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.
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By nadia, on 7th September 2016 
In this job, I am lucky enough to visit a huge number of very interesting and unusual properties. These can range from crumbling mountain barns to enormous Chateaux and pretty much everything in-between but this week was the first time that I have viewed a converted chapel which probably shows how unusual this property is. Even before the conversion, it’s history makes for an interesting building; it was apparently built by a local priest in 1858, using his own money, in memory of Queen and Sainte Radegonde who founded the Monastery of Sainte-Croix in Poitiers and spent time in this region selecting the famous marble which is found in this area. The chapel is on the edge of a historic village with Roman and Romanesque remains and, as with most religious buildings here in South West France, the priest clearly picked his spot carefully; it is set on a stunning promontory overlooking the village and valley below with beautiful views of the Pyrenees.
Apparently the chapel was primarily designed and used as a sanctuary and for religious celebrations. The last ceremony was in 1939 and, after that, it gradually fell into disrepair until rescued by the current owners. Over the last ten years, they have lovingly restored its exterior stone façade and landscaped the surrounding walled gardens, adding a pool that cleverly mirrors the shape of the building. Inside, sensitive to its important history and respecting the layout, the owners have inserted a modern home within the walls without impacting on the structure or overall feel of space and calm. Somehow they have managed to fit in four bedrooms and yet retain the height and create a very bright and comfortable interior.
I won’t go on or I will start to sound like an estate agent but I think this property will make someone a very special home or holiday house and it also strikes me as the perfect party house or retreat. In fact, with the current trend for Airbnb unusual style rentals, it would also make a fantastic investment especially as it is just five minutes from the mainline train station to Toulouse and to the coast and 40 minutes by car from central Toulouse and the international airport and an hour from the ski resorts.
This is the kind of property I probably won’t see the likes of again and it could well be sold by the time I post this article but, if you would like more information, please do get in touch, it’s well worth adding to your viewing short-list: nadia@foothillsoffrance.com
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By nadia, on 5th August 2016 
The more I hear from friends and clients about the trials and tribulations of trying to buy and sell property in the UK and other countries around the world, the more I appreciate how regulated, fair and relatively un-stressful the French system is. In France, a vendor pays for the basic tests to be carried out on a property before it is officially put on the market. These include tests for electrics, gas, asbestos, woodworm, termites and natural risks such as flooding and earthquakes. These are done so that both parties are aware of any work required to bring the property in line with current regulations, not for the seller to have to make these good, purely so that the buyer knows the situation with the property before they make an offer so there are no nasty or unexpected surprises.
The process is then very straight-forward; an offer is made and a deal is agreed, the contract (Compromis de Vente) is drawn up by the Notaire (or Notaires), each party signs, the buyer puts down a deposit and only then does the Notaire begin the searches and proceed with all the expensive legal work. There is no such thing really as gazundering and gazumping and almost the only reason a sale might fall through would be if the buyer failed to secure a mortgage in which case, there would be a ‘clause suspensive’ allowing them to pull out without penalty. There could be various other clauses, agreed by both parties at the signing of the Compromis but, other than these, the sale will go through.
Hence the French system is not defined by the stress which seems to be inherent in so many other property markets in the world and, most particularly in that of the home-buying process in England. In France, you can be very confident that once your offer has been accepted, your finance is in place and the Compromis de Vente is signed, you will be able to move into your dream home in around three months. There may be many other uncertainties around buying property in France right now but certainly the actual buying process is not one of them.
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By nadia, on 25th July 2016 
Summer in the foothills – I am not sure there is anywhere better at this time of year.
Sunshine, blue skies, cooling breezes, mountain walks, picnics by the river or mountain lakes, cycling to favourite cafés, markets teeming with local produce, restaurant terraces full to bursting and a holiday atmosphere everywhere.
In addition, the property market here is very busy with some excellent value properties for sale. International buyers are out in force looking to snap up the chance of buying their home in France while the exchange rate and mortgage rates are still in their favour and house prices are bumping along the bottom.
Who knows what will happen in the next few years post Brexit (does anyone?) but my guess is that life will go on. If you are looking to buy a property in France for quality of life reasons then I am still very confident that you could do a lot worse than invest in what is definitely one of the most beautiful regions of France with just about everything you could want on your doorstep and a wide range of property at fantastic value.
Have a great summer wherever you are.
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By nadia, on 28th June 2016
As an immigrant in France since 2003, I know how I would feel if my neighbours here had all voted to leave the EU in order to get rid of us.
I am British but have lived and worked in France for the last 13 years with my husband and four children. The experience of moving to another country, learning another language and setting up a business abroad has hugely enriched our lives. It has, I hope, increased our tolerance to different attitudes and behaviour and deepened our understanding of another culture and way of life. I am sure it means that our children have grown up with broader horizons, more open to new experiences and to people with different backgrounds to their own. Above all they have grown up as Europeans and I could not be happier that we have had the opportunity to have this adventure. It seems unthinkable that others will no longer have this freedom.
My generation has grown up in and enjoyed the peace, security and freedom that the European project has created. Future generations will now not have this and the break-up of Europe seems to me a massive step backwards, hugely short-sighted and very sad. Of course Europe is not perfect, it is a work in progress and there are still plenty of areas that need improving but none of us are perfect; all we can do is strive to be the best version of ourselves and Europe is still in its infancy, it needs nurturing and direction not abandoning.
Since moving to France, we have received nothing but kindness and have been welcomed by our neighbours, the children’s schools, by locals and by work colleagues; nationality, religion, race and culture have been irrelevant and I am so grateful for this. The fact that our foreign friends living in the UK now feel unwelcome and unwanted shows something of the British character that I never believed existed. We have been so lucky to enjoy the very best elements of being part of Europe and I am proud to be European. I only hope that future generations will find a way of following their dreams and living lives based on understanding and openness to other cultures, even with clipped wings.
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