So you want to move to France? You are among a growing band of British citizens who have decided to buy a Holiday Home in France or up root and move altogether. The combination of beautiful scenery, space, quality of life, better ( cheaper) property prices coupled with a health system that the World Health Organization believe to be the best in the world, make France a very appealing destination. Approximately 50% of French inhabitants can now be classed as migrants to the country. Although France has countless quiet backwaters and areas of outstanding beauty, will find it a modern country, it boasts one of the fastest Internet systems in world and has modern Road & Rail links to all parts of the country. Because of the spiralling property prices in the United Kingdom, a number of people are simply attracted to France by it’s lower property prices, but before you plump for the house of your dreams (or what looks like the house of your dreams, it pays to do as much research as possible. As mentioned above, France is a broad & diverse country, if you have never visited before, you could start by taking a holiday, perhaps visit a number of different areas. Maybe you could rent for a while, sample the lifestyle, check that it is for you.
France really is the country next door to us in the United Kingdom, and in the last few years,we have become a lot closer. The transport links between our two countries are now very well developed, a large number of daily flights are available to the capital and now most areas are served by direct flights with budget airlines such as Ryanair beginning to take a strong hold. If you book a reasonable distance in advance and are prepared to be flexible with your dates the flights can literally be obtained for a few pounds, needless to say, this makes visiting your Holiday Home very affordable.
The channel tunnel provides fast links for those of us that would prefer to stay on the ground and a trip to Paris can now be completed in a little over 2 hours. Of course the final decision of where to buy your Holiday Home is very much a matter of personal choice. You will find outside of the cities that property prices are lower than they are in the United Kingdom, the French do not exhibit the thirst for property buying and selling that we show in this country, they tend to sell more in frequently. You will find the cost of buying a property in France to be a little more complicated and it is more expensive, it is thus important than when you do decide to buy that you are are sure you are buying in then area.
As mentioned above, renting is a good option to get to know this glorious country, in the UK, renting for short periods is complex with most landlords insisting on a minimum 6 month contract, not so in France and you can use this to your advantage. Take some time have a good look around. If you are considering a purchase for rental purposes, consider why anyone would want to rent your property, don’t just look at the price. What would tempt someone to that area, what are the transport facilities like, is it reasonably close to an airport.
As a site whose primary function is to sell Holiday Home Insurance, we hope that you would consider involving us early in your decision process. We are able to insure Buildings & Contents in France either for holiday homes or for property that you live in full time.
