Buying Property in France?

Over 500,000 British people have bought properties in France which is a staggering number. The most popular reasons for buying property in France are not for investment but for a different lifestyle.

It's so easy to get to France now from the UK. I have just returned from Provence in the south, and it was far easier than I thought it would be to get down there. I drove from the South East of England and made an overnight stop on the way, but I think if you had the will you could drive there in one long day.

With that thought in mind you can probably see how attractive it is to own a property in France. Provence has hot summers and a warm climate year round with about 300 days of sunshine a year. Compare that with Britain and other northern European countries and you can see why so many people are keen to buy property in Provence.

Ryanair fly to Toulon which is a port city in the south, or you can take the Eurostar in London and get down to Toulon in seven and a half hours thanks to the fantastic French TGV train service.

If you own a property in Provence in a rural area, there are frequent bus services from Toulon train station out to some of the more out of the way locations. This is a brilliant service because if you travel down on the train and you don't want to hire a car, you can just jump on a bus and get to your property. Before you buy your property just check there are bus routes to it from Toulon or any other major town or city.

Some of the coastline around Provence is spectacular. Try Bandol, Le Lavandou or La Cietat for pretty seaside towns with sunshine, restaurants and a unique French atmosphere. Go further inland and the scenery is every bit as spectacular with sweeping vineyards, rolling hills and a beautiful mediterranean clear light so loved by the artist Cezanne who painted some of his most famous work in the area.

I can't see the numbers of people buying property in France decreasing much if at all. Whether it is a second home purchase or a complete relocation, France will always be a popular location to buy an overseas property.