So Much Fun Coming this Year
Originally posted on & updated on 2nd November, 2024
The beginning of the year is traditionally the time when international real-estate experts make predictions about the year ahead, well, not us! There is absolutely no chance of us commenting on any political and economic developments that may or may not happen in 2017 ...
But we will make one prediction – that if you buy a home in France this year you will end 2017 with some fabulous memories for you and your family. Let the ‘fortune tellers and tealeaf readers’ get on with their business while you get on with real life; there is fun to be had in France over this year, there are memories to be made, if you get on with it. The fact is that buying property in France is a sound financial investment over the long term, but that is the icing on the cake.
Another popular theme for January blogs is, “where are the up-and-coming destinations in France? ”Our advice here would be, do you really want to be in a relatively untried areas? The traditionally popular areas are popular for very good reasons, there is lots to do and see, they are easy to get to and buying French property is easy. Do not fall in the classic trap of buying a price, it’s the whole lifestyle package that you are after, and to achieve this, you need to be in the LOCATION that is right for you, family and friends. This is even more crucial if you considering earning an income from a gite or bed and breakfast activity.
We do however have a couple of places for you to discover, that you may have not considered and where we believe you can buy a wonderful home; it’s just that they are not exactly ‘new’ options. For example :
Discover Drôme Provençale & Ardèche
The departments of the Ardèche and Drôme Provençale are in the Rhône Valley in south-east France, on the way to the Mediteranean coast. It is close to, and has many of the same advantages as Provence but isn’t quite as expensive or as far to travel as Provence while being well placed for business, with excellent links to Lyon and Geneva.
The real benefit from this area is in how much there is to do, all year. In winter there’s the skiing in the mountains or the warmth and beauty of the valleys. You have an endless supply of fantastic shops and restaurants. The summers are simply gorgeous, and places like Geneva and Italy just across the border. This is also where stunning properties start to be affordable.
Head to Roussillon in Pyrénées Orientales
It’s important to take a good hard look at what you will be doing in your chosen area, which is why we are also recommending the area around Perpignan in the south, where France meets Spain, in this area locally known as ‘Le Roussillon’. Again, it is easy to reach via several airports and great for skiing in winter. But here you get that warm and colourful Mediterranean vibe too. I could try to explain how wonderful the coast is around here, but the artist Matisse expressed it so much better when he painted his masterpieces in the village of Collioure, just outside Perpignan (give his work there a quick google and imagine yourself sitting in that picture). Like I say, not exactly a new area, but offering so much to do, including trips to the Pyrénées, Carcassonne or even Barcelona in Spain.
We have a good selection of properties for sale in this area, from renovated three-bedroom village house for €250,000, villas from €350,000, or characterful renovated properties on good-sized plots with pools with the Pyrénées as a wonderful backdrop.
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