Archive for: April 2007

In Languedoc, my own village of Montblanc, do look at http://www.coast-country-france.com/french-property/2958.html

On the estate agents details in our region, Languedoc, properties are often described as “Maisons de Maitre” or “Maisons Vignerons” - typically both are from the period from the 1840’s to around 1900.

These were properties built from the huge wealth generated by the advent of the railways combined with the industrial development in the North of France. Suddenly it seemed there was an unlimited demand for cheap wine, billions of liters of plonk

If you have been reading my blogs and newsletters - firstly a big “thank you” - and you may have followed my news about swimming pool safety laws and standards.

It seems that these, like no smoking laws and dog poo regulations, are doomed to be another big non-event in France. Pools worry me,

A special weekend - I built the barbecue, emptied the pool, got three flowerbeds ready and dog-proofed and finally worked out the central heating. Summer must be just around the corner

No, not the result of too much red wine, but a great tool from Schmap.com, in their own words “Every Schmap Guide comes with dynamic maps, useful links, playable tours, top picks, plus photos and reviews for hundreds of sights and attractions, hotels, restaurants, bars, parks, theaters, galleries, museums…

I have many clients looking for a classic old house with a mature garden. These properties are getting scarcer but they are still coming onto the market. Good ones are snapped up very quickly, but even the best ones need work. This work can be expensive and a full restoration project will be many times more than the cost of building a new luxury villa.

When you buy or sell any property in France you must do this through a Notaire. They are legally “trained” representatives of the government and their responsibilities are to ensure that things are legally correct.

part of my work last week in Provence was to look for good investment opportunities for property needing renovation. This one is typical of the properties on offer in Vaucluse at one and a half million euro - please contact …

If you are thinking about buying a property in France, then my newsletters and blogs will give you the advantage of reading about properties before they go on the open market.

Whenever I can, I will send out pre-release details of properties which I consider excellent value. Here are the first two - the photo pages will not appear on the normal adverts and are my own reference photos so they give the “real” impression of the properties.

I have a lot of mail I am in the process of answering about making a move and deciding which country to move to.

Television programmes and newspaper features have been promoting many “opportunities” and featuring places all over the world from Patagonia to St Peterburgh - France and Spain get a lot of coverage as these are the two most popular destinations for a change of lifestyle.

The reasons people have for a change of climate and culture are complex, if things don’t look so good at home then perhaps the grass will look greener in another country - but any decision must be made with facts, figures and a lot of “reality checks”.

Today, sitting in warm sunshine eating a chunk of warm fresh wholemeal bread dipped in olive oil from a neighbour, fresh tomatoes and anchovies from Spain (one hour away) and sliced mild onions from the next village. A …