More specifically, where is the market in old, stone houses typically loved by the British yet disdained by the French going? Some online estate agents are talking up the pre-Brexit ‘rush’, suggesting there has never been a better time to sell as Brits flock to France to buy a home and establish residency. Others are suggesting that prices are continuing to rise as, even if there is a ‘no deal’ Brexit, France will remain a great place to have a holiday home, visa or no visa requirements.
On the other hand, why would anyone from the UK buy a house in France at a time of such uncertainty? Surely, you’d wait until after the EU summit in October? Who knows how we’re going to be treated next April; or in 2021 if a deal is done and the transition period remains? Surely fewer people are seriously contemplating buying in France just now and that must be having a depressing effect on prices? One online estate agent is currently advertising 5,390 French properties as “reduced” which suggests the market is hardly booming?
As someone with ‘skin in the game’ this keeps me awake at night; how about you?
People overestimate the effect UK buyers have on the French property market, annually sales are around the one million mark overall but of that number less than 10k are sold to Brits. According to a Notaires report in May prices are increasing even for older rural properties which generally reflects the feeling that the French economy is improving.
In my area the French seem to be keen to buy and live in old stone houses. A lot of the local British residents seem to prefer 1950s or 60s properties on the edges of towns. It’s impossible to generalise.
In our area of the Lot area 46 there are more brits going back then are coming over, it used to be a brit selling to a brit now the French have started to buy them back after they have been restored by them and at a lot lower price that the brits paid for them including the renovation costs and we think we are clever at buying and selling property.
Ours is, indeed a “1950’s place” on the edge of a village - we didn’t eschew old stone cottages on purpose - in fact we viewed a good few - we just liked the place that we bought and it didn’t need masses doing to it (just as well because only being able to visit 5 weeks per year I still haven’t quite finished the new kitchen after 3½ years)
If prices are rising those Brits going back might be better hanging on - though I can see that the uncertain future post Brexit is likely to be unnerving lots of folk. Selling in a hurry is never a good way to get a high price.
In our case the French owner bought in 2007 paying more than he ultimately sold it to us and did more than 50k€ worth of work on it. I think he got badly burned by the general slump in the markets post 2007/2008 and gave up on the kitchen - can’t say I blame him.
Lots of rural properties being done up at the moment around us as well.
Most of the ones that I have spoken to about selling up and going back have told me that the exchange rate is in their favour at the moment and that they have been thinking about going back for quite a while and now is the best time to do it, only one person mentioned brexit and he was all for it only because it as shoved the pound down and it allowed him to give a better discount to his French buyers to secure a sale.
The majority of the people going back mentioned that they have had a great time living in France but the time has come to go back and wait for god’s call.
Yeah - our original plan was to retire to France until we needed any significant healthcare input then return to the UK.
Nothing against French healthcare and many here swear it is much better than the NHS but being ill in a foreign language - even if I achieve a degree of fluency - didn’t strike me as fun.
As it is I am slightly less sure about whether we will retire or just increase the visit lengths. Nothing to do with Brexit either, just that I have realised I might not want to plug myself into the French tax system post retirement.
However, there’s a good way to go before then so anything could happen, I’m keeping an open mind.
I never say never Paul, but, at the mo’ I can’t envisage ever going to live in the UK, I count myself very lucky to have Babeth as a ‘buffer’ re the language ‘factor’
I agree - I get the impression that a lot of Brits have tended to accumulate in certain areas, distorting markets in only very small localised areas They also seem to associate largely with each other and often have a very self referential and subjective view of the French housing market.
We are considering buying another house in France at the moment. This may or may not be sensible but as far as I am aware none of us can accurately read the future.
Thankfully life is not “one size fits all” and I think your situation is very different to ours, I’m not at all surprised that you would not wish to return to the UK.
My parents are getting old Helen, 87 and 82. They are coming next to us in the sumer. It’s brilliant ! But in the winter they are back to Paris. If something happen to them, I won’t be able to get close to them in less than 5 hours (the quickest). In case of emergency, doesn’t make a hudge difference when you think about it really
(((((( Hugs )))))) I feel the same about my mom in uk…she’s 80…I’ve told her and she knows that I’ll drive back there in an emergency but it would be at least 24 to 48 hours…She tells me not to worry…but I love her and I do…
I live much closer to my children who live in the South East of England (in transport time) living in France than I would be if I lived where I grew up in the U.K. Living in a different country makes no real difference. I lived abroad when both my parents died yet, in the months leading up their deaths, I saw more of them than my sister who lived 35 miles from them did.
I left Britain 32 years ago and cannot see any reason why I would consider returning there for my old age, it’s a foreign country I don’t know particularly well; my life and closest friends are here in a France.
