This is a question I am being asked more than usual right now thanks to various factors that include Brexit, Trump, Macron, unaffordable house prices in many countries, economic austerity, climate change and people generally living longer and wanting a better life-work balance.
The short answer to the question is, of course; ‘yes, it is always a good time to buy in France’. The longer answer is more complicated but fundamentally comes down to the reasons behind why you are thinking of buying a house here.
I can only answer for this region of France and I am biased of course but I would say that if you are looking for a better quality of life, for more house and land for your money, for beautiful countryside, stunning mountain views, lots of opportunities for walking, cycling, skiing and fabulous local produce, then the answer is yes. If you are looking for a property that is going to make you money over a short time as purely an economic investment, then the answer is probably no.
Having said that, as a safe place to secure your money, I can’t think of many better options right now. The country’s cautious banks have helped France’s economy to stay stable amid wider uncertainty and France remains a ‘safe-haven’ for property buyers with exceptionally low mortgage rates. In addition, French stone property still looks like very good value – prices have stayed relatively steady, the government and the economy of France are also more stable than most and, in the very worst case scenario, if everything else collapses around you, you still have a very nice, comfortable, well-built and usually rather lovely house to live in and escape the troubles of the world.
In this region, the continuing expansion of Toulouse international airport along with a huge increase in available routes all over the world, is certainly bringing new buyers into the area and keeping the economy strong. This is also a region with strong employment and a younger population with good universities and high tech industries such as Airbus attracting incomers from all over the world. Hence, while property is still very good value, foreign buyers thinking that they will be able to pick up property for almost nothing are likely to be disappointed and, if it looks too good to be true on a website, more often than not, it will be. Property prices are increasing gradually and I can’t see any reason for this not to continue right now so while there is no great rush, don’t take it for granted that property prices will remain low in France forever.
Who knows what is going to happen in the world in the coming decades but, when it comes to deciding where to buy a house, I have every confidence that, for anyone who wants a beautiful French home in a stunning location combined with a fantastic quality of life, great community, easy access and a lovely climate, this is one of the better places in the world to spend money on property and now is as good a time as any.
If you have a question about buying property in this region of France, please get in touch: nadia@foothillsoffrance.com
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