View from the Foothills of France

Some personal views on living, working,
bringing up family and making the dream happen in the most beautiful region of France. View from the Foothills of France also includes some personal and professional thoughts and tips on finding and buying the perfect property in the Ariège and Haute Garonne regions.

Archives

Categories

Latest trends in the French property market

By nadia, on 11th March 2021

For many buyers, it is the perfect storm in the French property market right now. There are very few houses coming onto the market for sale, everyone seems to be looking for the same type of property and travel restrictions mean that international buyers cannot even get to France to do any viewings.

In addition, prices have been on the increase since 2015 and country properties particularly are selling at asking price and even above in some areas.

Despite the pandemic, at the end of 2020 the French real estate market had proved itself very resilient (Notaires de France latest report), and this trend is expected to be confirmed in 2021, driven initially by interest rates remaining very low and falling steadily since July 2020. Indeed, rates are currently very close to their historic low. And due to the dominance of fixed rate mortgages, France’s housing market is much less prone to sharp upturns and downturns than housing markets in other countries, where variable mortgages are a major source of instability.

In addition, since the start of the pandemic, there has been a noted change in demand for property away from the cities and towns and this is already having an impact on prices which are rising less quickly, for example, in the French capital than in the rest of France, something that has not happened since 2013.

According to the latest analysis of the French property market by the Notaires de France, there has been a shift among the urban population towards greener areas and a continuing and more permanent shift towards a real estate market that is more provincial, closer to nature and with more space, while still remaining connected. Whether this is merely the acceleration of a lifestyle change that was already in motion prior to the health crisis, a fundamental movement in the property market seems to be underway.

Foreigners are notably absent on the national map. The share of non-resident foreign investors is now close to its lowest level in 10 years but, interestingly, in the same vein as French residents, non-resident foreign buyers are also shifting their investment from urban centres to rural areas.

During the long housing boom which lasted from 1997 to 2007, French house prices surged by 150% (112.5% inflation-adjusted). Since then, the housing market has not moved much. It started to weaken in 2008 and while price falls were moderate, so too have been price rises since then. After falling by an annual average of 1.7% in 2012-2015, house prices started to rise again in 2016 as shown below.

 

HOUSE PRICES IN FRANCE, ANNUAL CHANGE (%)
Year Nominal Inflation-adjusted
2008 -3.75 -5.41
2009 -4.09 -4.44
2010 7.60 5.86
2011 3.68 1.20
2012 -1.96 -3.44
2013 -1.81 -2.44
2014 -2.52 -2.79
2015 -0.50 -0.59
2016 1.50 0.99
2017 3.25 2.08
2018 3.34 1.41
2019 3.78 2.67
Sources: National Institute for Statistical and Economic Studies(INSEE), Global Property Guide

 

Bear in mind, that the French property market is full of micro-markets so it is always very difficult to generalise and also, most importantly, French country property, despite having increased in price, is still better value than most other countries for similar quality houses. If you need help with your property search, please get in touch: nadia@foothillsoffrance.com

Comments are closed

Can I still buy a house and move to France permanently after Brexit?

By nadia, on 23rd February 2021

Life has of course become more complicated since Brexit for British nationals living in France and for Brits wishing to move to France and live here permanently. But it is still entirely possible, there is just a bit more paperwork and a few more hoops to jump through than previously was the case.

You still have every right to buy a property in France after 2021; the difference now being that, since January 1st this year, British buyers are now non-EU citizens which means that for anyone wanting to move to France to live, you will first have to go through the immigration process as a ‘Third Country National’ and apply for a long stay visa known as a Visa Long Séjour valant Titre de Séjour or a VLS-TS. To do this, you need to apply in advance (leave enough time as it can take weeks or even months) to the French Consulate in the UK. To make an appointment, you need to go to this site: https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en_US/web/france-visas/

Expect to be asked for various documents such as
– Proof of medical insurance
– Proof of accommodation as to where you will be living
– Proof of funds
– Reasons for coming to France (to work or study/ join family members etc)

Once you have your visa and are in France, you have two months to apply for a non-European carte de séjour, as long as you fulfil certain requirements such as being able to support yourself financially. The website for applications is: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/N110

If you are hoping to move to France for your retirement, this is also still possible for British nationals, but you will similarly need to apply for a VLS-TS, and you will need to prove sufficient resources to support yourself and proof of health insurance. It is thought that income requirements for retirees will be lower than that of a working household and will take capital assets into account so for example, if you are a retiree who owns a home in France without a mortgage, you would be likely to have your visa approved.

If you need help with finding property and moving to France, please get in touch: nadia@foothillsoffrance.com

 

Comments are closed

Interview: Five questions with a property finder

By nadia, on 18th February 2021

This is an interview I did for a magazine that might answer a few questions about using a property finder and about the Midi-Pyrenées region:

Where in the Midi-Pyrénées are you based?

I am based on the border of the Haute Garonne and the Ariège, located an hour south west of Toulouse in the Ariège national park and the foothills of the Pyrénées mountains. It is one of the most unspoiled and authentic regions of France with stunning scenery, a mild and sunny climate and pretty villages set against the stunning backdrop of snowy peaks in the distance.

What sort of people hire a property finder?

I work with a varied clientele from all over the world, each with their own specific criteria and requirements. Nationalities of my clients include British, Australians, South Africans, Americans, Danish, Canadian and Dutch. Every client’s brief is different; some are looking for holiday homes, others are relocating with young families and hence require information on schools and local facilities while others are retiring and need advice on local communities and investing their nest egg wisely. Many of my clients have already spent a great deal of time looking, unsuccessfully, for their dream home, which is why they come to me and others are only too aware that they cannot afford the time and costs involved in doing a really thorough property search at a distance and hence hire me to do all the time-consuming and costly research for them. All of my clients want to have a professional on their side (just as the seller does) to ensure that they find the very best property for them at the very best price.

What attracts people to your area?

Where do I start? It has become a cliché to say that an area offers something for everyone, but I think it is true to say that it would be hard to find another region that ticks so many boxes for so many people. For nature lovers, this area is just teeming with unspoiled natural environment and a huge variety of fauna and flora while for sporting types, this same environment provides the perfect location for walkers, cyclists, canoeists, horse riders plus, in winter, there are numerous excellent ski resorts for all levels, most of which are an easy drive away from just about anywhere within my area. Most of my clients are, of course, Francophiles and there is ample opportunity to enjoy the wonderful food and wine of the region, numerous local markets such as that in St Girons which attracts people from miles around and the usual wide selection of restaurants serving local produce. In addition, we have, within an hour, the region’s capital, Toulouse which is a thriving and fashionable metropolis with all the culture, arts and shopping that anyone could want. An added bonus is that this region is perfectly located to make the most of Spain on the doorstep, an easy day trip away and to enjoy the best of both the Atlantic and Mediterranean beaches which are both around two hour’s drive.

What sort of budgets do your clients have?

There is a common belief that property finders are only for those with very large budgets but that is not the case in reality. I have worked with clients with all budgets and I will take on any search as long as my clients have realistic expectations as to what their budget will buy.

What sort of properties are available in your area?

This is another advantage of the region; we have such a wide selection of properties here ranging from small village houses, to sprawling farmhouses and from renovation projects to ski apartments or mountain barns to Manoirs and Châteaux. Finding the right house in France, however, is about so much more than the actual bricks and mortar and a big part of my job is not only finding the right property for my clients but also the right location whether that be close to the best schools, best restaurants, best transport networks, best ski resorts, best doctors and all and any of those aspects of daily life that you can only discover either by living here or by working with someone who lives here.

For more information, please get in touch: nadia@foothillsoffrance.com

 

 

 

 

Comments are closed

Invitation to a free webinar with professional guest speakers and top tips on buying property in France

By nadia, on 5th February 2021



Meet the speakers:

Sarah Day runs the bilingual estate agency Maisons et Manoirs in South West France. Sarah has worked in property sales in France for over 25 years and is hugely respected. She has a wealth of experience in the property industry and will run you through the most important things you need to know about the property buying process in France.

Fiona Warren has worked as the Currencies Direct representative covering South West France for over ten years. Fiona is hugely knowledgeable with many years of experience working for international companies as a Business Analyst and IT Project Manager. She is the ideal person to advise on the various options and tips and tricks for exchanging currency when buying property in France

Paulette Booth has over 30 year’s experience in the banking and insurance industry. Prior to moving to France, she worked in the UK with Barclays Bank and Legal & General, specialising as a mortgage and insurance advisor. Paulette now heads up Agence AXA International in France. The agency offers a dedicated English-speaking service for international clients looking for solutions for insurance and banking in France.

Dennelle Taylor-Nizoux is a bilingual American, living in France since 2000. Dennelle spent 15 years with a global telecommunications company before setting up the French relocation services company Renestance in 2015. Dennelle also has a French Bachelors in Real Estate (Immobilier) and acts as a licensed house-hunter (Chasseur Immobilier) as part of the independent network of search agents; The French Property Finders. Dennelle will talk through some common relocation issues.

And of course, there will be me, Nadia Jordan, an independent property finder who runs Foothills of France, a property finding agency in South West France since 2003 (as you know already if you are reading this post!) With a post-graduate degree in marketing and many years of experience working in marketing, PR and copywriting for international companies, Nadia now works as a consultant and search agent in France, providing a property search and acquisition service helping buyers from all over the world. Nadia also runs the only independent network of property finders in France: www.thefrenchpropertyfinders.com

You will hear from each speaker live for about 10 minutes and then there will be the opportunity to ask questions at the end.

If you would be interested in joining us, please email me at nadia@foothillsoffrance.com and I will send you a link. We look forward to seeing you there.

Comments are closed
« Newer Entries  
  Older Entries »