French Country House

The French countryside is beautiful and what better place to choose to find your French property. France is four times the size of the United Kingdom has not the same population. The result? Many more headroom and a land filled with the kind of beautiful French country houses that many of us dream of.

What makes it even better is that most French people do not want!

There are several reasons for this. The first is that there are very few jobs in many rural areas. Agriculture is more mechanized and one or two guys (or girls) do the job now than ten years. Apart from tourism, there is little to do in a profession that young French people move to cities and towns.

Then there are costs. If a French country house needs restoration, it is often cheaper to buy new. We foreign buyers may be willing to take some work and dirty hands, but most French people prefer not to. Finally there is the fact that many French banks and mortgage companies are happy to provide the funds to travel within the country, but are reluctant to lend to young couples who want to buy a house that needs restoration. It adds up to a lack of interest or lack of ability to finance that leaves many houses for French side.

It is also true of many a home village as a large farmhouse touring French, so if you're looking around the countryside, you are often spoiled for choice.

Of course, it is not all a peaceful idyll. There are certainly bargains to be had, but there are also a number of important considerations.

With the general trend of larger towns and cities, it became more difficult for rural communities to provide infrastructure for a city dweller takes for granted. Small villages have lost or are losing their schools, shops, doctors, etc., and in many areas of public transport is almost nonexistent. If you are young and fit with your own vehicle, this is not really a consideration, but if you're a little more ...

I would not put people off, France is an ideal place to live and I thoroughly recommend it. I would not exchange my home country anywhere. But be realistic too, but I would be lying if I said that's all champagne and roses.

The renovation is not only costly for the French, it's expensive, period! Things that make your house so charming French countryside are also things that give you headaches. No doors are the same size, one of the windows if you need to change what is not looking good at the DIY store and see a bargain, oh no. Please will all have to be made by hand individually.

The beautiful old beams have woodworm not so old or, God forbid, termites. The picturesque old plumbing could not effectively comply with new regulations - 8,000 euros for a new septic tank anyone? I'm not kidding, these are exactly the things that happened to us.

Is it worth it? Absolutely. The only traffic we have is the lady with the mail and the occasional tractor. The air is filled with birdsong. The contrary is full field of sunflowers. A whore and at dusk, we deer graze the edge of the garden.

Do a little research and have a little patience and a sense of humor and your French country house can provide the same lifestyle as our own superb gives us.