner of the house we have under contract is very happy! We bought in the Poitou Charenete area because we found a house we liked at a reasonable price.

We also looked in the Dordogne, but after looking we realized we didn’t like the architecture as well as the Charentaise style of homes. Plus, we’re moving out of an area saturated with tourist and I don’t want to live in another touristy location.

We aren’t moving for a while yet. It was easier for us to get a mortgage with our current income in the US then to try to get one on our pensions. This is pretty common over here, maybe not so much there.

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