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Why France still pulls at our heart strings

Despite the low-cost allure of the world’s emerging markets such as Turkey, Morocco, Bulgaria and Montenegro, the verdant countryside and sunny coasts of France remain a constant attraction for British overseas property buyers. 

Nearly one in four British buyers head over the channel to France for their 'endroit ensoleillé – or place in the sun – drawn by the rich culture, varied landscapes, fine food, wine and the myriad property choices on offer.

Like Spain it’s a proven market and, despite a recent lull in prices, France has a long-term track record of stability. And compared to less established Euro locations, it has a reassuringly well-developed internal market for owners wanting to sell on. Plus it's always going to be accessible for British holidaymakers – an important consideration if you are planning to rent out your property to the home market.

More recently, budget flights have made some parts of south-west France practically commutable and, even if the cheap flights don’t last forever, there’s always the ferry or Eurostar – recent track improvements in both France and the UK have cut the journey time from London to Avignon to six hours, for example. 

Such developments have changed the profile of British buyers in France over the years from idealistic, romantic Francophiles to more practical investors. Thirty years ago lovers of French culture and lifestyle snapped up cheap tumbledown cottages as holiday retreats.

Today, British buyers are not just looking for a rural idyll for long weekends; around 40 per cent are looking for homes in reasonable condition to relocate to, with access to transport and facilities like schools – and research shows they have an average spend of between €200,000 and €300,000.

Today’s house hunter is also buying in a very different economic climate. French house prices aren’t showing the kind of increases that normally have ‘quick in, quick out’ investors rubbing their hands – rather they have settled down at approximately four per cent year-on-year – a cooling off after several years of growth that everyone knew couldn’t last for ever. For example, between 2003 and 2006, prices rose by between 7.2 per cent and 15.5 per cent before the slowdown in 2007.

But France has never been for the make-a-quick-buck buyer; its appeal has always been driven by a love of the country. From the easy-access north to splendid rural isolation in central regions and the ever-glamorous south, France still delivers when it comes to lifestyle and location.

Map of France