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LEGGETT IMMOBILIER - LOCAL KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN TRUST
the traditional three reasons for
wanting to move to France are
(i) the remarkably low prices
when compared to the UK, (ii)
an increase in the quality of life
and harking back to "a better
time" and (iii) a better climate
with more sunshine hours,
no matter which part of the
country you move to.
It's clear now that a fourth
factor is driving demand. This is
the ability to fi nd quality, rural
property at an aff ordable price.
France is a huge country with a
population density of around
120 people per km² - compare
this to the 430 people per km²
in England, and you can see
that we have plenty of green
space here. British buyers have
always fallen in love with the
French countryside - whether
it's nearby Normandy and
Brittany, the very popular
Nouvelle Aquitaine or the sundrenched
south.
The good news is that there
is a healthy stock of excellent
rural properties to choose
from, and they represent
remarkable value for money.
Prices in French cities have
risen dramatically over recent
years, but country properties
have lagged behind. This year,
we were expecting to see a
surge in domestic interest, and
this now seems a highly likely
outcome, as French buyers are
looking to leave the cities and
spend time working from home
in the countryside. The French
newspapers are full of stories
of Parisians looking for second
homes to improve their life/
work balance.
So, if you are one of the
thousands of British buyers
looking to take the plunge
and move to France, it seems
that the next few months are
a perfect time. To help with
this, we have been trying to
upload as many virtual tours
and videos as possible onto
our website. We also have a
high number of vendors and
agents who will be happy to
give you a "live" virtual viewing
(using Zoom, WhatsApp, or
other media) to whittle down
a shortlist from the comfort of
your home.
We are hopeful that the
respective governments will
start fi rming up on the position
regarding residency, healthcare,
and pensions post Brexit. Keep
an eye on our website, or
subscribe to our newsletter for
regular updates.
Graham Downie is a
director of Legge
Immobilier and has 30
years experience of the
international property
market