I was recently lucky enough to be invited to share a delicious coupe de champagne with a very happy couple, newly ensconced in their beautiful home here in the foothills. The champagne was to celebrate the realization of a long-held dream and the start of a new adventure for my clients who had finally found their perfect house. These clients contacted me last year to ask for my help to find and buy a property out here in the Haute Garonne region of France. Their brief was similar to many of my clients; they were looking for that classic French house, a traditional stone building with lots of character, plenty of original features, wooden shutters, a bit of land, lovely views and in a peaceful and beautiful location where they could enjoy an excellent quality of life.

They had both always dreamed of living in France and they had talked about it many times. But each time they seriously considered making the move, something seemed to happen that persuaded them to put if off for another year. Of course taking the plunge and following a dream is not the same as taking unnecessary risks which is why they decided to hire me to ensure they had considered all the options and possible pitfalls as well as the opportunities. When you choose this lovely part of France, you are buying a way and quality of life not just a property investment and a ‘good buy’ means more than just getting a bargain. It is also easy to have your head turned and your heart stolen and forget to take into account the practical aspects that will make the dream a reality.

They had a clear wish-list but were realistic enough to know that there would always be some compromises needed and that their perfect house might not necessarily exist but that it could be created as long as the location and unchangeable details of a property were right for them.

After a few weeks of searching, having viewed all the houses on the market that seemed to match their criteria (eliminating 80% of them that did not  in reality or had potential problems), we had a short-list and after three days of viewings, they knew they had found their house.

They completed last week and I was privileged to be their first visitor in what I’m sure will prove to be a very happy home. It is never too late to follow your dreams; just make sure you have a professional helping you through the process so that those dreams become a wonderful reality and not a nightmare.

The property market is very busy this year in France; or at least in this part of south west France. This is, as always,down to a variety of reasons including improvements in the French economy, low mortgage rates, incentives for first time buyers, the reduction in property taxes and the French becoming more interested in home ownership. In addition, however, there are a lot of international buyers looking for property right now, increasingly attracted by the quality of life that France offers. It seems that there is a gradual change in aspirations when it comes to property and lifestyle with buyers increasingly searching for sustainable and ecological properties and for a better quality of life.

I have written about this before but it is still the case that France always seems to head the list of countries offering the best quality of life. According to a survey by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the French spend more time eating, sleeping and shopping than any other country. Apparently the French sleep an average of 8.5 hours (yes average!) It makes France the longest sleepers out of all 34 of the OECD’s members.

The French also spend the most time eating and drinking at more than two hours per day on average which is nearly twice as long as the Americans and Canadians. Looking at obesity rates though, clearly time spent consuming doesn’t necessarily mean more consumed. Of course it is this emphasis on long, lazy lunches that brought many of us here in the first place but it is very noticeable that the French do not eat or drink excessively – a meal is probably less dense than in the UK but each element makes up a separate course to be lingered over, enjoyed and never rushed. Nor do the French tend to snack in my experience. So more food and wine isn’t crossing the lips of the French – it just feels as if it is.

It turns out that the French are big shoppers too – or perhaps just slow shoppers.  According to the report, the French spend 32 minutes each day shopping. However, I would guess that we are primarily talking about shopping for food here. Most of the French people I know shop for fresh ingredients every day and have no problem taking their time about it – it is all part of that pleasure of appreciating their food.

Unsurprisingly therefore, the report also shows that French people have the second-highest life expectancy in the OECD, presumably thanks to the high amount of time spent enjoying themselves. Add that to the 28% of GDP that the French state spends on healthcare and social welfare, the highest spending of any OECD country and it all starts to make perfect sense.

The rest of us can only look on enviously – or make that move to France and hope that some of the magic dust rubs off. Which explains the ever increasing number of foreign buyers looking for property here. If you need help with your property search, get in touch: nadia@foothillsoffrance.com