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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Found – the classic French house

By nadia, on 23rd November 2011

I think I have just seen a house which could legitimately be said to define the ‘classic French house’, something that many of my clients ask me to find for them. I still get excited during a search when I come across a property which I know at once matches exactly my client’s brief and also their dream (not always one and the same.)

As soon as I turned up the drive to this house and glimpsed it ahead of me on the hill, I knew I had struck gold. Here was a picture-perfect house; the type that a child would draw with entrance in the middle, windows each side, blue shutters, a chimney and roses around the door (yes it did even have roses around the door) and perfect symmetry. Inside the house didn’t disappoint either; it was packed full of original features including a large open fireplace, terracotta floor tiles, exposed beams, elegant staircase and original floor boards. Admittedly it was not luxurious by any means with dated decor and basic facilities but I know that most of my clients are happy to do internal decoration, bathrooms and kitchens to put their own stamp on a property.

Moreover, the house was set perfectly in the middle of its own land, completely private with views to the Pyrenees in the distance and yet it was within walking distance of the village.

This house ticks the boxes for so many of my clients and matches the brief exactly for this particular client. Which means it is likely to be many people’s dream home and hence I am going to have to move fast on this one even though it is not yet officially on the market. Luckily my clients are due out next week to view the short-list of properties I have put together and, because I am in the fortunate position that I often hear about properties first, before they are officially for sale, we are at a great advantage here and I am confident that I will be able to secure them their dream home in France.

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Sunshine and snow

By nadia, on 9th November 2011

November was one of my least favourite months when we lived in the UK but here, despite Autumn being well and truly upon us, we have just enjoyed lunch outside in the sunshine and now I am almost  too hot sitting at my desk with the sun blazing through the window. Even better, I can’t resist peaking out of the window every few minutes because over the weekend we had the first substantial snow fall on top of the mountains and they are now sparkling white against the blue sky. We have been here for eight years and yet I still find this sight quite magical.

Autumn colours and first snowfall

I am often asked what it is we like about living here and why we chose this region and I always struggle to answer that question as there are so many things and so many reasons but certainly waking up to the ever-changing view of the mountains is one of the most special aspects about living here – even though it wasn’t one of our criteria when searching for a property.

It is only in retrospect I realize that we probably fell for this house because of the mountain views and I am very thankful that we did. A view of the mountains is something that it is very hard to put a value on in property terms but, for me, it is priceless.

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The perfect time to bag a bargain

By nadia, on 25th October 2011

There are always some incredibly good value properties to be had in this region but right now, there are some fantastic bargains – the unintended consequence of the change in the law ‘plus value’ or capital gains tax. This won’t alter anything for non-French residents with second homes in France, nor for those of us who have our permanent homes in France but it is having a big effect on the French property market right now, particularly here where many locals own second and holiday homes.

In the past, French owners of second homes would have had no capital gains tax to pay on the sale of these properties after 15 years and a generous taper allowance when selling before 15 years but this law is due to change on the 1st February meaning that capital gains tax will be due for all second properties owned by French residents for less than 30 years and with a much reduced taper allowance up to the 30 years.

Hence suddenly I am seeing a lot of fantastic properties coming onto the market with owners very keen to sell and very willing to take offers if it means that they will complete by January 31st. In fact, they are in many cases putting their property on the market at less than it has been valued for but only until the end of January; here’s an example of a private sale;

Bien estimé par notaire et agences 150 000€, cédé à 137 000€ en raison nouvelle taxe sur la plus valu.
Au premier février cette offre ne tiendra plus. (Valued by notaires and agencies at 150,000 Euros but offered at 137,000 Euros because of the new capital gains tax. From 1st February, this offer will no longer be available.)

Hence, for anyone who is looking for a bargain (and let’s be honest, who isn’t?) this, along with historically low interest rates, is making the next few months look like a very good time to be buying a house in the Midi-Pyrénées.

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Scaling the heights

By nadia, on 12th October 2011

The Pic du Midi

One of the lovely things about living in the foothills of the Pyrenees is the ever-changing views; the mountains have a life of their own and like to put on a good show. Today we woke up to a dusting of fresh snow on the top of the highest peaks which completely changed the landscape and the perspective and motivated us to make a quick trip up to one of the highest peaks to take in what must be one of the best views in France.

This is an ideal time of year to head up into the mountains – the air is clear and cool in the mornings but beautifully warm in the afternoons and the clarity of the light is almost unreal. The highest easily accessible peak in the Pyrenees is the Pic du Midi where a journey of two cable cars whisks you up to 2877 metres. (The actual highest peak in the Pyrenean range is on the Spanish side, Pico de Aneto at 3406 metres.)

The cable car to the summit

The Pic du Midi is visible from all over this region, particularly driving around the Haute Garonne, its telescopes and large aerial making it stand out clearly from the other peaks. Most people take the trip to the top just for the view and it is certainly worth it for that alone although also at the summit you will find the highest museum in Europe. More serious star gazers can book into the small hotel (just 19 guests) for an overnight stay with conducted tours and use of the telescopes – as well of course, gourmet dining. At night from the top, they say you can see the lights all the way from Biarritz to Barcelona.

For me it is just great to be driving around looking at the Pic du Midi every day and knowing what it feels like to stand up there, on the top of the world.

One of the telescopes and the view from the top

 

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