Planning a trip to beautiful France to visit your shortlisted properties in person is exciting and should be well planned so you can optimise your time. The ideal viewing trip will last 4 to 10 days – long enough to give you a feel for your chosen area without leaving you exhausted. This also allows for second viewings and time to experience a little French life before you return home.
Organising Your Visits
Draw up a list - you should aim to view two to four properties a day (ideally three, five maximum); they should be within a reasonable distance to one another, leaving you enough time to explore the area.
Don’t leave it late - contact us two, or three weeks in advance, especially during school and public holidays, as everyone is busy and rentals are harder to find. Please send us your dates so we can arrange with the owners.
Weekend visits - we are usually able to arrange Saturday visits. However, Sunday visits are not possible, as it is a day of rest in France, when families attend church services and spend time together.
Plan your finances - unless you are a cash buyer, you’ll need to research French mortgages. We recommend that you seek an agreement in principle in order to be in a position to make an offer if you find your dream property. However, be aware that lending criteria from French banks are very strict.
Brush up on your French - If you plan a permanent move, France has new language requirements for foreigners and non-EU residents who want to stay long-term. New arrivals begin with a short-term carte de séjour (residency card) that does not require a language proficiency test. We recommend that you start researching language courses and begin improving your French, for example, with a lifetime subscription from market leader Rosetta Stone. This will help make your trip more exciting and may even help you negotiate a better deal.
Have your euros secured - registering with a foreign currency specialist at an early stage makes it easier to negotiate with the seller and to sort out your deposit transfer after a successful house-hunting trip in France.
