French Property News - August 2015 UK

FRENCH
The biggest and best UK guide to French property Issue 294 | August 2015 | £3.99
NEWS
Over
25
PROPERTY
years
of French
property
advice
The Good Life

Gascony
under the
spotlight
Hot
properties
Perfection in Provence
Paris pied-à-terre
Lovely Languedoc
Discover
Marseille
www.completefrance.com
Golden years
Homes for
a perfect
retirement Sea, sun and culture
Expert legal & financial advice | Regional guides | Real life stories
THOUGHTS from
the PIGEONNIER
▲ Editor’s pick
A 16th-century former pigeonnier
with pool in Vaucluse
I love pigeonniers and I love quirky
A
properties so this extremely unusual
lthough we’re not doing too badly for sunshine this
one in Provence really tugs at my
summer, I do find myself wishing I was still in Marseille. heart strings. Dating from the
I won’t need much persuading to go back, especially as 16th century, it has been lovingly
there’s now a direct train which puts the Provençal capital converted to residential use and
sits on a plot of over 16,000m2, with
just six and a half hours from the UK. The city made quite an a pool and fabulous views of the
impression on me, and you can find out why on p26. surrounding countryside. There are
If you’re drawn to the bright lights and hustle and bustle, several historic villages in the vicinity
along with the small town of Pertuis.
other French cities in the spotlight this month include The property is for sale at €895,000
Paris, Lyon, Lille and Bordeaux (p30), while for those (prestigeproperty.co.uk).
who would prefer a more rural location for their French home we explore the
glorious countryside of Gers (p40). Move here and you could even live longer
– the secret’s in the local wine. Now there’s a reason if ever there was one. This month I have been...
On p56, four agents talk about the areas they fell in love with, and now call
home, while on p34 you can follow a romantic tale set among the champagne • Pleasantly surprised by Marseille
It’s my new favourite place – read all
vineyards. And then there’s the couple who were so charmed by St-Tropez that about it on p26
they ended up getting married there (p62).
I do love quirky properties, hence my editor’s pick this month, and the • Tempted to pop a bottle of bubbly
The romantic tale of a Champagne
properties featured on p38 are certainly not short on character either. couple on p34 was my inspiration
For those of you contemplating retirement, we have
some useful advice on p44, but if you still need an • Tweeting about
everything French –
income, there’s something for you too, with a look at
don’t forget to join us on
how to get the interiors right for gîtes on p68. Facebook and Pinterest too
www.completefrance.com August 2015 French Property News 3

FRENCH
NEWS
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4 French Property News August 2015 www.completefrance.com

38
What a character:
FPNCONTENTS
architectural styles to
suit everyone
26
Marvellous Marseille:
now just a train ride away
30
34
Fantastic four: the benefits

of buying in a French city
68
Lovely bubbly: when a British

student fell in love with a French What’s on the inside: how
champagne producer stunning interiors can
boost letting potential
Location Expert advice Regulars

26 Marvellous Marseille 44 Golden age 8 Have your say
Sun, sea and culture are now just a train With so many options and benefits, France The pick of the month’s musings
ride away from the UK is the perfect place to retire 10 News
30 City slickers 50 Surveying the scene Property, currency, travel and lifestyle
A tour of four dynamic destinations: Paris, Part eight of our buying guide examines 16 Three of the best
Nice, Lyon and Bordeaux the reasons for having a structural survey Parisian pieds-à-terre
38 One of a kind 52 Full report 18 Business of the month
A round-up of quirky properties with Part one of our news series explaining the A gîte complex in Charente-Maritime
plenty of character for sale across France diagnostiques reports 20 Properties of the month
40 Lifelong passion 68 Inner beauty Homes for all tastes across France
Why living in Gers really could be How a well-considered interior can 22 French property dreams
beneficial to your health maximise bookings for your holiday let A restored, 18th-century bastide in Grasse
56 Local knowledge 24 Home thoughts from abroad
Four expat estate agents introduce the Reflections of a property hunter
areas they now call home 70 Architect’s diary
Designing new homes and improving old
106 My dream home
Ian Purslow of Purslow’s Gascony chooses
a stately château with medieval origins

Subscribe
anFitliving
dforgaeking: château
t Loire
40
a European Meet some of
On theingrapevine:
the Valley
the
wine is flowing in Cahors
travel kit FREE this month’s

!
– see page 66
for details
contributors
SAM BOTTOMLEY
Sam has been based in
France for the last 16
The years near La Rochelle.

She runs the association
Knowledge relocateici.com to help

British speakers in France
and also plans weddings
74 Law for British couples. She writes articles for both
Civil partnerships in France and the Connexion newspaper and FPN.
estate planning considerations Sam examines the benefits of retiring in
76 Tax France on p44
Glorious Gers: living here
could prolong your life The tax implications of running a
holiday let and how to comply JOHN MARSHALL
78 Capital gains tax John is a UK and French
What you will be required to pay qualified surveyor who
20
when selling a French property has lived and practised

80 Law in the south of France
A closer look at the controversy since 2002. He is a
surrounding French social charges RICS registered valuer
82 Ask the experts and also undertakes
We put your financial and legal building surveys advising on defects and
questions to our panel of experts
improvement potential.
84 France Property Shop
John explains the ‘diagnostiques’ reports
Insight and analysis from our
market-leading French property on p52
website, plus Team FPN’s property
picks of the month LYNETTE EYB
86 Pensions Lynette is a freelance
The options available following journalist based in the
April’s pension changes Dordogne village of
Montcaret. She writes for
Joie de vivre various magazines and

websites, including her
own freewheelingfrance.
88 Food & drink com, which is dedicated to cycling in France.
A review of two restaurants in Lynette explores four dynamic French cities
Limousin and the Loire Valley on p30
Take your pick: homes

for all tastes and budgets
We also publish...
LIVING FRANCE
Published every four weeks,
Real life Living France is your essential
guide to life in France, with
experiences inspiring real life stories and

practical guides.
34 A sparkling success
FRANCE
Meet the British student who fell in love 90 Interiors Britain and North America’s
with a French champagne producer Shabby chic: how to get the
48 The lure of Limousin biggest-selling magazine
antique look for less
Why Haute-Vienne was the perfect location covering everything about
91 Reviews
for one couple’s holiday home French culture, travel and
Two stories set in south-west
54 History in the making France and a coffee table tome food and wine.
How one Briton with French ancestors fell 92 French lessons
for the charms of Languedoc-Roussillon Put your language skills to the test
62 Call of the south with our entertaining puzzles
Swapping Wimbledon for a new life in 93 Your photos COVER PHOTO
St-Tropez France through your camera lens Marseille, Provence
94 Rural riddles ©Karen Tait
The answers to all your
pastoral problems from our
countryside correspondent On the cover

HAVE YOUR SAY...
GET IN TOUCH!
Tell us what you love about France and what
owning a French property means to you...
Email: rachel.johnston@archant.co.uk
or post to:
The pick of this month’s musings

Rachel Johnston, FPN, Cumberland House,
Oriel Road, Cheltenham, GL50 1BB
The three Rs ST★R soon ours.

Follow us on Twitter I was amused to read George East’s
LETTER Renovations followed and once
@FrenchPropNews ‘Home Thoughts’ in the July issue. I completed we were kicking our heels.
must be bitten by the same bug as I too am Property number three coming up: but now
@FieldingPolly sitting in the last of the besotted by old French stone ruins. further south in Poitou-Charentes. This was a
evening sunshine here in #Paris – a Coincidentally our first purchase in 1991 was real project, built in 1580 and having been
moment that is so enjoyable! in Champ du Boult, Calvados – the location of empty for 80 years, but what character it had.
George’s latest find. Sadly, we have now had to move back to the
@stoughton_p @FrenchPropNews We had specific criteria, the most important UK as age takes over, but we still yearn for
Lovely article by Alex Sutcliffe on watermills. being that if the place fell down it wouldn’t those French dreams. At last we have no more
Mill owners often form local associations to harm anyone or anything. Seeing this house in pointing to do, but FPN helps us to keep
exchange history and know-how the middle of a field in a thunderstorm we completely in touch.
knew it was for us even though we couldn’t get Linda Garrett
@MonicaSuma Swimming in #lavender, inside. We loved it and bought it. So started
aka the best thing about summer in our voyage of renovations. The author of this
#Provence A couple of years later I spied another ruin month’s star letter wins
while out on a cycle ride. I loved it and could a bottle of armagnac
@juliastagg I get book from see such potential. My husband said I could from Vin, Adour et
@gallicbooks and am happy. Husband gets buy it if it cost less than £10,000 (he thought Fantaisies in Gers,
pull out Tour de France map in Vélo magazine he would be safe here!). After a bit of difficulty worth €40
and is ecstatic. Content household! I found out it was just £6,000 – so yes, it was (vin-adour-fantaisies.fr)
@KarenBurnsBooth Everyone needs a

Croissant Cloche in their lives… at
breakfast at Domaine des Clos Beaucaire
Don’t forget to Like us

on our Facebook page
‘French Property News’
Good evening from Place de la Liberté,
Sarlat, Dordogne
A lesson learned
Once upon a time there was a lady called Jane who fell in love with a pretty little holiday
cottage in France [above]. Last November she was going to go and see it, but it was sold to
someone else. Then, in April, she was told that the someone else couldn’t find the money, so
zoom across the Channel went Jane and her husband.
This May they went, they saw, they loved – so they put in an offer. It was accepted, but
they delayed signing due to some expensive plumbing needed, and they wanted longer to
Christine Loader Wonderful place! think about it.
Charmian McDermid Love Sarlat... But then, to their great dismay, the someone else who couldn’t find the loot last year
Caroline Raynal Très belle ville... j’adore! suddenly raised it, and bought the cottage. So the moral of this story is: if you want
Anne West Sarlat... one of our favourite something, don’t delay! Now they are sad – but it was a lovely dream.
places in France Jane Cant
Louise Lee I didn’t imagine France would
look like that, the buildings are so old
Pat Bridger We were there having lunch
last Saturday, such a pretty place, will be COMPETITION WINNERS
going back there for sure
Frederic Besson Wonderful memories Thank you so much for my I wanted to write to you to say a
from there book – it has just arrived very big thank you for our prize of a
Caroline Waller I’ve been there, wonderful and looks a great read! crossing to France. We have just
place, all of Dordogne is lovely Something my mum would returned from a long weekend break
Diane Harrop Wow, so ancient, such soft like too so I will pass it on to Boulogne, taking advantage of
mellow colours – beautiful pic to her once I have read it! the prize, and had a wonderful time.
Josiane Foenard Très bon foie gras and Tracy Nixon Thank you again – it was a great
pommes sarladaises! trip and an excellent prize.
Jayne Bevan

FPN NEWS
PROPERTY NEWS
Follow us on
Twitter for the
latest news
Keeping you updated on the property market, exchange rates, travel and events
In the heart of the Luberon national park in Vaucluse,

Provence, this restored three-bedroom farmhouse with
garden is on the market for €577,500
(leggettfrance.com)
This charming riverside cottage in

Charente has been renovated and is for
sale for €267,500 (leggettfrance.com)
British buyers out in force in France

T €253,623 the average
he British demand for French property is Percentage of sales to
growing ever stronger. According to the
British buyers in 2014
latest Investing & Living Abroad report
from BNP Paribas (bnpparibas.co.uk), Britons buy by region: amount spent by British
more properties in France than any other
nationality. The BNP Paribas figures revealed that
buyers on a French property
13,823 properties were sold to non-resident
buyers in 2014, an increase of just 1.5% from the Île-de-France Regions where Britons were number one of
previous year. However, non-resident British the top three most represented nationalities
buyers accounted for 32% of those sales, 7% were Brittany, Lower Normandy, Pays-de-la-Loire,
representing a 33% year-on-year increase. Sales Limousin, Centre, Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrénées,
Poitou-
to resident British buyers also increased Charentes Poitou-Charentes, Languedoc-Roussillon and
significantly, rising by 22%.
The increase in sales to non-resident buyers in 77% Limousin
74% Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes.
Figures from other industry experts have also
2014 came after two years of falling sales, and 37% confirmed the increase in demand for French
this shows signs of continuing in 2015. Midi-Pyrénées property from British buyers. In the first five
According to François Laforie, director general of Aquitaine 51 % PACA months of this year, foreign currency specialist
BNP Paribas, there has been a 53% increase in
56% 16% Moneycorp (moneycorp.com) saw a 23%
transactions in the first five months of the year
compared with the same period
34% increase in clients sending money abroad to buy
a property in France, compared with the same
Languedoc-
in 2014, with British buyers period in 2014, while estate agency Leggett
Roussillon
accounting for 75% of the 13,823 French Immobilier (leggettfrance.com) reported a 40%
increase, and he is confident increase in sales in the first half of 2015.
that the remainder of the year properties sold average spend ranged from “It’s interesting to see which regions of France
will continue in the same way. €198,000 in Aquitaine and are in vogue and once again the BNP Paribas
In his opinion, the increase in to non-resident €144,000 in Poitou-Charentes research mirrors the demand being reported by
British buyers is due to “a to €89,000 in Brittany and Leggett agents in the field,” says marketing
stronger UK economic recovery, buyers in 2014 €79,000 in Limousin. director Joanna Leggett. “This is a once in a
low interest rates, a weak euro Rhône-Alpes, Poitou- decade confluence of low prices meeting a weak
and a slight decrease in property prices”. Charentes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur were euro with the added bonus of cheap financing
The report revealed that Britons spent an the three most popular regions with non- thrown in,” comments chairman Trevor Leggett.
average of €253,623 on a property in France in resident British buyers; 17% purchased a “British buyers in particular have been making
2014, generating a total transaction value of property in Rhône-Alpes, 10.8% in Poitou- a strong comeback,” comments Catherine Ryall
€1.6bn. Paris and the Côte d’Azur were the Charentes and 10.7% in Provence-Alpes-Côte of Sextant Properties (sextantproperties.com).
regions where they spent the most amount of d’Azur. This represented a 32% increase from “They are still the biggest international presence
money, paying an average of €710,000 in Paris 2013 for Poitou-Charentes and a 30% increase in the French property market – we’ve noted a
and €589,000 on the Côte d’Azur. Elsewhere the for the other two regions. 30% increase in British interest in our properties.”

August 2015 Fête de l’ail rose, Tarn
7-8 August 2015
Left: With views across Paris, this one-bedroom
apartment is located in an 18th-century building FOOD Founded in 1970,
in Étoile Louvre Palais Royal and is for sale for Lautrec’s pink garlic
€1.15m (vingtparis.com) festival marks the start
Below left: Fully refurbished behind the original of the main selling
facade, this four-bedroom property in London’s period following the
South Kensington is on the market for £6.5m harvest. There is a
(faronsutaria.co.uk)
competition for the longest plait (manouille), a
traditional tasting of garlic soup and lively open-
two and a half times greater than in the 6th air dancing, and parasol-shaded market stalls are
arrondissement, the French capital’s piled high with mountains of pink garlic and other
©Calvados Tourisme
equivalent. Prices in Knightsbridge in 2014 regional products. Medieval Lautrec is one of
were £2,050 per square foot, which is over France’s Plus Beaux Villages.
three times more than those in the 8th tourism-midi-pyrenees.co.uk
arrondissement, home to the Champs-Élysées.
“The talk in the market over the past two Grand Pruneau Show, Lot-et-Garonne
to three years has been dominated by 28-30 August 2015
London, however, people forget that France Foire aux Fromages, Calvados Make the most of the
is the world’s fifth largest economy and 1-2 August 2015 last weekend in August
investors will always be attracted by the Attention cheese lovers! This two-day traditional in the town of Agen,
Paris property market’s incredible resilience,” fair in Livarot, just across the Channel in Normandy, where nearly 80,000
comments Susie Hollands, founder and CEO brings together the best of the eponymous cheese people of all ages come
of VINGT Paris. “As London becomes with exciting street entertainment. On the Sunday together to enjoy parades, gourmet markets and
increasingly unaffordable, Paris will be the afternoon visitors can take part in a Livarot-eating free concerts in honour of the department’s most
winner. The potential returns in five to six competition (this year the record to beat is one prized product, the Agen prune. The highlight of the
years’ time will be worth it.” minute, 51 seconds) and there are plenty of other show, which began in 2005, is tasting prunes newly
“Paris is such a unique and beautiful city local specialities to taste and buy throughout the emerged from a specially set-up oven in a square in
that it never goes out of fashion,” says weekend, from around 100 exhibitors. the town centre.
Catherine Ryall of Sextant Properties livarot-tourisme.com grandpruneaushow.fr
(sextantproperties.com). “The weakened euro
has been a huge factor in buyers making the
decision to invest in the French capital,
allowing them to get more for their money
MUSIC AND ARTS Le Festival d’Aurillac, Cantal
©Dominique Viet CDT Midi-Pyrénées
than in previous years. Shrewd buyers are 19-22 August 2015

hunting for property in Paris now, before Located at the foot of
prices creep back to their 2008 levels and the the Cantal mountains
end of the Hollande presidency, when prices in Auvergne, the
are expected to increase again.” town of Aurillac has
Turn to page 16 for our pick of Parisian
©CRDT Auvergne
been welcoming
pieds-à-terre for sale around 500 street
art troupes to its
theatre festival since
Jazz in Marciac, Gers its first instalment
27 July – 16 August 2015 in 1986. Hundreds of outdoor shows are
First launched in 1978 this has become one of organised over the four days – which include
Europe’s finest jazz festivals. Held in Marciac, a unusual installations, machinery, fantastical
village of just 1,300 inhabitants surrounded by characters, revisited circus shows or new forms
rolling fields and vineyards, it regularly attracts of performing art or opera – and in the evenings,
around 200,000 visitors from far and wide with dynamic parties take place to the sound of wild
the promise of great music and good food. percussion sounds.
Initially devoted to traditional jazz music, the aurillac.net
festival has gradually broadened its scope to
include blues, soul and gospel, and over the years Rock en Seine, Paris
has welcomed some big names to this small 28-30 August 2015
village in Gers. A fringe festival also takes place on Held in the beautiful Domaine National de
the main square. St-Cloud, a park and garden designed by André
jazzinmarciac.com Le Nôtre at the edge of the French capital, this
three-day rock extravaganza started in 2003
Festival Interceltique, Morbihan and offers five separate stages. This year’s line-
All images ©Sothebys International Real Estate
7-16 August 2015 up includes Kasabian, The Stereophonics, The

Starting life 45 years ago, this festival is all about Chemical Brothers and Alt-J. There is even a Mini
the integration of Breton music and culture Rock en Seine held simultaneously for six- to
with influences from Celtic nations: Scotland, 10-year-olds.
Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man and even Cornwall. rockenseine.com
The 10-day celebration includes parades, art
and costume exhibitions, Celtic instrument Also on in August:
masterclasses, a book fair and an artisan market.
Last year it attracted around 80,000 visitors and Festival Bout du Monde, Finistère,
60% of performances are free. 31 July – 2 August
festival-interceltique.bzh Festival de Confolens, Charente, 11-16 August

TRAVEL NEWS
In the French papers

■ After securing a victory at the Court of
Appeal which allowed it to continue operating
crossings on the Dover to Calais route,
MyFerryLink has now ceased its cross-Channel
service after owners Eurotunnel sold it to Le Monde Le Figaro
Danish company DFDS Seaways. DFDS has Situated in the north-western Mutual assistance, conviviality,
confirmed that it will not be taking over the suburbs of Paris, the commune of security and green spaces – this is
MyFerryLink service and that it will not be Bezons, which is home to 27,000 how the perfect neighbourhood
honouring bookings made on MyFerryLink. residents, is to have a new town would look according to the
centre. Building work is finally due French. A study has revealed that
■ Free unlimited Wifi is now available in the to commence in 2018 after seven 66% of those surveyed attach
51 busiest train stations in France, each of years of discussions. The project great importance to improving
which sees more than 10 million travellers will see the creation of living accommodation relationships between residents living in the
passing through each year. The free service is (60%), commercial space (30%) and public same area, while 65% would like more green
now being used by over 10,000 people a day facilities (10%). spaces. Proximity to shops is just as important
according to SNCF, and is due to be rolled out as having a garden; ideally the French wouldn’t
to 128 stations by September. A cap on rental prices in Paris comes into force travel more than a kilometre to go shopping.
on 1 August. Under the new rules, landlords
■ An electric scooter rental scheme has been must set rental prices for new tenants in According to a recent survey, just 7% of
launched in Paris as part of a plan to reduce accordance with the average price per square French people want to move house outside
the number of cars in the city. The City Scoot metre in the neighbourhood, up to 20% above of their region or department of birth. When
service will be rolled out over the next year, or 30% below that price. It will be the first time contemplating a move, job opportunities and
with scooters available to hire for €3 for 15 that a limit in terms of euros per square metre quality of life are important considerations.
minutes. A four-month trial period has already rented will be imposed on landlords in France. Three million of them move house each year.
begun with 70 scooters available for hire, Private rental values in Paris tripled between
with 1,000 planned for next year. Subscribers 1984 and 2014, and this ambitious new law is L’Express
to the service simply receive a text message intended to slow or reverse that trend. A number of leading French chefs including
with a code that acts as a digital ignition, and Alain Ducasse have taken part in the Grand
a smartphone app using satnav technology Less than 500 metres from the famous Place Gelinaz Shuffle 2015. Some 37 chefs from 17
indicates the location of free bikes and their Stanislas in the north-eastern city of Nancy, a countries changed restaurants for one dinner
remaining battery life. Helmets will be stored GDF factory that was closed down in the 1950s service, with a random draw deciding who
under the saddle, and the meter runs until they has been given a new lease of life by the mairie. went where. The chefs, who had to create a
are connected to one of a number of scooter Referred to as ‘no man’s land’, the site will be menu of eight dishes, were not allowed to take
parking bays in central Paris. If the scheme is transformed into a mixture of accommodation, ingredients they would normally use with them,
successful in the French capital it could later be offices and an apartment hotel. or change the style of cuisine served.
rolled out in London.
■ Motorcyclists and scooter riders will be

required to carry a fluorescent yellow safety NEWS IN BRIEF
vest with them from next year. The new rule
will come into effect from 1 January 2016. ■ A new tourism campaign has been launched smoking in the play areas of public parks will
Failure to produce one during a spot-check in France which calls upon business owners now be liable to a fine of €68. The French are
will result in a fine of €11, rising to €135 if one and those in the service industry to ‘be nicer among the heaviest smokers in Europe and
is not worn during a breakdown. to travellers’. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius this is the latest government measure aimed
wants this to become a ‘national priority’ after at improving public health.
■ British drivers caught on camera exceeding a survey revealed that visitors to France are
speed limits in France and other EU countries 30% less satisfied with their stay than in other ■ Plans to build a controversial skyscraper in
will no longer be able to avoid fines under new countries. Fabius wants to attract 100 million Paris have been given the green light after
rules which are due to come into effect from visitors per year to France by 2020. they were initially rejected by the city council.
2017. Under the new directive, for the first Championed by mayor Anne Hidalgo, the
time police in other EU countries will be given ■ A British author has been credited with 40-floor-high pyramid-shaped tower known
the right to access British motorists’ details boosting foreign tourism in Dordogne by as the Tour Triangle will be built in the 15th
from the DVLA. However, it remains unclear as much as 30%. Martin Walker has written arrondissement and will eventually be home
how motorists who fail to pay speeding fines several mystery novels about a policeman to a four-star hotel, office space and a cultural
incurred in another EU country will be pursued. called Bruno who works in this popular part centre. At a height of 180m it will be the third
of France, and the ‘Bruno effect’ has seen tallest building in the French capital.
■ Mobile phone roaming charges will be tourists flocking to the area in the hope
abolished in the EU from 15 June 2017. of finding the real-life inspiration behind ■ France’s wine-making region of
It was originally hoped that the measure the character. Walker has since become an Champagne and parts of Burgundy have
would be introduced at the end of 2015 but Ambassadeur d’Honneur for Dordogne and a been granted UNESCO World Heritage Status.
the 2017 date has now been agreed on as Chevalier of foie gras. UNESCO decided that the vineyards, cellars
a compromise. Details are being finalised and sales houses where champagne is made
by the European Commission and are ■ A new study has revealed that the French and sold were culturally significant, while
then expected to be signed off by the EU are happier than the Brits. Carried out by several vineyards on Burgundy’s hillsides
Parliament and Council. the Happiness Research Institute, the study were also awarded the same distinction.
looked at ‘well-being equality’ and calculated
■ The lift-share service Uber, which connects how equally happiness levels are spread in ■ A sculpture by the renowned French artist
passengers with drivers directly, has been European countries. The French ranked in Auguste Rodin has been sold in London for
launched in three new cities in France. ninth place while the British were in 14th. $1.1m. The sculpture of ‘Aphrodite’ was only
UberPOP, the cheapest service Uber offers, cast in bronze for the first time last year after
is now available in Marseille, Nantes and ■ Smoking has been banned in children’s the complete mould, which was previously
Strasbourg. There have been protests from playgrounds in France following a one- thought to be lost, was discovered at the
angry local taxi drivers and clashes between year trial in a park in Paris. Anyone caught museum housing the artist’s work.
them and UberPOP drivers.

FPN THREE OF THE BEST
PARISIAN PADS
Rachel Johnston trawls the Left and Right Banks for desirable pieds-à-terre under £1m
Invalides, 7th arrondissement: €1,100,000

Who hasn’t dreamed of owning a pad in Paris? For many, it has remained
just that – a dream – but many investors are now flocking to the French
capital to make the most of competitive prices and a weakening euro, and
indeed, reports indicate that prime Paris neighbourhoods are significantly
less expensive than their London equivalents.
Home to the Musées d’Orsay and Rodin, Napoleon’s tomb and the Eiffel
Tower, Paris’ iconic 7th (south of the Seine) is an unmissable area for any
visitor – but its residents are equally well catered for. Private residences rub
shoulders with folksy bistros and international designer shops, and
bustling markets line the streets.
Tucked away on Rue Surcouf just off the Quai d’Orsay, the location of this
one-bedroom loft apartment couldn’t be better: the river is a stone’s throw
away and the Esplanade des Invalides is virtually your back garden. The
living space may only measure 64m2 but the six-metre-high ceiling and
large skylights give it a light and spacious feel, and there’s even a terrace
with canopy for al fresco dining or wine-sipping. A spiral staircase leads up
from the living area and the whole apartment has been recently renovated.
Best of all, it’s less than a two-minute walk to Invalides Métro station.
vingtparis.com
St-Georges, 9th arrondissement: €985,000

Not only is the 9th a shopper’s paradise – grand department stores
Galeries Lafayette and Printemps can be found on Boulevard
Haussmann – but it can also add buzzing Pigalle and the Moulin Rouge
to its list of attractions. Favoured by ‘bobos’ (the bohemian bourgeois),
this sector is a tale of two halves, where stately Haussmannian buildings
meet avant-garde hangouts and a thoroughly laid-back attitude. Just
over the border into the 18th, the steep streets of Montmartre converge
at the Sacré-Cœur, from where the city views are arguably the best.
Located in an elegant 19th-century building on Rue Henner that
overlooks a courtyard and Impasse Pigalle, this two-bedroom
apartment is both bright and quiet, and was fully refurbished just last
year. Nearly half of its 79m2 is taken up by the living and dining room,
but the kitchen is also large enough to incorporate an island and
there are two WCs. There is even a private cellar in the basement,
perfect for keeping the party fizz cool.
leggettfrance.com
Rambuteau, 3rd arrondissement: €780,000

On Paris’ Right Bank and containing the northern part of the medieval
Marais, the 3rd is one of the capital’s most densely packed and bustling
quarters; the contemporary art world has a firm presence here and there’s
also no shortage of great bars and restaurants. The Jewish Quarter is the
place to be on Sundays, dissolving a hangover with a delicious falafel wrap
and trawling the many vintage shops stuffed to the rafters with velvet
jackets and old LPs.
This apartment’s situation on Rue de Montmorency couldn’t be better,
straddling the two trunk roads of Beaubourg and Temple and a stone’s throw
from the Centre Georges Pompidou. Approached via a paved courtyard, this
first-floor flat offers 80m2 of living space and, with its many large windows
and three-metre-high ceilings, is extremely light and bright. The decor
successfully fuses the modern with the traditional: while living room and
both bedrooms have oak parquet flooring, glass brick walls make a
statement in the bathroom and under the kitchen’s breakfast bar. With
copious built-in cupboards this pad would suit the most dedicated of
hoarders and, what’s more, peace reigns supreme as there is little passing
traffic – an aspect hard to come by in the City of Light.
patrice-besse.co.uk

FPN BUSINESS OF THE MONTH
A COMPLEX AFFAIR
Rachel Johnston basks in the sun at a thriving gîte complex in Charente-Maritime
M
any French properties come with a pool, boules and volleyball/badminton courts, complex is close to the route of St-Jacques de
ready-made gîte that can facilitate an a football pitch, a gym and a children’s play Compostelle, and a few years ago the Tour de
easy income, but what about a area. Each gîte has a private aspect and its France passed through Cognac.
complex of four, fully furnished and equipped own large patio with furniture and barbecue “We have loved seeing busy working families
and sold as part of a going concern? for al fresco dining, as well as the with young children spending time with each
Long-time Francophiles Phil and Glyn conveniences of satellite TV and Wifi. other in a safe, relaxing environment. Two of
Silvester bought a large Charentaise stone “It was important to wrench Phil away from our best memories are seeing one young girl
farmhouse with its outbuildings and five-acre his work in the UK to give us both the time and learn to ride a bike on our safe roads on site
field as a maison secondaire in 2003. Since space to enjoy the simple things in life again,” and a young boy become quite a good
then they have undertaken a labour of love explains Glyn. “Living in the French swimmer – in just two weeks!”
and, year by year, renovated barns and countryside is so peaceful
maisonettes to create charming gîtes with oak and we really get to Factfile Moving on
beams, honeyed stone walls and a wealth of appreciate the seasons, the Price: €775,000 Phil and Glyn are now
other traditional features. local flora and fauna and the Location: Brives-sur-Charente selling the gîte complex
It was 2008 when Phil and Glyn gave up different harvests. Department: Charente-Maritime to move closer to their
busy jobs in the UK and escaped to sunny “Our climate is Region: Poitou-Charentes grandchildren. “We would
Poitou-Charentes – and it was only a year later wonderfully warm and we Contact: Phil and Glyn Silvester really like our home and
that the family-friendly holiday complex Gîtes always say that France has Tel: 0033 (0)5 46 93 15 34 business to be taken on
de Brives was born. ‘big’ skies. But at the same gitesdebrives.com by a young or extended
time as living in unspoilt family so that its future is
Private practice countryside, we are only 10 minutes’ drive assured. The work here is intense but the main
The Silvesters can accommodate up to 30 from Cognac and Pons and 15 minutes from holiday season is short (May to October) and
guests here in peak season, but despite living the A10, so we feel we really have the best of you do have the opportunity to pursue another
on site, they have managed to retain both worlds.” trade or profession at the same time,” assures
significant privacy for themselves – they even The local area is a veritable goldmine of Phil. In fact, the Silvesters enjoy a two-month
have a separate staircase from clients when sleepy villages, typical French cafés and adventure abroad most years.
they choose to open up their B&B, with its four excellent restaurants to suit every taste and The B&B and four gîtes are being sold
en-suite bedrooms. pocket. Because Charente-Maritime is fairly inclusive of all furniture, bedding and white
Guests have exclusive use of a large heated flat it is ideal for walking and cycling – the goods – all you need to do is take over. ■

FPN PROPERTIES OF THE MONTH
2
1
4
3 6
5
FPN FRENCH PROPERTY DREAMS
THE GREEN GREEN

GRASSE OF HOME
Rachel Johnston opens the doors to an 18th-century,
architect-restored bastide in the perfume capital of the world
T
he Provençal town of Grasse has been and original Provençal tiles. punctuated by squat palms and elegant
synonymous with perfume-making since Perhaps the most impressive space is the cypresses and fenced all the way around,
the 17th century and, with its famous living and dining room, which runs the entire making it safe for children and pets.
Fête du Jasmin set to attract thousands this width of the house and overlooks the garden The heated pool, measuring a generous
month, it seems only appropriate that our and pool through an arched picture window. 10x5m, is set within a terrace of crazy paving
corresponding property dream is just a stone’s Serried beams line the ceiling, a delightfully and there’s even a vegetable garden for those
throw from the heart of the festivities. pitted brick floor is cosied by tasselled rugs keen on growing their own. The grounds are
Situated on the south side of the town, this and at the opposite end to the window is a entirely private with no overlooking
imposing bastide has been lovingly restored by large stone fireplace, providing mellow neighbours, although the property’s setting in
a former architect, who bought it 25 years ago warmth in the winter months. a residential area will appeal to those wanting
after falling in love with the old stonework and The kitchen, with its terracotta and green the option of a community close by.
having been unable to find an example like it tiles and an array of cheery cupboards, has
elsewhere. There can be little more reassuring double doors which open to a terrace and BBQ Good neighbours
than buying the fruit of a professional area at the side of the house – and also on the Besides the blissful climate, delicious
designer’s labours – and this juicy piece is now ground floor is the obligatory wine cellar for Mediterranean food and glitz and glamour of
on the market for €790,000. storing copious bottles of local rosé. the Riviera, the department of Alpes-
The bastide’s six bedrooms are spread across Maritimes can also add easy accessibility to its
Reformed character its two upper floors and, while the master list of accolades. Grasse itself is less than 40km
Owner Jean Nusbaumer used to enjoy regular suite on the first floor is spacious and very from Nice airport, passing by numerous
holidays with his family in Antibes and he comfortably appointed, it’s the room above it irresistible villages along the way: Biot,
worked for a time at the Palais des Festivals in – which Jean currently uses as his study – that Valbonne and Mougins to name a few. The
Cannes, so the golden triangle between these packs the biggest punch. With a vaulted larger towns of Cannes and Antibes are also
two towns and Grasse was where he wanted to ceiling and a wonderful view from the right on the doorstep, and all are linked
set up home. window, it must be less a place for diligent together by excellent road and rail networks.
“The ground and first floors needed work and more one for daydreaming. Tim Clark of Leggett Immobilier, the agency
complete renovation as they were unliveable,” Together with its two further bedrooms, a marketing the property, describes it as a
Jean explains. “There was no insulation in the shower room and a kitchenette, the second hidden gem. “Anyone looking for something a
house at all and there were lots of little rooms, floor was once a self-contained apartment, bit different from the usual villa with
which have now been opened up into larger and after some light modernisation it would swimming pool would be well advised to take
ones.” At the time of the purchase, Jean was serve beautifully as a gîte within the house – a look.” It’s not just wafts of heady jasmine
working in Saudi Arabia and managed a team or at least as a setup for chambres d’hôtes. that will lure you to Grasse; this bastide’s
of skilled artisans remotely. Of course, for many people buying a potential to launch your new life in Provence
Looking at the property today, it’s hard to property in Provence, it’s the outside space smells every bit as sweet. ■
believe the state it was formerly in. The that’s the real selling point. This property is
restoration has been completed to a very high approached through electric gates and a Leggett Immobilier
standard with exceptional attention to detail sweeping driveway and a well-kept, Tel: 08700 11 51 51
throughout, including a handmade front door landscaped garden wraps around it, leggettfrance.com

HOME THOUGHTS
George East goes on a nostalgic road trip across Normandy
FROM ABROAD
W
e and the little Citroën racing around the region, and saw
have just travelled a little some very interesting properties
over 3,000 miles in less up for grabs.
than four weeks without leaving Of the three departments, Orne
Normandy. We also trundled at had the most bargains, and
least 200 miles on the gorgeous Calvados some of the most
‘green way’ bike trails of the potentially spectacular properties.
Suisse-Normande and through In Orne we saw two acres of
great seas of wheat fields. woods and river and fishing lake
Then there were the four going for the equivalent of
campsites, three gîtes and one £18,000. For around the same
hotel we stayed in while I knocked price there was about half an acre
out 40,000 words on my of flat land with full planning
impressions of revisiting one of permission in Manche.
our favourite regions of France. My heart was taken by the
Another minor statistic and still-sturdy remains of a half-
record, even for me, concerns the timbered barn in a breathtakingly
4.2 kilos (best part of a stone for beautiful and isolated position on
the resolutely unconverted) I the southern borders of Calvados.
managed to pile on during the It was a snip at £20,000 and
course of my earnest research into Splendid isolation: a charming Calvados barn in need of some tender loving care would have made the most
the traditional food and drink of eye-wateringly beautiful home
the region. given the loving attention, time
As a friend wryly commented a long way. It is over a quarter of a stunning colombage (half- and money it deserved.
when he heard we were off for a century since my wife and I first timbered) buildings in the world, Fortunately, my wife ruled that we
month eating and drinking our visited and bought a home there. let alone France. did not have enough of the final
way around the region, he The raison d’être – or do I mean Then there’s Manche, where my two requirements at our disposal,
believed it was actually a law that excuse – for the trip was to look wife and I bought and restored so on this occasion her head
crème entière had to be served at again at familiar places and three very different properties, a managed to rule our hearts.
least once with every meal. explore the areas even we had not labour of love which almost
I knew what he meant, and been before for my new book became an obsession. Play with food
when you think that we were about our adopted country. Lower This peninsular department is It is undeniable that even France
virtually forced to Normandy will be bounded and defined by the now embraces – often warily – the
sample the the subject of the waters it is named for. Fruits of foods of other lands and cultures,
products at the
My heart was next French land and sea, lush grass and and I love the way they adapt
cheese shrines of Impressions book, contented cows abound, and here them to more traditional tastes.
Camembert, Pont
taken by the and it is rather you will find what is claimed to be In Paris, your Big Mac is as
L’Évêque and
Livarot as well as
remains of a half- long overdue.
Forgive me if
the finest cream in all of France.
I suppose the most lasting
likely to be served in a crispy
baguette as a bun. Kebab shops
two calvados
distilleries and a
timbered barn in you already know
this, but Lower
impression the whistle-stop tour
has left me with is how you can
are now almost as common in
French towns as boulangeries, and
cidrerie or two, you a breathtakingly Normandy see so much more when looking in Bayeux we ensured a visit to
can see how I and comprises three at something with the opposite of the home of the kebab Normand.
other travel hacks beautiful and departments, each a fresh eye. I know that sounds This is a speciality served up by
have to suffer for with its own contradictory, but I have just an enterprising Norman, and
our arts. isolated position appeal. We started spent a month looking at familiar differs from the normal concept
Then there in Orne, a mainly places as if I have just come across by being made with slivers of
were all those in Calvados agricultural area them. It not only reminded me of lamb reared locally, accompanied
out-of-the-way filled with rivers, what an almost incredibly by a Camembert and double
restaurants serving up traditional trees and tiny fields. The defining beautiful region Lower Normandy cream sauce with just a soupçon
regional specials, to say nothing of colour of Lower Normandy is is, but also why it was love at first of calvados.
the mandatory testing of a kebab green, and Orne is the greenest of sight for us – and why that It really has to be tasted to be
Normand (more of which later). the green. passion has endured. believed, and is almost in
Then it was on to Calvados, contention with the Bayeux
Norman journey perhaps the best known of the Bargains galore Tapestry as an attraction for these
All in all, it has been a month three departments. This may be I did not neglect my duties to this two sensation-seeking tourists.
which I think will stay with me because it gives its name to the magazine and its readers while See you next time. ■
(like the extra weight) for a long world-renowned apple brandy, or
time. As those who have survived because it is home to the For more information on George’s travels and books visit
years of reading my jottings will aforementioned soft cheeses. It is www.george-east-france.com
know, we and Normandy go back also home to some of the most

Thank goodness I made
enquiries beforehand!
Time to stop living at work

and start working at living!
For most people, moving to France is about improving the quality of life,
to stop living to the clock, reducing worries and stresses. However moving
to a foreign country can add them, with the language barrier and different
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94 Brookmill Road, London SE8 4JJ

FPN LOCATION
Sea, sun and culture

All this and more is on offer in Marseille, a city where bourgeois meets bohemian, as
Karen Tait discovered when she let the train take the strain all the way to the Med
F
or those who find tranquil Dordogne I’ve always thought of Marseille as Euroméditerranée has transformed the city,
villages too tranquil, sleepy south-west interesting and a little edgy. A multicultural with a plethora of refurbishment projects
bastide towns too sleepy and traditional melting pot. Not necessarily a place for from leading architects, including the MuCEM
seaside resorts too traditional, Marseille could holidays, although ideal for a cultural city (Museum of Civilisations from Europe and
well be the place for you. break exploring the many museums and art the Mediterranean) from architect Rudy
Here you will never run out of new things to galleries. However, having recently spent a Ricciotti – a concrete honeycomb linked by
do, streets to explore, restaurants and bars to long weekend there, in and around the walkways to the 17th-century St-Jean fort –
sample… and when the city buzz becomes too beautiful old port, I was surprised at how and the esplanade of the once-abandoned J4
much, just hop on a bus and relaxed and charming it was pier, now home to architect Stefano Boeri’s
head down the coast to quieter For the first (a long way away from media Villa Méditerranée, a cantilevered building
Mediterranean resorts, villages images of the crime and suspended over the water.
and beaches. Indeed, the time ever, rail drug-riddled northern In the Vieux Port, Lord Norman Foster’s
nearest sandy beaches are suburbs). The authorities have Ombrière is a surprisingly simple yet effective
within a short cycle ride of the passengers worked hard in recent times to addition – the mirrored ‘umbrella’ not only
old port, or you can catch a combat crime around the port provides shade but also reflects the port back
boat from there to the Frioul can travel all areas, and it certainly feels a at you – not to mention reflecting you back at
islands or the stunning safe place to be. you, which in this selfie-obsessed world has
calanques along the coast, the way from Despite packing as much as proved a great success! Commenting on the
small limestone bays which possible into the relatively project, Foster said: “I know the harbour at
were given national park status London to the short space of time we were Marseille well and it is a truly grand space.
in 2012. there, I was left wanting more This project was a great opportunity to
Anyone interested in making
Mediterranean – a pied-à-terre in this enhance it using very simple means.”
this sunny southern city their fascinating city would deliver
second home can now get there
without on a lot of levels and it would Old meets new
directly via Eurostar, with no
need to change trains at Lille or
changing trains never be boring. You could easily spend all your time around
the port, sampling the many restaurants –
Paris, and without the hassle of A city on the coast seafood is a speciality, it is the home of
airport security and baggage restrictions – and One of France’s oldest cities, Marseille is bouillabaisse after all – browsing the artisan
without having your bottle of water also one of its most vibrant and dynamic. markets that spring up alongside the harbour
confiscated! Taking six and a half hours, the The European Capital of Culture for 2013 or on its side streets, buying fresh fish on the
new route taking travellers from London all has come a long way in the last decade, quays and visiting cultural attractions such as
the way to the Med was launched in May courtesy of €7bn worth of regeneration the hugely impressive MuCEM or the museums
along with Lyon, adding to the existing works. Launched 20 years ago, and the largest of history, Roman docks or marine industry, to
Avignon stop-off. urban renewal project in southern Europe, name but a few. Indeed, across Marseille there

Marseille factfile
• The oldest city in France, founded 2,600
years ago
• The second most populated French city:
850,636 inhabitants
• Surface area: 240km2 including 100km2 of
natural areas and 57km of seafront
• Average temperatures: spring 19°C /
summer 25°C / autumn 14°C / winter 12°C
• Transport: two subway lines, three
tramway lines, 1,000 bicycles in 130 stations,
88 bus lines, two shuttle boats (one between
old port and Pointe-Rouge and the other
between the old port and l’Estaque)
• France’s leading cruise port (1,315,000
passengers in 2014) and freight port
• World Water Capital since 1996
• European Capital of Culture in 2013
• Capital of Sport in 2017
• 5.5m tourists in 2013
• Local specialities – bouillabaisse, navette
biscuits and pastis (Paul Ricard created the
Marseille pastis in 1923)
are no fewer than 21 museums. Facing page: The spectacular view along the coast
For more restaurants and eclectic shops on from the city This page top: Notre-Dame de la Garde
quaint squares and winding streets, head for watches over Marseille and can be seen from the Vieux
Port Above left: Le Panier old town, situated between
Le Panier old town, between the port and the the port and the Cathédrale de la Major, offers plenty of
Romanesque-Byzantine Cathédrale de la restaurants as well as quaint squares and winding streets
Major. Keep on walking past the cathedral and to explore Above right: If you don’t fancy the walk to * The City Pass is a great way to explore
you reach the regenerated Euromediterranée the top, why not take the tourist train for a fun ride up to the city, offering access to museums,
zone; the revamped docks area is now home to Notre-Dame de la Garde, and you can enjoy a little tour tours and other tourist attractions as well
swish new homes and offices, the Regards de of the coast too as transport (including boats to the Frioul
Provence exhibition, the stylish Halles de la islands) – marseille-tourisme.com
Major, heaven for foodies, and Les Terrasses
du Port, Marseille’s latest shopping offering – Up-and-coming areas – where bourgeois
those seeking retail therapy will certainly not meets bohemian – include Le Cours Julien, Getting there:
be disappointed. The city’s only skyscraper, with its large square lined with bistros and • By train: Eurostar from London St-Pancras
H99, can be found here too, with luxury bars, and trendy side streets – we tried to get a or Ashford International to Marseille (six and
apartments on offer from €260,000. table in a few restaurants that had been a half hours); or TGV from Paris (just over
On the opposite side of the Vieux Port, recommended to us, but without reservations three hours) – find out more on the
Notre-Dame de la Garde watches over the city, there was no chance, showing the increasing eurostar.com website
offering panoramic views from its hilltop popularity of this area with locals. Luckily, • By air: Flights from various UK airports
position 154m above the sea. Catch the tourist with such a wide choice of restaurants we including Manchester and London
train for a fun ride up – it’ll also take you on a didn’t go hungry! • By road: Marseille is 1,072km from Calais
little tour of the coast and upmarket districts Marseille also has the elegant boulevards • Where to stay: We tried the New Hotel
such as Le Roucas Blanc, where wealthy you’d expect to find in French cities; beautiful Marseille by the port, which has an arty vibe
merchants built their homes on the hillside so Haussmanian buildings line the main roads of and is a mix of
they could watch out for their ships coming Le Canebière and Rue de la République. contemporary and
into the port. The nearest beaches are Prado, Prophète old (part of it
Even if time’s short, make sure you look and Catalans – unsurprisingly they get very was the Institut
inside the Neo-Byzantine basilica. The lavish busy in summer, but there are plenty more a de Pasteur); the
mosaics lining the walls and three cupolas are little further afield. The rocky Frioul islands swimming pool is
breathtaking, as is the 11m-tall golden have their own mini calanques too, which are great for relaxing by
Madonna and child statue atop the bell tower, popular with families, and less crowded the after all the
believed to protect the city and its inhabitants further you’re prepared to walk from the sightseeing
– locals refer to the basilica as ‘la bonne mère’. restaurant-lined harbour (there’s a tourist – new-hotel.com
A new museum opened here in 2013. train too).

FPN LOCATION
On the market
In a new development in the 4th

‘arrondissement’, studios to two-bedroom
apartments are available from €103,155 to
€226,941 (sextantproperties.com)
e
h
T a
o
b race, and deep
ts booming bass surrounded by a
This renovated three-bedroom villa with pool prison island where truth and myth mingle – youthful crowd – everywhere you looked
is tucked away in the hillsides above Marseille, it’s best known as the location that inspired people of all ages were joining in the
€736,700 (leggettfrance.com) The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre celebrations. Of course, the Fête de la Musique
Dumas. The honey-coloured stone of the is an annual happening across France (and
château, the graceful domed ceilings and other countries) and not unique to Marseille,
ancient circular stone stairways, not to but I get the feeling that whenever you visit
mention the azure blue sea views from the this southern city, you will always be able to
windows, can make it easy to imagine the find music.
castle being converted into a boutique hotel. You will also not go short of cultural
But you only have to spend a few quiet activities. Top of the list is surely the MuCEM,
moments in the cells, imagining what it must a wonderful coming together of the old fort at
have been like to be a prisoner here all those the harbour mouth and the new landmark
years ago, for chills to run down your spine, no building. Together they sum up the city itself,
matter how hot the sun outside. the old and the new, both looking back and
looking forward. We also caught the Futurs
Music and museums exhibition at the Centre de la Vieille Charité,
Marseille is the sum of many parts, maybe with artwork from Matisse, Mondrian and
even villages – locals say the city has a village many more – I particularly liked Bruno
spirit. Le Panier, for example, still has that Peinado’s huge silver balloon installation. If
Four-bedroom house in the 12th sense of community – when we visited in July you’re visiting Marseille next month, don’t
‘arrondissement’, Le Village Montolivet, they were celebrating their Fête d’Été, with miss the Septembre en Mer festival, offering a
€765,000 (squarehabitat.fr) children’s games in the pretty squares, a variety of sea-themed events.
heart-throbbing drumming band travelling
through the narrow cobbled streets, and gentle Where to buy
folk music under the plane trees. Unlike the more glitzy Riviera resorts,
There was music everywhere, with food and Marseille offers a more affordable route to
drink (including some lethal brews) appearing Mediterranean property. The city has an
from doorways as well as numerous bars and average square metre property price of €2,445
restaurants, and the revelries went on late into for apartments and €3,111 for houses,
the night. I didn’t see a single policeman, there compared to €9,445 and €14,836 in St-Tropez,
was simply no need. Perhaps not the image for example.
you have of Marseille (it’s certainly not The That’s not to say it’s the poor cousin, it just
French Connection). has a different kind of appeal. In recent years
The following day was the Fête de la many Parisians have bought here, perhaps
Musique, celebrated across France but inspired by the popular TV soap Plus Belle la
particularly well suited to Marseille. We Vie, set in Le Panier, and no doubt attracted
Overlooking the Vieux Port, this duplex loft stopped for everything from a lovely lady too by the value for money on offer when
has been created from several apartments on singing and playing piano aboard a gorgeous compared to the capital and Riviera resorts.
the top floor of a character building, €890,000 old yacht to fiddle bands that made you want Recent research from Credit Foncier reports
(home-hunts.com) to dance a jig in the street, an Arabic band that the Marseille property market slowed in
whose appeal transcended nationality and 2014 and is expected to fall a little further in

2015, suggesting now could be a good time to wishing to relocate permanently opt for the Facing page clockwise from top left: The prison
pick up a bargain. The most sought-after “beaux quartiers”, he adds, such as the areas island of Château d’If; the honey-coloured stone is
neighbourhoods performed the strongest, with around Avenue du Prado and Boulevard Périer particularly attractive; the fort at the mouth of the
just a 5% fall in prices last year. (Monticelli Square), where most of the foreign harbour This page top: Marseille is the second most
populated French city Bottom: The MuCEM museum
Marseille also appeals to investors, who consulates are located. was designed by the architect Rudy Ricciotti
have a choice of old town pieds-à-terre, Belle Cours Julien is the place to be for “young,
Époque mansions or contemporary hip, music/art lovers and Londoners” suggests
developments, all of which rent well. Nicole Cook of Leggett Immobilier. “An artsy after residential area with many beautifully
“The face of Marseille has completely quarter of town with concert halls, shops of all renovated apartments, private homes,
changed,” says François-Xavier de Vial, kinds, painted walls, bars, theatres, and bakeries, restaurants and shops. Prado is the
Director of Home Hunts, who has lived in packed with a diverse range of delicious banking district and is often filled with people
Marseille for more than a decade, “it’s quite restaurants, this reasonably priced area is at the large outdoor market or going to one of
bourgeois now. Although once associated with mostly tourist free,” she explains. “The smaller the many businesses in the area.
drug crime and violence, a quick walk through streets lead you to cool stores selling locally “These bustling centres spread to
the pulsing heart of Marseille today would hand-crafted items and clothing, record shops, neighbouring quarters Castellane and Baille as
quickly quash any negative and tea salons.” well. Castellane, recognised for its celebrated
assumptions one might
make. France’s second city is
With 300 days of For “young families who
want a garden and security
fountain, has two movie theatres that regularly
play films in English, and is lined with
economically thriving, sunshine a year, the but to remain in the city and traditional cafés and restaurants. Baille is a
socially magnetic and be close to public transport” charming business and residential area with
architecturally celebrated.” weather may be she recommends St-Barnabé: language schools, yoga studios, offices, great
He explains that the most “It’s said to resemble a lunch spots and coffee houses.
popular locations in the city hot but Marseille’s typical small Provençal town “For coastline living, look at La Corniche, a
itself include the old port, right in the city of Marseille, long stretch of coast where the houses look out
the 7th, 8th and 9th metropolitan vibe or a village dans la ville, over the sea, or Vallon des Auffes, an adorable
arrondissements (like Paris, boasting numerous old fishing village with converted summer
Marseille is made up of is undeniably cool boutiques, butchers and homes and a three-Michelin-star restaurant.”
arrondissements) and places bakeries. It has a modern Thinking about Marseille after my visit (and
such as L’Estaque, a fishing village to the Métro station that takes you to the Vieux Port wishing I was still there), I realised that it is
west of Marseille and officially the city’s in about 10 minutes, but has nearly everything not just a city; it’s a port (two in fact, the old
16th arrondissement. you need within the village including a good- and the new), it’s seaside, it’s islands, it’s a
Further afield, locations such as Cassis – sized grocery store. jumble of vibrant communities, it’s a sense of
35-minutes’ drive from Marseille – and the “Château Gombert is home to the Marseille history that goes back further than most places
Côte Bleue, are sought after as they offer Provence Technology Park – or Technopôle as in France and yet it’s one of the most modern
buyers more for their money than better- it’s known. It is an area that benefits from destinations you could wish for. I doubt I
known resorts on the Côte d’Azur. great economic development within would ever tire of it – and surely for a second
“International buyers tend to seek large Marseille’s city limits, and is drawing a lot of home (and indeed a main home), that’s got to
villas with sea views, although they are very the researchers and other employees to buy be worth thinking about. ■
difficult to find,” explains François-Xavier. property there.”
“They are also keen to buy apartments or For “classic upscale city living” choose Perier tourisme-paca.com
pieds-à-terre around the Vieux Port, as a and Prado, says Nicole. “These areas feature visitprovence.com
second home or to rent out seasonally.” Those classic French city style. Perier is a sought- eurostar.com

FPN LOCATION
Paris
Population: 2.2 million
The capital of France is an architectural feast on the banks of the
ie Dupont
mighty Seine. Home to some of Europe’s most famous galleries
and museums, along with cafés, restaurants and romance and
much more. Who wouldn’t want to call the City of Light home?
Paris Tourist Office/Amel

Find out more: paris.fr
Downtown
dreaming
If reading about Marseille has given you a
taste for city life, Lynette Eyb explores four
of her French favourites that offer a rich
heritage and easy access
Buying property in Paris first 10 or 11 arrondissements
Paris, like all great cities, is a starting at €8,000 or €9,000/m²
sprawling, thriving metropolis, and going up to more than
but with the right research, it is €15,000/m². It is possible to pick
possible to find your own slice of up apartments in outer
Parisian magic. arrondissements for less than
The city is split into 20 €5,000/m², but make sure you
arrondissements, the first being consider other factors too, such
the area surrounding the Louvre, as lifestyle, safety and the return
with the others numerically on your investment.
spiralling out in a clockwise “Central Paris is very much a
direction. Generally, the larger high-end buyer’s market,” says
the number, the further away the Hervé Lévy of Home Hunts, “with
arrondissement is located from the a top-floor apartment with a
city centre. terrace and Seine views likely to
Property is priced by the square set you back around €1.1m.”
metre, with the overwhelming He suggests professionals
majority of properties split into looking for executive properties
apartments. Prices depend on the should start their search in
location and quality of the Neuilly-sur-Seine and Levallois-
property, as well as whether it has Perret, or on Île de la Jatte.
an elevator, a balcony or access to “Outside of Paris, the St-
shared gardens or a courtyard. Germain-en-Laye area with its Main image: The view across the Paris rooftops Inset: Enjoying sports in the shadow
One-bedroom apartments start excellent schools attracts a lot of the Eiffel Tower Above: Colourful houses on Rue Cremieux in Paris, similar to
at around 30m², with prices in the of buyers.” London’s Portobello Road Below: Rue des Thermopyles in the 14th ‘arrondissement’

Nice
Population: 343,000
Nice, the capital of the decadent French Riviera, is a wonderful mix
of ancient and modern, sunshine and sea. It has long been a draw
for the rich and famous.
The city has a thriving local economy, built largely on a lucrative
maritime industry and the tourism sector that feeds off it. More
recently, IT, engineering and real estate have become important
sectors. There is also a large expat community.
Find out more: nice.fr
Lyon
Population: 480,000
©CRT Cote d’Azur

UNESCO-listed Lyon, on the banks of the River Rhône, is
widely acknowledged as France’s gastronomic capital.
The city has been working hard to become one of France’s
most ‘liveable’ cities, with efforts being made to return
riverfront areas to community use and to adopt sustainable
urban planning principles. The city is also home to one of
France’s largest public bike hire schemes.
Find out more: onlylyon.org
Buying property in Lyon first-time buyers,” she says.

Laurence Husni, of Leggett “Cité Internationale near Parc
Immobilier, says there is a large de la Tête d’Or is good for
price variation on two-bedroom high-end investors as it gives easy
©CRT Riviera Cote d’Azur/Pierre Behar
apartments in the city centre. access to the centre. At the other

They can range from around end of the market, Vaise is a good
€2,700/m² to more than €5,000 investment; many first-time
(or €190,000 to over €350,000), buyers live there as it’s not as
depending on the location and expensive as the city centre.
quality. In the suburbs, prices “Oullins in the southern
can vary from €170,000 to suburbs has been recently linked
around €235,000. to the Métro and would make a
For houses, expect to pay good rental investment for
anything from €250,000 in one around €2,300/m². Meyzieu
Above: Attractive properties nestle around the Baie des Anges in Nice of the more affordable suburbs to is also good value at around
Below: Place Massena is the largest square in Vieux Nice an entry price of €500,000 in €2,400/m² as it’s close to
Lyon Croix Rousse, which St- Exupéry airport and also
overlooks the city. the new football stadium.
Buying property in Nice The further you go from the sea, “High-value areas include La “The most expensive areas
“The property market in Nice is the cheaper it will become. Confluence, which has a lot of remain the Triangle d’Or in the
extremely dynamic,” says Anne “For gardens, look for pretty new developments, the 8th 6th arrondissement and Place
Piolet of Leggett Immobilier. “The villas in areas like St-Pierre-de- arrondissement, which is near the Bellecour, which have old
holiday rental business is Féric and Cimiez, which have hospitals and universities, and character apartments for
flourishing – Nice is the second houses from €500,000 to Jean-Macé for student rental and around €6,000/m².”
most-visited city in France after €600,000. For cheaper houses and
Paris so it’s a good place to invest. apartments, look at Fabron and La
“Nice Carré d’Or, which is the Lanterne. The west should also Rachel Martin-Webb moved to Lyon in 2008
very heart of the city, tends to be increase in value with the new “I’m originally from Southampton but lived for more
the most expensive area, but in tramline in 2017.” than 10 years in London where I met and married my
general, I would suggest that French husband. We first moved to Thorigny-sur-Marne
€250,000-€300,000 is a realistic near Paris in 2004, and then to Lyon in 2008 for my husband’s job.
budget for a two-bedroom
Property is priced What we like about Lyon is its size – it’s much more manageable than
apartment in the city,” she says.
“The old town and the port are
by the square Paris. It has quite a good international population because of the
chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and therefore has good
also hugely popular. Good value
areas within the city centre
metre, with the international and bilingual schools for our three boys.
“When we first moved here we rented a flat in Ste-Foy-lès-Lyon,
include Quartier des Musiciens,
Fleurs, Quartier de la Libération
overwhelming which is on the west side, and later found a house in the 5th
arrondissement to buy. The 5th arrondissement is a large area, which
and Quartier Tzarévitch. majority of covers the centre and climbs up the hill of Fourvière to the west of
“Outside the city centre you’re Lyon. We live up on the hill, which allows us some fresh air in the
looking at €150,000-€200,000 for properties split summer months but we also have quick access to the town centre by
a two-bedrooom apartment, bus or car. We are also close to the mountains so it’s a great place if
although some areas are cheaper. into apartments you love to ski.”

FPN LOCATION
Bordeaux
Population: 236,000
France’s wine capital has brushed itself off and dolled itself up in the
©Bordeaux Tourism/Francois Poincet

last decade, transforming itself into a modern, progressive city with a
new tramway, restored buildings and a multi-million euro riverfront
development that’s helped return the streets to the people.
It has a thriving tourism sector, as well as dynamic aviation,
education and research sectors. A new TGV link will soon put
Bordeaux within two hours of Paris, making it an even more attractive
place to do business.
Find out more: bordeaux.fr
Buying property gardens in the suburbs can

in Bordeaux average €3,000/m².
“Bordeaux has a centre called the “Opportunities exist in areas
‘Gold Triangle’ where prices for a where the new tramline will go, City buying
three-bedroom apartment go up such as Pessac and Merignac, or
to €350,000 or more (that’s in Bègles or Villenave d’Ornon, • Do your research and target areas that meet your
€5,000/m²),” says Lars Eriksen, which have improved road access. lifestyle needs
of Sextant Properties. “Average “Longer term, I’d look at the
prices in the city and suburbs northern areas around Bacalan, • Consider where you will be working and consider
are more likely to be around while at Bassins à Flot there will transport options to avoid long commutes
€3,100/m², or around €217,000. soon be a luxury marina. The area
• Consider the investment potential in terms of resale
“You have left bank and right around the train station is also
bank, and the right bank is still being improved.” ■
and future rental income
much cheaper – you may find • Be realistic in what you will find: for example, parking
apartments there as low as home-hunts.com is rare with city centre properties
€2,500/m², but not often. Houses leggettfrance.com
close to amenities and with sextantproperties.com • If you’re buying an apartment, understand charges and
fees relating to the upkeep of the building, and how
the building is collectively managed by its owners (the
leasehold/freehold title does not exist in France as it
does in the UK)
©Bordeaux Tourism/Thomas Sanson
Main photo: Buzzing Bordeaux has been given a new lease of life in the last decade
Above: The new tram network makes travelling around the city much easier

Facing page: Rachel and Alexis are joined
smaller producer.” With RAW, Rachel
in September by a team of workers to harvest
welcomes small groups of people into the grapes, a process taking eight to 10 days
the family home all year round – This page, clockwise from top: In sunny
generally two to four people at a time weather, Rachel’s clients enjoy lunch on the
– and gives them a day of her family terrace with a view of the vineyards;
undivided attention. Rachel provides classic local fare including
quiches, cheese, charcuterie and crusty bread;
Tours start with a discussion about
the Wafflart-Briet range of champagnes, L-R:
champagne and the production Blanc de Blancs, Cuvée Prestige, Cuvée de
process, before tastings, a cellar visit Julie, Brut Rosé, Brut Reserve, Demi-Sec
and a drive through the vines, tracking Bottom: Rachel and Alexis with Alexis’
Alexis down en-route, who is usually parents, Thierry and Florence, who are still
busy trimming and tending them and actively involved in the business
will stop for a chat. Clients can even
have a go at labelling their own bottle,
but the highlight for many is the lunch
Rachel serves on the terrace, with free-flowing “Well, like everyone, I liked drinking it!” She don’t tend to wear tailcoats for weddings in
fizz and a dreamy view. admits she never envisaged it would become France and ladies don’t wear hats, so naturally
“I do a picnic spread and try to use all local her life and career, though. “After I’d been in we told all our guests to bring their biggest hats
produce – meats from the butcher in the Reims I decided to write my dissertation on the and dress up,” Rachel chuckles. “There are only
village, bread from the boulangerie – as people globalisation of champagne. My teacher was 360 residents in the village, so it was a real
like that.” And, of course, as this is Rachel and very confused. I then had to read a lot about British invasion!”
Alexis’ family home, it’s a distinctly personal the subject. Alexis never said I had to be For Alexis, champagne has been a way of life
affair. “Clients can come here and meet my involved [in the champagne producing], I just since the age of 14, when he would help in the
family, and they feel like they have a fell into it really.” family vineyards. Interestingly, these vineyards
connection with us as people.” – totalling just under five hectares – are spread
Access from the UK is excellent, with most France, je t’aime over a total of 26 separate plots, many of which
visitors arriving in Reims by TGV from Paris, Even if the topic of champagne had to be are a fair distance from the house, and in fact
where Rachel meets them in the car. studied, France came naturally to Rachel and the vineyards Rachel is surveying from her
As she is every bit as effervescent as the was already well and truly in her blood before balcony as she chats to me are not theirs. She
champagne her family produces, it’s easy to see the RAW adventure. She always holidayed in explains it’s because of the way small
how Rachel has picked up such outstanding the country as a child – her parents usually champagne producers like Wafflart-Briet have
accolades for her tours on Trip Advisor. Clients drove all the way to the south from Cheshire; bought their land over the years, in separate
praise both her warmth of personality and her no mean feat – so she became quickly attuned parcels as they saved money, and according to
intimate knowledge of the champagne-making to the French way of life, which soon developed what was available.
process, delivered with ease having spent the into a desire to learn the language. “It was “You might imagine our place to be a
university year in Reims on a teaching really the only thing I was good at at school so I château with vineyards around it but it’s not
placement for the British Council. took it on to university. Alexis and I have like that at all – it’s basically a normal family
I am intrigued to know if Rachel had any learned from each other, but he had to be quite home in the centre of the village, close to
connection with champagne before meeting patient with me to start with.” neighbours, and the vineyards surround all of
Alexis, and she laughs. It seems the couple’s alcohol-focused French us.” I have immediate mental images of
lifestyle has rubbed off on the rest of Rachel’s competitive producers playing tricks on each
family; her brother also lives in France and is other, hopping over onto a rival’s patch and
planning to launch a beer business, and her tampering with the vines. But apparently,
parents, who have recently bought a holiday competition exists more between villages than
home in Burgundy, stop off – and stock up – in between producers of the same village.
Sacy on their way down. The ultimate entente “We are part of a cooperative,” Rachel
cordiale happened with Rachel and Alexis’ continues. “When we press our grapes we use
wedding in February, when 70 British the village press [there isn’t space for each
guests descended for a ceremony in the producer to have their own] but we each have
village church. our own cellar.” Wafflart-Briet produces 40,000
“We tried to combine British and bottles a year, all of which are sold direct to the
French traditions – for example, men client rather than through boutiques.
August 2015 French Property News 35

FPN REAL LIFE
The Wafflart-Briet champagnes
Blanc de Blancs: 100% Chardonnay. It has a higher acidity than any of the other
champagnes, has fruity, citrus flavours and pairs wonderfully with fish and seafood.
Cuvée Prestige: Rachel’s favourite, made from 100% Pinot Noir. Very smooth, fruity and fresh
but with added depth and red berry flavours.
Cuvée de Julie: Half Pinot Noir and half Pinot Meunier, this one is named after Alexis’ sister.
“She gets a champagne named after her and she doesn’t even work in the vineyards!” laughs
Rachel. It is more delicate and refreshing than the Prestige and perfect for a sunny day.
Brut Rosé: A blend of all three grape varieties plus 15% Pinot Noir red wine, which gives it a
beautiful peachy pink colour. It has strong berry flavours, and is crisp and dry.
Brut Reserve: Their house champagne, containing one third of each grape variety. Crisp,
light and very fruity, with distinct green apple flavours. With a label matching their colour
scheme, this was the champagne served at Rachel and Alexis’ wedding.
Demi-Sec: The same as the Brut Reserve but with added sugar. It’s fruity and light and the
sweetness means it’s a great dessert champagne.
Price range: £19-26
© Charlotte Giddings
Competition between villages is entirely
justified: each one is subject to an official
classification based on growing quality, ranging
from Grand Cru (the highest rank, awarded to
just 17 of 320 villages), to Premier Cru (42
villages, including Sacy) and the remaining
Autre Cru. Once set, this cannot be changed.
Despite such a concentration of producers in
Sacy alone, RAW France is set apart by its
English-spoken tours – most of the other village
residents don’t speak English – as well as its
very personal approach. So, if sitting on
Rachel’s terrace, chilled flute in hand, and
learning about its contents from one of its most
© Charlotte Giddings
passionate advocates isn’t enough to lure you to

this lovely part of France, I’m not sure what is.
You never know: you might fall in love with
more than just the vines. Are you thirsty yet? ■
rawfrance.com

Agence Immobilière Herman De Graaf
Contact: Cate Carnduff
Le Bourg-Saint-Jean de Côle - 24800 Thiviers - France.
Tel: 00 33 (0)553 62 38 03 Fax: 00 33 (0)553 55 08 03
e-mail: agence@immobilier-dordogne.com
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restaurant with full licence IV, professional kitchen garden with swimming pool and outbuildings.
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FPN LOCATION Mill with wings
Further south in France, of course, stone
buildings prevail and often contain all
One of a kind
manner of architectural concepts. One
prime example is a beautiful 17th-
century former mill owner’s house in
Tarn-et-Garonne.
Set in 11 acres in a hidden valley
between Najac and St-Antonin-Noble
Homes that reflect our own character and Val, this property is full of interesting
layers and features. From the outside, its
personalities are the most special of all, argues main wing is long and low with what
Joanna Leggett, who loves to discover new appears to be a three-storey, tower-like
structure set to one side.
quirky architecture in her work Gardens slope down to a private
swimming lake and contain a number of
terraces to make the most of sun or
shade, set either beside the lake and
waterfall or near the house.
The property’s interior packs a real
punch as it was architecturally designed
and professionally extended and
renovated in 2000. Up a beautiful
curved wooden staircase there are three
bedrooms, three bathrooms and a
further choice of living spaces which
include a library with specially designed
wood-burning stove. The sitting room
has floor-to-ceiling glass windows
which lead out onto the terrace
overlooking the lake. Naturally, a
vaulted wine cellar is there to complete
the scene – on the market at €695,000.
A
ccording to Harriet complete with onion-shaped property may be architecturally – creating additional space or
Beecher-Stowe, American turrets, most of us do hanker after designed, but over the years even buildings which, to our
abolitionist and author of individuality – a place which thousands upon thousands of 21st-century eyes, might appear
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, “every man has reflects our personality and that individual quirky houses have ‘slapped on’ the side.
his own quirks and twists”. So too which makes us unique. Luckily, been designed and built – each Many village houses which,
has property and, in particular, quirky homes with towers, one the reflection of someone’s when you come to examine them
architecture – although it must be more closely, reveal a blocked-up
said that what to one person
might seem quirky in design, to
Most of us hanker after individuality – a doorway to the adjoining property
– quirky? Definitely! You wonder
another could prove quite normal.
Perhaps some of the quirkiest
home which reflects our personality what led these properties to be
built in such a way.
architecture I’ve seen includes the and that which makes us unique. Quirky It could be the tower with
twists and quirks of escalating stone staircase
Hundertwasser, the eccentric homes with towers, dovecotes and other spiralling up into another space
Austrian architect, who once lived that provides the quirks, a
and worked in Normandy with his delights of fantasy abound in France Charentaise staircase made of
onion-shaped turrets and no two ancient chestnut wood which
rooms alike – it was he, after all, dovecotes and other flights of dream. It might have been a curves around or a grand, central
who described straight lines as fantasy abound in France. farmer, seeking to construct and statement staircase made of
being “godless and immoral”. add to the size of his home marble with iron balustrading.
In France, the architectural In the frame piecemeal as he could afford and The bourgeoisie often sought a
heritage is simply breathtaking – Out in the countryside, not every as the size of his family increased dimension of grandeur with their
from the neo-Classical to own take on the traditional
Romanesque, Renaissance, maison de maître; terraces,
Baroque and Rococo – and each balustrades and even tunnels
style has had a profound influence under roads enabled the maids of
on the designs that follow. The the household to carry the linen
latter-day influence of Le to the local lavoir.
Corbusier, with his smooth planes On one hand, symmetry is
and use of cubism, has had a great traditionally a major feature of
effect on more recent design. much grand French property
Perhaps it is no accident that art – especially from the Renaissance
and architecture occupy a special onwards. On the other, there is
place in French higher education? the charming higgledy-piggledy
While not everyone will have method of architectural design: a
– or even want – a cutting-edge turret here, a flourish there, a
architectural experiment for a stone wall added or perhaps even
home, or a quirky property a conical tower adding quirks
38 French Property News August 2015

Facing page, top: A romantic windmill
near the coast in Vendée bottom:
A timber-framed manor house near
Deauville, Upper Normandy
This page, bottom L-R: Moorish
design meets luxurious contemporary
style at this property near Marseillan,
Hérault; this former mill is set in 11 acres
in a hidden valley in Tarn-et-Garonne
according to their builder’s or

designer’s whim.
Then there is the concept of
enfilade rooms which lead on
from each other, rather than the
corridor layout to which we may
be more used.
Norman-style architecture can Sea and be seen
often appear quirky to British Symmetry and quirky design also predominate in a new-build single-storey house in St-Palais-sur-Mer,
eyes, with half-timbering close to Royan on the Charente-Maritime coast.
evocative of Tudor style but One of four architect-designed properties, each with its own distinctive and individual design features,
without the pastiche of black and this three-bedroom home offers large, bright, spacious living areas with doors opening to the outside.
white. Often featuring a central Double-height glazing to either side of the main salon is fitted with electric roller shutters.
arch, placed in or near the central Here again the attention to detail includes economical underfloor heating and an integral garage.
front aspect of the home with Outside, the grounds allow enough space to install your own pool should St-Palais’ five kilometres of sandy
intricate wooden balconies beaches not immediately beckon. For sale at €619,500.
balanced on either side, such
properties can be imposing as well
as very pretty. in Servian (inland from Marseillan central fireplace. The kitchen even well-trodden stone staircase you
A prime example of this style is on the Mediterranean coast) includes a dumb waiter to come to the sitting room lined
a stunning manoir near Deauville, brings Moorish design to facilitate dining on the roof with bookshelves, and then climb
designed by Lebas, a well-known luxurious contemporary style – is terrace. Everything has been on further to an en-suite bedroom.
French architect. Surrounded by this not a latter day dream of the thought of, from marble flooring It currently provides its owners
beautiful gardens and with pale Arabian Nights? to an automatic watering system. with around €5,000 annual
green painted timbers and Marketed at €1,295,009, it is income as a holiday let. The
wooden balustraded balconies, centred around an internal Bijou beauty garden is laid to lawn with hedges
this beautifully maintained and courtyard complete with cooling If you’re looking for a simpler, creating privacy, but perhaps its
updated home is set in the heart fountain; symmetry rules both more rustic life, a renovated stone real selling point is the potential it
of Beauvron-en-Auge, one of the internally and externally, where mill in Vendée might be just the offers for further accommodation.
prettiest villages in France. cypress trees are arranged like ticket to satisfy your desire for Our homes are the most
With four bedrooms, three sentinels to guard each corner of quirky architecture, at the very powerful and important pieces of
bathrooms, a swimming pool, the property. affordable price of €130,800. architecture we are ever going to
separate guest house, barns and a Outside, a beautiful lozenge- In Vouille-les-Marais, not very experience, and perhaps
magnificent kitchen, the house shaped pool awaits your pleasure far from the coast, a romantic quirkiness – as well as beauty – is
even boasts a master suite which as well as grounds which include one-bedroom gem is set in the in the eye of the beholder. What is
incorporates its own library and an orchard with apple, almond, heart of a lovely village where certain is that beautiful crafting,
dressing room. Easily accessed cherry, apricot, peach, nectarine, there is everything you could need innovative design and personal
from the UK – it’s just a 50-minute plum and damson trees, there to for daily necessities including touches are what make a home
flight from London City direct to tempt your taste buds. café-bar, grocer and boulangerie. – and for some of us, the quirkier
Deauville – this is a magnificent The Moorish architectural Lovingly converted living the better. ■
property for sale at €1,050,000. elements have been brought to accommodation is spread over
bear on the windows, doors and three floors. You enter straight J
n
a
o L
a
n
Wine symmetry architraving. This four-bedroom into the kitchen, which features at Leggett Immobilier
For a totally modern approach, a house also boasts a split-level units set around the walls and Tel: 08700 11 51 51
property surrounded by vineyards lounge and dining room with room for a circular table. Up a leggettfrance.com

D
id you know that living in Gers has been
scientifically proven to increase the
longevity of your life – and, even better,
that it’s due to drinking the local wine? Read
on to find out more…
First, however, a bit of brief history on this
beautiful department in south-west France
characterised by bastide towns, rolling hills and
views of the Pyrénées. One of the original 83
départements created during the French
Revolution from the original provinces of
Guyenne and Gascony, it is often referred to as
one of the least densely populated areas in all
of western Europe.
As Gers is a large department, I am going to
focus on a single area – known locally as the
Lomagne – which takes in the north east-of the
department of Gers and the south-west of 14th century and the central body of the house Played With Fire.
neighbouring Tarn-et-Garonne. Importantly, in is built in the Italian Renaissance style with Of course, I couldn’t possibly write an article
the Lomagne you are never more than an hour ornate sculptures on its facade. about the Lomagne without mentioning the
away from Toulouse international airport, and The current owners have spent the last 10 beautiful sunflower fields that dominate the
are also close to the A62 motorway as well as years restoring it to its former glory and run countryside throughout the summer. Other
several train stations taking you directly to regular tours for visitors throughout the year. produce grown in the area is wheat, rapeseed
Paris or the Mediterranean coast. The village also has an excellent restaurant, and lavender, and in high season you will find
gallery and honey museum. locally grown melons in all the supermarkets as
French hotspot Auvillar is classified as one of France’s 157 well as on roadside stalls.
This area is one of the sunniest parts of France Plus Beaux Villages. One of the stopping points Garlic is an essential ingredient in the cuisine
benefiting from over 2,000 hours of sunshine for pilgrims on the Chemin de St-Jacques de of south-west France, although in ancient times
each year. Although there can be chilly weeks Compostelle, it is the site of an ancient it was used as a remedy for a wide variety of
in the winter months and even occasional community that was probably rebuilt during ailments ranging from the common cold to
snow, spring is never far around the corner Roman times. It is well known for pottery and leprosy and epilepsy. The Lomagne is famous
and, of course, summer can be very hot. art as well as its rose brick and stone clock for its white garlic, with over 300 producers
With this in mind, there are many swimming tower, cobbled streets, central marketplace and growing this award-winning variety.
lakes and pools that you can take advantage of: breathtaking views of the Garonne river.
the lake at St-Clar has water slides and a sandy Round the houses
beach, and there are also pools with slides at
Beaumont-de-Lomagne and Solomiac. The
Did you know that living in With many dating to the Napoleonic times and
earlier, the houses in this traditional farming
municipal outdoor pool at Lectoure has the Gers has been scientifically community are mainly maisons de maître or
most wonderful views towards the Pyrénées. farmhouses. The landowner would probably
The Lomagne is steeped in history and boasts proven to increase the have lived in the maison de maître – usually the
many ancient chapels, town squares and old largest house in the village with a grand
lavoirs (less glamorously known as washhouses longevity of your life – and, entrance, high ceilings and often a similar
in English). Examples of the latter include a layout upstairs to downstairs.
rectangular one with Gothic fountain and even better, that it’s due to Many farmhouses still have the wide central
trough on the ramparts of Tournecoup, and a corridor where the extended family would have
covered circular one at Mauroux. drinking the local wine? gathered to eat on special occasions. Most
The landscape is also scattered with would have had an attached barn, examples of
dovecotes, better known as pigeonniers. Prior to From age to age which have generally been converted and
the Revolution, only the nobility were granted The market town of St-Clar has developed over integrated into the house; of course, there are
the privilege of keeping pigeons and therefore, hundreds of years and two centres have been many barn conversions too.
in order to demonstrate their owners’ social established, each with their own arcaded So, coming back to how to increase your life
position, these buildings were usually ornate square. The old market square was once known expectancy by drinking the local wine! It’s all
and elaborate. Nowadays many have been as Place de la Garland, referring to the row of down to a chemical called procyanidin,
renovated to form a part of the home or to be fine stone houses that lines it. together with the use of traditional
rented out as a gîte. St-Clar’s church dates from the 11th century, fermentation methods.
The château in the small village of Gramont but these days the town’s skyline is dominated In a study of red wines from around the
is one of six national monuments in the by its 19th-century counterpart built in world, only the wines from this area and
Midi-Pyrénées region. Originally a medieval neo-Gothic style. By contrast, Lachapelle’s Sardinia were thought to include sufficient
castle, the current gatehouse was added in the Baroque-style chapel was originally constructed amounts of this chemical to increase the
in the 12th century and renovated in the 18th. longevity of life. So, if you too would like to
With two floors of convex and concave gilded live a long life in this beautiful part
Facing page, clockwise from top: The ‘mairie’ and galleries, it has the feel of a Venetian theatre. of the country, overleaf you will
château in the village of Gramont; the impressive circular Beaumont-de-Lomagne is well known for its find a selection of houses
‘halle’ in Auvillar is the only one of its kind in south- trotting course – known here as a hippodrome that you could buy.
west France, where grain was originally sold; Gramont – in which horse races take place with the
enjoys an elevated position amid verdant green fields; jockey riding behind on a chariot. The village is Susan Palmer is a sales
Gramont’s château is a fine Renaissance monument
also the birthplace of Pierre Fermat, the advisor at agency
open to the public all year round; the village is bordered
by ranks of vines from which the life-lengthening local mathematician often called the founder of the Selection Habitat
wine is produced; the entrance to Auvillar is through a modern theory of numbers and more famously Tel: 0033 (0)5 65 70 10 49
gate beneath its 17th-century clock tower mentioned by Stieg Larsson in The Girl Who selectionhabitat.com

FPN LOCATION
St-Clar, €375,000
With several outbuildings, a pool,
a covered terrace and over an
acre of land, this traditional
four-bedroom house has a large
attic space to further extend the
accommodation should you
wish. The house has been
renovated but retains all its
original features, including
exposed beams, original floor
tiles, doors and fireplaces. It is
conveniently located in a quiet
village with all amenities just one
hour’s drive from Toulouse
airport; there are also schools
and a swimming lake nearby.
Montgaillard,
€344,500
With views of the Pyrénées, this
traditional five-bedroom
farmhouse with two-bedroom
gîte could either make a spacious
family home or be run as a
chambres d’hôtes. Outside is a
mature garden with fruit trees,
vines, a pond, a gazebo and a
large swimming pool with
terrace. The property is less than
an hour from Toulouse and
surrounded by stunning
countryside and over two acres
of its own land, benefiting from
both a rural situation and close
proximity to a village.
Gramont, €439,000 Castera-Lectourois, €88,700

Owned by only three families since it was built in the 17th century, the In a hamlet at the edge of a sought-after village and close to excellent local
accommodation at this handsome four-bedroom maison de maître could schools, this property would make a great renovation project with the
be doubled by modernising the top floor. It sits in a commanding position potential to create a two- or three-bedroom home plus studio or
at the edge of a pretty village less than 30 minutes’ drive from the historic workshop. Many original features remain including beams and a wooden
towns of Lectoure and Moissac. The property benefits from light, airy staircase. The house is close to Lectoure as well as to Agen, where there is
rooms, high ceilings and plenty of character. a railway station, hospital, large shops and motorway access. ■

Homes for Sale in the
Poitou-Charentes
Web Site: www.papillon-properties.com
Country house, excellent condition, 4 beds, Split level house, excellent condition, 4 beds,
3 bathrooms, traditional features. Wood-burning central heating, 2090m² plot. Views, stream at
stoves, 756m² plot Saint Soline (86) Ref: PC3146 bottom of garden. Paizey-le-Tort (79) Ref: PC3143
FAI price: 175,000 Euros FAI price: 230,000 Euros
(including agents fees) (including agents fees)
For the full range of properties covering renovations to the finished product, farms, farmhouses,
cottages, town houses, old and new, land for building to smallholdings – visit our web site.
Les Broux, 86400 St. Gaudent Tel: 0033 (0)5.49.87.07.14 Email: Papillon.properties@orange.fr
France Legal
9NN060JP
For expert legal advice and help

with French property matters
• Buying and selling French property
• French wills and succession
• Tax and estate planning
• Finance, surveys, valuations
Competitive fixed fee packages
Susan Busby MA
Tel/Fax: 01473 311107
www.francelegal.co.uk • e-mail: ssb@francelegal.co.uk
Wayside, Capel Road, Bentley, Ipswich IP9 2DL
COTSWOLD CARRIERS
R E M O V A L S L I M I T E D
Full or part loads to and from France, Spain and throughout

Europe. Collections throughout the UK and containerised storage.
Experienced and helpful staff specialist to the antique trade.
“Moving people
with care”
Tel: 0044 (0)1608 730500
dean@cotswold-carriers.com
www.cotswoldcarriers.com
SARL Duval Immobilier

Tel: +33 (0)490650307
E: duval@duvalagents.com
www.duvalagents.com
CAROMB, PROVENCE, VAUCLUSE
A very attractive village house, with total liveable accommodation of about
250 m2 including independent apartment. Sitting Room, Dining Room,
Kitchen, 4 Bedrooms, 3 Bath/Shower Rooms, Utility Room, Cellar and
Outhouses. Very pretty walled garden with bassin for bathing. Rooftop
terrace offers a magnificent 360° view.
Ref: 2350H Price: 640,000 Euros

FPN EXPERT ADVICE
GOLDEN AGE
Many people dream of retiring to France, and with the range of benefits and choice of
options available it’s hardly surprising, says Sam Bottomley
M
n
a co
y sid
n t
era so many expatsio
s to spend their
n
to be taken into account retirement there.
when you look towards
retirement and while there will Retirement village Healthcare
be compromises made along the Once you reach state retirement
W
way, you want to embrace life ith downsizing in mind, coupled with a certain anxiety age, as long as your national
and get the most out of it. about spending your latter years in a foreign country, insurance payments are up to
From a purely practical point of you might be happier buying a property on a small date you will be able to access
view living in France is a good development designed to reassure you and offer a helping hand healthcare. Initially, you will need
solution and may tick many of the should you feel the need. an S1 certificate which is
boxes you have on a list of what Brits Richard and Eva Edds will be building a small supplied by the pensions office in
you want to achieve for your development of 30 single-storey houses near the pretty market the UK.
golden years. town of St-Jean-d’Angély in Charente-Maritime. When you receive this, the next
Firstly, it is very easy to get to There will be a choice of properties for one person or a couple, step is to have your birth
and from the UK, which means all of which are ecological low-energy houses with a range of certificate and marriage
not losing touch with your services available including shopping, gardening and cleaning certificate translated by a
nearest and dearest. If there are which will give residents the flexibility of paying for extra certified translator. In addition,
any urgent problems you can assistance as and when they feel the need. you will need to take your
usually get back to the UK within The development will sit next to their existing gîte complex passports and a utility bill from
24 hours as there are many and residents will be able to use all the facilities such as your French property to the local
regional airports offering swimming pools, a fitness centre and squash courts as well as CPAM office, which is the
low-cost flights, and the rail being able to use the nearby lake for fishing. government organisation in
system is very good. The sociable atmosphere will help to remove the feeling of charge of a large proportion of
It won’t cost a fortune for your isolation which is often a problem when living in a foreign healthcare depending upon your
family to visit and you can still be country without speaking the language. The concept is to individual circumstances.
on hand to perform your provide a safe, comfortable retirement at a reasonable cost with Once all your paperwork has
grandparent duties of looking on-site assistance. been accepted, you will initially
after the children, but perhaps From €190,000, residences-ladifference.com need to wait for an attestation
during the holidays rather than which is a temporary certificate
after school. The trains in France you can use at the doctors,
are full of grandchildren being dentists and pharmacies.
packed off to spend the holidays access the health system once your money and have a big Next you will receive a request
with mamie et papy while their you retire is relatively declutter at the same time. Add to for a passport photo and once this
parents are at work. straightforward. By moving to that cheap wine, great weekly has been received your carte
Healthcare in France is second France, you can release equity markets and long sunny days and vitale will be sent to you. If only
to none and the procedure to from your property, buy more for you can see why France has lured one of you has reached

Left: With the aim of providing a safe,
comfortable retirement option, the small
development near St-Jean-d’Angély
will offer 30 single-storey houses with a
range of services available Right: The
development will sit next to an existing
gîte complex and have use of its facilities
retirement age your partner can

piggyback on your card and social
security number until they
become eligible to receive these
in their own right.
The next choice will be top-up
insurance or a mutuelle, which is
available via dedicated insurance
companies or the same high street
companies you use for your house
and car insurance. They offer you
different percentages of cover
depending on the amount you
want to spend each month.
As a rule of thumb they
generally don’t pay very much
towards glasses and dental work
so many people pay a visit to a
high street optician when they
visit the UK. It is advised to take
out a policy to supplement the
cover provided by a carte vitale.
In France, if you have a chronic
illness you may be entitled to
100% cover by the government if
the illness is listed as an ALD, or
affection de longue durée. The
doctor will discuss this with you
and help you to complete the
relevant paperwork. If this is the
case you may be able to get
assistance with transport to
hospital by ambulance car.
Make your move

Before embarking on a relocation Retirement complex
project, either to a smaller
T
property within France if you are his development of houses and
already a resident or from the UK, apartments planned in Lot-et-
you need to take into account the Garonne will soon be available to
cost of transporting your buy off-plan.
belongings to your new home. There will be a number of options
The easiest way to reduce this available and all are to be set near to
cost is to have a good clear-out a friendly town which can provide
before you leave. Have a look at all the amenities you need.
your furniture and decide Facilities will include a tennis
whether it will suit your new court and swimming pool, as
property. There is no reason to well as a warden and
pay costly removal fees for items interpretation services.
which will end up at the local From £168,000,
brocante. Have a rummage activeretirementfrance.com
through your clothes and
crockery and decide what you
will really use in your new life.
Once this is done I guarantee
you will be able to reduce your
removal costs. After all, you don’t
want to fill your new loft and
garage with items that quickly
become redundant in France.

FPN EXPERT ADVICE
Jeannie Clark Top tips

moved to Deux-
Sèvres in 2006 and
is planning to
downsize now that
her children have
left home
Downsize in France
French resident Jeannie Clark
has decided to
downsize now
that her
children
have flown
the nest.
She moved
to Deux-
Sèvres with her
husband Chris and
four children in 2006. Nine
years on, with one child at
university in the UK and the
others settled in France, their
seven-bedroom house is now Get in touch with the pensions office in When you are looking at locations, check out
too large with just two people Newcastle to find out when you will be eligible the climate and amount of rainfall in the area.
and a menagerie of animals for your S1. You will need to consider taking out Heating a stone house so that it will be cosy in
rattling around. Both Jeannie private health insurance until you reach state winter is quite expensive, and equally if the
and Chris have had health retirement age. Either you or your partner can be summer temperatures are too hot you may
scares and want to embrace eligible, it doesn’t need to be both of you. The want to consider a portable air-conditioning
life and enjoy themselves, so first person who qualifies will use their S1 status unit for your bedroom.
feel now is the time to move to and the other person can share their rights until
a smaller property. they qualify for their own S1. While it’s lovely to have lots of bedrooms for
They acknowledge the your summer visitors, are they going to visit
winters can be pretty cold here Be sensible when looking at your options and every year? You don’t want to invest all your
and looked towards Spain as a avoid buying a huge garden that you will need money in a property which will largely sit empty.
possible location for a move, to maintain. The average cost for a gardener is
but quickly decided that the €25 an hour. Choosing a property in the middle of nowhere,
summers would be too hot, where you can hear nothing except for the
and they also want to stay When downsizing, you can donate furniture to grasshoppers, is incredible, but the
close to one of their daughters your local Emmaus which is a reputable charity. convenience of not having to get in your car
who lives in Deux-Sèvres. They can collect large items. every time you want a loaf of bread or a pint of
Tempted to downsize to a milk possibly outweighs this. I would
small pavillon, they feel it’s Don’t be afraid to ask for encourage you to consider
not right for them, and they
keep coming back to the home
help. There are many
people and companies
If you are invited in a village with a few shops.
they both love. who offer their services to for apéritifs by your Consider the proximity of
Sensibly, they are busy help with translation regional airports or
decluttering in preparation for and paperwork. neighbours, take motorways; it will make it
a move and want to do that so much easier if you want
while they are able, rather Introduce yourself to your your dictionary and a to pop back to visit your
than leaving it for the children local maire; he or she is bunch of flowers. Your family in the UK.
to do in the future. Ideally, quite influential so it’s
they want to find a smaller good to get to know him. language will improve If you are hesitant about
version of their existing home, If you are invited over for investing in a property
bursting with character and apéritifs by your no end after a couple you might consider
charm with a few outbuildings
and a bit of land for their
neighbours I would advise
you to accept and go with
of glasses of wine renting first, either in the
short term while you are
animals to run free, and where your dictionary and a deciding if retirement in
their children can pitch tents bunch of flowers. Some last an hour or two and France is right for you, or in the long term as
when they come to visit. ■ others last well into the night. Your language will this will give you more flexibility if you decide
improve no end after a couple of glasses of wine. to return to the UK.

2015 WE ARE CELEBRATING THE 25TH BIRTHDAY OF LEISURE & LAND (FRANCE)
• The principal role of LEISURE & LAND (France) is to help and advise potential buyers and
investors looking to buy or create a business in France.
• 25 years experience means 25 years expertise: Our nationwide network of contacts is the
basis of our success.
CAMPSITES – VINEYARDS – HOTELS – GOLF COURSES – GITES – LEISURE & TOURISM – PROJECTS – RETIREMENT VILLAGES
Richard EDDS - +44 (0)845 303 7385 +33 (0)5 46 26 80 65 sales@leisureandland.com

WWW.LEISUREANDLAND.COM
Kingsfords S O L I C I T O R S
FRENCH LEGAL ADVICE
w w w. k i n g s f o r d s - s o l i c i t o r s . c o m
Tel: 0033 (0)2 41 40 25 10

Leading Southeast Law Firm offering a full range of 6 Rue du Logis Bourbon, 49590 Fontevraud l'Abbaye. Contact: Rupert Seager
bilingual legal services to national and international clients
Fixed price packages for purchasers and vendors of property
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Property transfer following relationship breakdown 66,000 € (£47,300) Ref: 1500vm 175,000 € (£125,500) Ref: 1502vm
SOUTH OF SAUMUR. Det COTTAGE to modernise SOUTH OF SAUMUR. Close to Montreuil-Bellay, superb
Hand-holding service for problems with French administration and utility suppliers in quiet elevated position. Outbuilding. ‘Troglodyte’ det period VILLAGE HOUSE. Lovely private garden (0.35
wine caves. 0.6 of an acre, includes 0.27 OF AN ACRE of an acre). SWIMMING POOL. Kit/Bfast. Dining. Sitting.
‘SAUMUR APPELATION’ VINEYARD. Character features. 3 Beds. Bath. Shower. Character features. Wood burner.
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Telephone: (+44) 01233.624545 2, Elwick Road, Ashford, Kent, TN23 1PD, United Kingdom
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Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority SRA No 621166 / Law Society Accredited Over 120 houses on website
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FPN REAL LIFE
Gardenvillage
Wowed by the beautiful lakes that are scattered across the Haute-Vienne landscape,
Jeanne Long takes us on a trip around the area that surrounds her holiday home

T
he Limousin region is often compared to how ordinary civilians suffered the brutality of
England’s Lake District as there are WWII. Not the usual fun-filled day out but it is
numerous lakes and the area is lush and one of those places you must visit.
green. Although it is classed as south-west
France, summer is usually hot and dry – but Village life
not unbearable, unlike on the southern coast. Our immediate neighbours in the village are
Spring and autumn tend to be warmer than extremely helpful and friendly; it never ceases
in England but it does cool down at night – to amaze us how they welcome us back even
all in all it’s perfect weather as far as we though we are only there for a few weeks at a
are concerned. time. We have made lots of friends in France,
Our house is situated in a pretty village just both French and English, and provided you are
2km off the A20, approximately 10km from La prepared to have a go at speaking French it
Souterraine, the ancient medieval city founded doesn’t matter if you aren’t fluent.
by the monks of the Abbey of St-Martial de We went for apéritifs with the neighbours
Limoges. It is a small town with a collection of who live opposite the last time we visited and
shops and services in the middle of the they have a baby boy, Alexis, who was plonked
Creusoise countryside. It has everything you on my knee the minute I sat down, which
would expect in a town of its size, including certainly helped break the ice.
some lovely restaurants and bars and a good We also have Parisian neighbours with a
choice of supermarkets with a thriving market holiday home further down the street who
square. It has a railway station and is served by couldn’t be kinder. Louis can often be found in
the Paris-Toulouse railway line. our garden and he planted our fig tree for us.
For the last 12 years we He advises us on what not to
have enjoyed at least three do (don’t use weed killer on
annual holidays in the region For the last 12 years the grass as it is bad for the
and we love the tranquillity, ground bees and kills the
often just sitting in the
we have enjoyed at wild flowers, for example)
garden listening to the birds and he has taught me new
singing and, on an evening,
least three annual words – including hibou
watching the swallows and
the bats catching flies.
holidays in Limousin (owl), one of our regular
night-time visitors.
It is the perfect getaway and we love the
from our busy lives in Born and bread
England but there is also tranquillity, often The house is unusual as it
plenty to do in the area. Lac was purpose-built in the
Eguzon is two junctions up just sitting in the 1950s for the village baker,
the motorway where you can so the original
hire a boat – either an garden listening to accommodation was set
electric or sailing boat – or above the two large garages
learn to waterski, or simply the birds singing which he used to house his
enjoy a ride on an inflatable. delivery vans.
Even closer – we’ve done it We have now converted
by bike – is Lac Mondon. This is home to a one of the garages into a hallway and a
municipal campsite and there is a restaurant downstairs reception room. There is also a toilet
and bar serving food. Both are open to the and three useful storage areas housing the
general public in season. There are some lovely boiler, the washing machine and the electricity
walks by the lake and the river, and we have a and water meters. Upstairs is a large lounge,
canoe and sometimes take it with us and launch kitchen, bathroom and two bedrooms. We have
it from the lakeside beach. refurbished the house over the last 12 years; my
The larger city of Limoges, famous for its husband is a builder and I am an enthusiastic
porcelain, is about 40 minutes away by car or gardener and decorator, and it is now in a
you can catch the train from La Souterraine. It condition for someone to move straight in.
has an airport served by Ryanair and Flybe so In the pretty village square there is a shop
cheap flights from the UK are possible, and a boulangerie as well as a pharmacy and
including from the north of England. bar, all within 100m of the house. At the
Not far from Limoges is another place not to bottom of the street there is a school, so the
be missed: the martyr town of Oradour-sur- house may suit a family with young children
Glane. It provides a fascinating and emotionally looking for a permanent move.
moving experience of history and a reminder of Our girls are now grown up; the eldest is
getting married this summer and our parents
are beginning to need our help more and more
Clockwise spiral from top left: The village centre so we are finding that we have less time to
in Arnac-la-Poste; laying concrete ready for the garage spend in France than we did. This is a good-
conversion; the memorial in Arnac-la-Poste’s lively sized, attractive, detached property that still
square, where the market is held; returning from a day has potential for more living accommodation
of kayaking on Lac Mondon; on a walk in the peaceful if necessary. ■
woods near Lac Mondon; eating under the canopy on
the patio at home; flowers in the pretty village of La
Souterraine; La Souterraine’s medieval square; a table set Jeanne’s house is on the market for £85,000
for lunch on the lawn; the charming blue shutters and Tel: 07967 120943
garage door of Jeanne’s house, now for sale tinyurl.com/limousinhome

FPN EXPERT ADVICE
Reasons
to be BUYING
fearful
GUIDE
PART 8
Karen Tait takes a look at the reasons

for having a structural survey done on a
French property, and finds out that no
problem is too big to be fixed
Reasons to be fearful remedial work. In certain
S
urveys in France are not a system contracts are signed Of course, it’s not obligatory to circumstances this information
common part of the buying towards the beginning of the have a structural survey done but can be used when negotiating the
process, but that doesn’t conveyancing process. For that here are a few reasons why you sale price, providing the property
mean you can’t or shouldn’t have reason, you either need to have a may want to. hasn’t already been priced to

one carried out. If you would have survey done before you sign the Peace of mind: Even if reflect any work needed.
one done on a property in the UK, compromis de vente or include a you’re familiar with older

why wouldn’t you have one done conditional clause in the properties, building styles Hidden defects: The
in France? It’s perhaps even more compromis saying the sale is and materials differ from the UK consequences of hidden
important to have this peace of dependent on a successful survey. to France, and across the French defects often turn out to be
mind when buying a property in a Note that the vendor is obliged regions, so it is advisable to have a the most costly, and are not
foreign country. to provide certain diagnostic property professionally checked generally detected by the
There are a number of British reports often referred to as out by someone experienced in untrained eye. Although it is
surveyors operating in France, surveys, for example, an asbestos assessing French property. usually considered that structural
either based there or travelling or termites report (covered in problems are the most expensive

from the UK. Bear in mind how more detail on the following The price is right: In to rectify, it is in fact elements
the differences in the legal system pages), but these are not the same addition to highlighting a such as roofs, heating systems and
between the UK and France can as a structural survey. If you go building’s technical electrical installations that may
affect your decision to have a ahead with a survey, these deficiencies and offering remedial turn out to be the most expensive
survey – it’s mainly a matter of diagnostiques should ideally be advice, a survey may also include to put right, so it is wise to get
timing, as under the French shown to your surveyor too. estimated expenditure for the professional advice on all of these.
A HANDY CHECKLIST
The vendor’s view ● Replace slipped roof tiles – a roof in bad Leaking gutters are easily fixed, but need to
From the point of view of the seller, there are repair will ring warning bells for a surveyor be done well in advance of the survey, as
various things you can do to prepare your ● Repoint exterior stonework or brickwork walls take weeks to dry out and any affected
property for a survey. Of course, you legally ● Repair any trip hazards such as broken walls will set moisture meters off
have to provide the diagnostiques reports, but steps and uneven stairs ● Have any bills for major repairs or
you can also address any problems prior to any ● Ensure the heating is working correctly improvements carried out available
structural surveys, to ensure that your property ● Bathrooms, toilets and kitchens require for inspection
is in the best possible condition for sale. mechanical extractor fans so make sure ● Have plans ready if you have them to show
It will probably involve tackling all those these are fitted and working where extensions or alterations have been
little maintenance jobs you’ve been putting ● Fix plumbing leaks, mouldy sealant etc carried out
off for years! If you cannot carry out the work ● It may be advisable to have your septic tank Note that when the surveyor visits your
yourself then employ the services of a general checked out before the survey, especially if property, however tempting it is to ask for
builder, because it really will be all worth it in there are unpleasant smells coming from it their opinion, they are instructed by the buyer
the end. ● Have a copy of the diagnostic reports so are unlikely to discuss the results of the
available for the surveyor to take away survey with you. As the seller, you could even
● Repair simple defects like plaster cracks ● Address any obvious damp problems – and consider paying for an independent survey to
● Rehang loose doors not by covering it up! This can often be done show to potential buyers, avoiding the costs
● Replace dead light bulbs and make sure by reducing high soil levels outside or fixing and hassle of them organising a survey. That
smoke/heat detectors are in working order cracked render, or poorly pointed or cracked way you can also show that you have
● Repair leaking gutters and downpipes masonry to avoid damp penetration. addressed any issues.

administer the necessary controls. opening up can point to a bigger meant to put you off buying a

A good investment: problem than those that have property, but rather it should
The cost of a survey is worth long since stopped moving. provide you with professional
it if it helps avoid costly Damp is another area that advice so that you are in the
repair work that you may causes great concern among best position to deal with any
otherwise have been unaware buyers but again, it isn’t issues that may arise. ■
of. You may also be able to necessarily a deal-breaker. It is
offset the cost against reductions not uncommon in French
in the price during negotiations. properties, largely due to the
lack of damp-proofing in walls or
A moving story floors, and exacerbated by high
One of the main concerns for external ground levels butting up
buyers and surveyors is against the building – especially
movement in a building, older ones – or broken gutters.
including subsidence or spreading There are, of course, various
roofs, which can result in methods to deal with damp,
worrying cracks and deformed from simply fixing the gutter to
walls, especially stone ones. installing damp-proof courses, Don’t miss the rest
In the past, stonework may not but it is more difficult to address of the series:
have been pointed, and a lack of if it affects internal floors and
adequate weather protection fixtures and fittings. • September: The role of
could lead to collapse over time. General finishes such as the notaire and the
Remedial works can be plasterwork, decor, and fixtures conveyancing process

Old or new: Even modern expensive but very little will be and fittings will naturally suffer • October: Completion and
buildings can benefit from a beyond repair – whether it is from wear and tear but they can the acte de vente
survey – although there are financially viable to do so is be a good indicator of the overall
rules in place to govern new another question. Sometimes, the condition of a property. • November: Removals
construction and major most scary looking crack is However big or small, there is a • December: Utilities
renovations, France does not have actually nothing to worry about solution to all problems with a and banking
a system of building inspectors to – smaller ones that are still property and a survey is not
James Latter – French Property Surveys

OPPORTUNITIES PRE-PURCHASE SURVEYS / PLANS / FEASIBILITY STUDIES
“Your peace of mind when you buy
in Brittany, North and West France – over
ARE ENDLESS 15 year’s service to British buyers”
www.surveyor-expert.com
Tel: 0033 (0) 231.90.17.70 for all enquiries
or e-mail: james.latter@surveyor-expert.com
Caveat Emptor / noun [empto:] ±Let the buyer beware.

Regular advertising can open
up so many opportunities for
you and your business.
For more details call us on A full range of non-invasive property surveys
01242 264 750.
www.completefrance.com
BRITTANY HOUSE SURVEYS
www.francepropertyshop.com
CHARTERED SURVEYOR DEPUIS 1987
www.brittanyhousesurveys.com
+33 (0)2 97 38 50 90

FPN EXPERT ADVICE ASBESTOS
Full
PART
ONE
‘Canalite’ roof
tiles could
contain asbestos
report
In France, house buyers receive a
dossier of information regarding the
general condition of the property. In
this series, John Marshall runs through
some key elements of the report
A
s you may already have several reports before the
discovered, you have to property can be sold. Their
hold a valid licence in reports will come with copious
France in order to practice most pages which not only describe
trades and professions. what they have found but also
My favourite tradesmen – advise you on the implications.
who I discovered when Reports on septic tanks are
attending a training course to provided in the name of a
get a gun permit – are mole government organisation called
catchers, who are also entitled the SPANC and the compromis
to wear a very smart uniform de vente (sales contract) can
reminiscent of that of a World include information about
War II German army officer. swimming pools and merules
A
Slightly more useful to most (dry rot). sbestos (amiante) within do, for example during high
people is the diagnostiqueur, Nothing can be as a good as a fibre cement products such winds, water does not penetrate
who provides the vendor with translation of the entire report as drainage pipes, flues and into the roof space. This,
by a licensed translator, but corrugated sheeting is quite safe unsurprisingly, is called Canalite.
here are a few basics. in situ provided that it is not Asbestos has not been used in
degraded. The report will clearly building products since 1997.
state whether or not it is safe. Canalite is sometimes dyed red
Depending upon their exposure but be wary, some products were
to the elements, fibre cement similarly dyed before 1997. The
products should have a very long, diagnostiqueur will do a visual
safe life; you should expect at inspection and, rarely, send a
least 30 years and often they last sample for analysis. So if they are
for much more. Signs of unsure of the date of the fibre
degrading are reasonably obvious cement, they will err on the side
such as crumbling and dust. of caution.
It is rare but still possible to Even if the fibre cement is in
find asbestos used as insulation; good order there are two
this is more dangerous as it is not important points that you should
hard but fibrous so particles can keep in mind and bring to the
enter the air around it and be attention of anyone who works on
breathed in or ingested. If this is your property. The dust created
found in a property it should be when sanding or sawing it should
removed by a licensed contractor. not be ingested. Safe working
Fibre cement roof sheeting is practice is to wear a proper mask
waterproof and weatherproof in and to wet the fibre cement where
its own right and is often used to it is to be worked in order to
cover agricultural and industrial reduce the creation of dust.
buildings. The common trade Secondly, waste fibre cement
name that has entered the general should not be taken to a general
vocabulary is Eternite. waste disposal site, but instead to
There is also a product designed one licensed to handle it. The
especially to support canal roof mairie (town hall) will advise you
tiles over dwellings. The contour as to the location of the nearest
is a perfect fit for canal tiles so one and sometimes will even
they tend to slip less and if they arrange for it to be taken there.

TERMITES LEAD
T L
ermites are not found in all ead (plombe) was added to
departments and therefore most gloss paint up until
a survey for them is not 1948 and is still found in
compulsory throughout France. some specialist paints. Children
Within some departments, such and animals have been known to
as Vaucluse, a report is not die from gnawing lead-painted
required in all communes. I woodwork in places such as cots
understand that they arrived in and stables.
France on ships bringing timber The diagnostiqueur uses a
for barrels into Bordeaux from detector on all painted surfaces
the southern states of the US, that determines the depth and
and spread out from there. stability of lead. The report will
While they are winged insects identify the exact location and
they usually only swarm and grade the risk as 1, 2 or 3. If no
change location once a year. lead is present it is shown as
They burrow underground from Grade 0.
the nest seeking food to return Grade 1 is well covered, but you
and feed the others; they can do need to know it is there in case
this for several hundred metres you work on the paintwork. Grade
and can burrow through stone 3 is on the surface and degraded
and concrete. or flaking off and is a high risk as
If the diagnostiqueur finds Termites can burrow through stone and into wooden beams it could be easily ingested.
them in a property, he or she is The risk is rather like asbestos,
obliged to report them to the in that when it is worked upon by
mairie. They should be killed, uprights raised off the ground wood does not necessarily mean burning off or sanding, the fumes
the wood removed or burned on metal posts and plates; it is that the beam becomes and dust are toxic. An appropriate
and new wood treated against not just to stop the ends rotting. structurally unsafe. mask should be worn and you are
further attack. Logs stacked on the ground This is particularly relevant obliged to warn anyone working
In some circumstances, the will be magnets for termites, so where there has been damage at the property that there is lead
remedy may include fitting wood stored out of doors should caused by woodworm (vrillettes) in the paint so they can take the
termite traps, boxes that contain be raised off the ground with air who are surface browsers. proper precautions.
paper soaked with a chemical. beneath by stacking it on a A thin layer of a large beam
Visiting termites eat from the frame of stone, blocks or metal. eaten by them can often be
poisoned chalice, return to the Termites burrow into the ends hacked down to the good timber
nest and pass it on to others. of beams and eat the interior, so underneath and remain
There should be an annual the diagnostiqueur will tap each adequate for its purpose.
contract to maintain the traps. timber to listen for a hollow Some diagnostiqueurs will
Generally, termites don’t like sound. They may then hack off also report the presence of other
the cold or draughts, so they the weak exterior to expose the insect attack, such as capricorn
burrow into the ends of wood amount of the damage. beetles, but they will not offer
from the ground or walls. You Timber beams are often larger advice on the significance of the
may have seen timber building than needed so the loss of some damage caused. Flaking paint containing lead must be
disposed of
My understanding of current
law is that where there is paint
containing lead near the surface
(Grade 3), the vendor must have
flaking and loose parts
removed and the
surface covered
NEXT
with new layers MONTH:
of non-lead energy
paint, so that the performance,
lead paint is at a gas and
safe depth before electricity
the property can be
sold. ■
John Marshall is a chartered

valutation surveyor and ‘expert
immobilier’ in Languedoc-Roussillon
Termites burrow right to the inside of wooden beams
Tel: 0033 (0)4 68 20 26 48
johnmarshallsurveys.com
Termites burrow into the ends of beams and eat the

interior, so the diagnostiqueur will tap each timber
to listen for a hollow sound

FPN REAL LIFE
Princely manor
With the voices of his French ancestors calling him back to southern France, Lawrence
Roullier-White views a grand house in Languedoc and immediately falls in love
M
y family has French ancestry but we hatch onto a ‘roof terrace’ where two our original choice.
have lived in Britain since the French deckchairs were squeezed in side by side. However, I had read a feature on La Cité,
Revolution when Jean Alphonsus On our final day we were feeling dispirited Carcassonne’s 12th-century walled city, in Elle
Roullier – a successful artist whose work is until we spoke to our last property agent, Decoration the previous month and so we
owned by the Queen – was painting in Amale Smith from MDC Real Estate in decided to make a day of it.
London. Absent when revolution broke out, he Carcassonne, who said that she had one house We met Amale at her home and she drove us
was considered a deserter and was unable to on her books that was exactly what we had into a little village on the south side of the
return home – so perhaps my passion for asked for – the snag being that it was just Montagne Noire (so called because it is
France is genetic. north of Carcassonne, almost 100 miles from covered with black oak trees) which looks
In 1998, a friend very generously lent us her across the Mediterranean valley towards the
house near Montpellier in Languedoc for a majestic Pyrénées.
two-week break and I fell in love with the We were led into a She led us into a 300-year-old maison de
landscape, pace and quality of life. Like many maître on the village green and cleverly stated,
British people at the time I peered into the 300-year-old maison de “this is the house that I would buy”. We made
immobilier windows and was astounded at the an offer in 10 minutes.
low property prices in France compared with maître on the village green
those at home, and the idea of a double life
and within 10 minutes had House captain
was born. The house was light and airy, with a walled
Our first stop was the French Property garden and rooms that opened at the front
Exhibition at Olympia; we trotted along,
made an offer and the back to let the Mediterranean
signed up with some agencies and planned a sunshine through.
trip to view 10 houses in October 1999. We Tired and neglected, it had gone the way of
decided on Languedoc for a number of reasons so many village houses in the 20th century
including the weather, scenery, history and although we were lucky to buy it directly from
geography and our plan was to find a house the rather distinguished family of army
within striking distance of Montpellier, a city captains that had built it in the 1700s.
with a vibrant arts culture. They assured us that Napoleon had once
stayed the night here, which we took with a
Round the houses pinch of salt, although after a little research
Our first two days were disappointing and we we discovered that he had trained as a young
kissed a few frogs, including a ‘house with an soldier at the nearby town of Béziers.
attached garden’ which turned out to be a Perhaps the great man had indeed paid us a
house with a garden across the road, and I visit, so we a named a bedroom after him just
distinctly remember clambering through a tiny in case.

FPN LOCATION
I
recently talked to four British
estate agents who have lived for
many years in four different
parts of France – Hautes-Pyrénées
and Tarn, in southern and
northern Midi-Pyrénées
respectively, Haute-Vienne in
Limousin, and Morbihan on
Brittany’s western tip.
Keen skier Lu
Thomas has lived in
Hautes-Pyrénées for
almost 25 years,
runs her own estate
Spoilt
agency, the Agence
Pic du Midi in Barèges,
and lives in a picturesque
small village between there and
Luz-St-Sauveur.
for choice
“It’s calm, the drive to work is
wonderful, you’re surrounded by
mountains so there’s no traffic
jams, there’s no noise, there’s
very, very little pollution,” she
says. In winter she can go off for a
ski at lunchtime, while in summer
she can enjoy a walk and picnic in
the mountains.
Clockwise from left: The Barèges
Lu’s son was born and brought
up here. “I do think the education
Blessed with a huge variety of valley in Hautes-Pyrénées; the spa village
of Barèges itself, also the second oldest ski
system when the children are landscapes and climates, the choices on resort in France; the nearby village of Sers;
small is excellent,” she says, lovely Limoges on the banks of the Vienne
“particularly in Barèges which has offer in France can be overwhelming.
a classe unique so the older
children look after the smaller Carolyn Reynier speaks to four estate studio in a late-1970s building
ones and they all play together in
the playground. It’s like being part
agents about their areas with an underground parking
space for €49,000.
of a big family and I think that’s In May, June and July you see
extremely good. usually sell at that price, and the Detached properties are rare flowers, birds and lots of
“Prices are fairly stable property will move.” but, to give an idea, she is in the butterflies. The ski area, Grand
although some sellers continue to Her market is primarily for middle of selling a small stone Tourmalet, is two sides of the
put their properties on at inflated holiday homes, mostly studios and chalet with three small bedrooms same mountain which you cross
prices. They tend to think their apartments in old renovated and a garden for €187,000. It is via the eponymous col, which avid
property is still worth what it was properties or buildings dating located a couple of miles down cyclists will know is a regular
eight, 10 years ago and it isn’t from the 1980s. She did sell some the valley, has a wood-burning stage on the Tour de France. In
because prices have fallen,” Lu apartments in a new residential stove and the sellers extended the winter a free shuttle bus takes
continues. “I have a reasonable building last year, and has a property by adding a kitchen onto skiers from Barèges up to the ski
amount of experience in the field; couple of new flats this year but one end. In Barèges, she recently lift; there are two runs back to the
if I give them an evaluation I can says that prices are a bit high. sold a completely renovated 21m² village so you can ski home.
For sale furnished, a 33m2 duplex with 15m2 terrace in Résidence Hélios in Barèges, A renovated two-bedroom apartment with veranda on the main road near the ski bus in
Hautes-Pyrénées, €109,000 (agence-picdumidi.com) Barèges, Hautes-Pyrénées, €149,800 (agence-picdumidi.com)

L-R: Cordes-sur-Ciel in Tarn, whose name
literally means ‘rocky heights on the sky’;
Grand Rue Raimond VII, an ancient cobbled
street in Cordes lined with ateliers and boutiques
Mountain calm around Cordes-sur-

Paul Bedford and his Ciel, north-west of
family also wanted to be préfecture Albi, and
near good skiing Castelnau-de-Montmiral.
opportunities when they Paul’s clients generally
decided to move permanently to want a traditional house within an
France. They have lived near hour of Toulouse airport. “They
Cordes-sur-Ciel in Tarn for over 20 want tranquillity but not
years and enjoy the facilities in the isolation,” he says, “and want to be
Spanish Pyrénées, particularly the just five minutes or so from a
ski resort of Baqueira-Beret. They village with a pâtisserie and small
wanted a property with land supermarket, so interest often
– Paul’s wife Tracey keeps horses centres on certain villages which
– but didn’t want to live in the offer those services.” Close to Cordes-sur-Ciel in Tarn, this substantial five-bedroom stone farmhouse has
middle of nowhere. Their typical clients, usually stunning views and the potential to create part of the house into a separate two-
The couple’s four children have aged 45-plus, want to spend a fair bedroom gîte, €375,000 (tarnresidences.com)
benefited from the rural amount of time, if not all of it, in
upbringing they themselves had their Tarn residence. They don’t
enjoyed, which, Paul says, was want to be rattling around in a
getting harder to achieve in the large house which is expensive to
UK. They attended local schools heat, and they want enough land
and then went on to study at an for a pool if the property doesn’t
international school in Spain. already have one, Paul adds. They
“They’ve benefited from having a are looking for affordable and
tri-cultural upbringing and that’s easily manageable properties.
stood them in good stead. “The area specialises in
“We found the way of life endurance riding and is great for
delightful 20-odd years ago and, riding out with a lot of bridle
frankly, still find it delightful paths and interesting countryside.
today,” he says. “The weather is Half the houses we sell are around
better and there is a bucolic, kind woodland and rolling hillside, and
of safe feeling.” half around vineyards.”
Buying activity levels are better If you long for the latter you can
than they were a year ago. “Prices buy a two-bedroom end-of-terrace
have held pretty steadily over the house five minutes from Gaillac
past 12-18 months but the number with a small garden for €148,400.
of sales going through has picked It is part of a small complex in the
up. I think people have just Gaillacois vineyards consisting of
concluded now is probably a good the original château and a number
time to buy,” Paul explains. of self-contained units built A restored four-bedroom Tarn ‘maison de maître’ on the edge of a small village with
Bedford-Bailey specialises in around a central courtyard with unrivalled views, pool and stone barn which could be converted into a rental property,
rural and village properties in and shared tennis court and pool. 10 minutes from Cordes-sur-Ciel, €650,000 (tarnresidences.com)

Riding along the banks
of Lac de Vassivière
FPN LOCATION
Fields of green
There are no vineyards in southern
Haute-Vienne in Limousin; instead
it’s green tree-lined valleys,
rivers and rolling
countryside, according
to Allan Bright who
has worked for over 10
years at family agency
Berthou Immobilier in
Coussac-Bonneval.
“We are starting to see
more confidence from the overseas
rather than the French buyer,” he
Laetis/CRT Limousin
reports. “The Brits are also coming

back into the market, certainly
helped by the strong exchange
rate.” He also thinks the stability
from the UK economy following
the recent General Election should
encourage more folk to make the
journey across the Channel.
In a quiet location near Coussac-
From their Corrèze office the
Bonneval in Haute-Vienne, this
three-bedroom stone cottage comes agency covers the southern
with outbuildings in 3,231m² of land, Haute-Vienne, western Corrèze
€150,000 (limousinpropertyagents.com) and the northern part of
Dordogne; the key type of
property people are searching for
is the traditional stone cottage, a
two- or three-bedroom farmhouse
(fermette). A ready-to-move-into
stone village house will be around
€100,000. That said, the agency
also has everything from €30,000
renovation projects up to imposing
half a million-euro maisons de
maître with a few hectares of land.
Negotiation is less common
today than in the past. “We’re
probably 35% below the peak, so
over the seven years we’ve been in
the property crisis prices have
come down significantly,” Allan
explains. “We are seeing more
cases of vendors saying: ‘I’m kind
of at bottom price here, I’m not
Near Coussac-Bonneval in Haute- willing to go down any further’.
Vienne, this renovated cottage with “Southern Haute-Vienne and
two bedrooms boasts mansard northern Dordogne are considered
ceilings, a wood-burning stove to be the gateway to south-west
and a pleasant garden, €99,500 France and we benefit from a
(limousinpropertyagents.com)
great climate and a picturesque
landscape. There is a better work/
life balance for those still working
and a better pace of life for
retirees; it is a lifestyle that is
perhaps more reminiscent of the
UK a generation or so ago.”
And if you get withdrawal
symptoms? There’s Top 14 rugby
at Brive-la-Gaillarde; Périgueux is
the capital of Dordogne with its
major historic monument, the
St-Front cathedral, modelled on
the Church of the Holy Apostles in
Constantinople; and then you
have all the fascinating history
that goes with the city of Limoges
and its porcelain.

R8203 SAINT SAUD LACOUSSIÈRE (24) N7566 ST SAVIOL (86) R8234 CHÉRONNAC (87)
Character 2 bed holiday cottage for sale with plenty of Character 2 bed holiday cottage for sale with plenty of Delightful stone cottage for sale with pool in a peaceful,
original features and easily managed gardens original features and easily managed gardens rural location, gardens 6000m²
Price 119,000 € Price 149,100 € Price 188,680 €
N8247 MELLE (79) P8226E BEAULIEU SUR DORDOGNE (19) R8227AFD CORGNAC-SUR-L’ISLE (24)
Detached sous-sol 3 bed property with large gardens 4 bed character property with a pool + Maison d’Amis 17th Century house with Maison d’Amis, pool and barns
of 6,446m² & c/heating in the heart of Melle (Exclusive Mandat) for development
P8263 ARGENTAT (19) D8265 BEAUPOUYET (24) P8176E BEAULIEU SUR DORDOGNE (19)
Stunning 2 bed character riverside property, ideal as Charming country cottage with four bedrooms, lake and Superb 3 bed property, with a pool & stunning views. 1st
pied à terre. Quality renovation. pool, gardens of 7,800m² class condition. Exclusive mandat
D8255 AUBETERRE (16) R7665 BLANZAC (16) D8154 ST AVIT (16)

Fabulous popular village restaurant and hotel with 8 A successful Gîte complex near Angoulême. 10 beds in Farmhouse with gites complex, 10 beds - fantastic
bedrooms and proven business turnover total. Gardens of 6,558m² leisure facilities including pool and tennis court
For over 10 years since Foremost
Currency was formed, this FX
company has been the preferred
business partner of Allez-Français.
We have a dedicated dealer in
Adam Bobroff, Director of Foreign
Exchange, who offers a very personalised
service, hand-holding our clients, and offering preferential rates.
On average Foremost Currency are able to beat your bank by
around 2.5% on your FX exchange.
R8256 QUINSAC (24) COMING SOON RIBERAC (24) Website: www.foremostcurrencygroup.co.uk

Telephone: 01442 892 060 or Freephone 0800 781 0601
Prestige C19th country house for sale with guest Chateau with private estate of 15 ha and numerous
E-mail: amb@fcgworld.co.uk
annexe and infinity pool over 2 ha park gardens outbuildings including 2 apartments & guardian’s house. Pool
We recommend all of our clients to use a specialist FX dealer.
Price 785,000 € Price 990,000 €
The leading website for property in South West France

www.allez-francais.com | biz.allez-francais.com | prestige.allez-francais.com | golf.allez-francais.com
Over 250 properties in the Poitou Charentes, Dordogne Valley & Gascony | Phone 00 33 (0)5 55 28 46 40
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FPN REAL LIFE
Deep south
blues
Having studied, holidayed and
got married near St-Tropez,
Ben Chatfield and wife Victoria
finally decide to make the move
from Wimbledon to the sunny
south of France
I
n 1994-1995 I lived in the south of will be more disappointed by the things
France. It was nothing more than a year that you didn’t do than by the ones you did
abroad as part of the French degree I do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away
was taking at the University of Warwick from the safe harbour. Catch the trade
but it became a lot more than that. I had winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.
already enjoyed many holidays in the Golf Discover.”
of St-Tropez but living and working here In June 2012, my wife and I were
changed everything. married in Ramatuelle with guests
I couldn’t stay away, returning for travelling in from all over the world. The
season-long summers and visits whenever majority of the day was held on the same
my work in London allowed. In 2010, I Pampelonne beach where I had worked for
wrote my first book, basing it entirely on many summers. The beach owners were
my experiences in the region. my former bosses and by now our best
Mediterranean Homesick Blues was pitched friends in France.
as a diary-cum-guidebook-cum-cultural- We spent six weeks in the region that
smorgasboard and also, perhaps more summer and it was a wrench to leave. But
truthfully: Peter Mayle’s A Year In Provence it was not until two years later, when we
meets The Beach meets The Secret Diary of were travelling back from a week-long
Adrian Mole. holiday and boarding the St-Tropez to
The book opened with this quote from St-Raphael ferry, that we decided to make
Mark Twain: “Twenty years from now you the leap.
Cobalt together would be tricky to work here in the first
We found ourselves at the crossroads of not period we made plans for savings and worked
being quite ready to try and start a family in as much as we could in that first part of 2015.
London, still enjoying our freedom, and both The search for a property began in
far from settled in the city that London had November 2014 with an email to the tourist
become. The fervour of the Olympics and the office in St-Tropez. Looking back, we expected
associated scramble for air had created a to be inundated with offers of potential homes
metropolis which had gone from being lively and were audacious enough to start choosing
to loaded, and which was showing no sign of the area we wanted to live in.
slowing down. This was based largely on
We realised that we had a The two-bedroom the fact that the mere
window, and it was swinging mention of renting our flat
wildly open into the apartment was in Wimbledon brought with
Provençal breeze. With both it an almost uncontrollable
of us at something of a career everything we barrage of emails and calls
impasse (not as serious as a and we foolishly assumed
wanted with an
crisis, but not so insignificant that the holiday home
as to be ignored) we decided market in the south of
to start planning for what we enormous balcony, France would somehow
called – referencing Charlie follow suit.
Chaplin’s inspiring speech in terrace and large An email came back
The Great Dictator – our helpfully listing some local
‘wonderful adventure’. Not
living room estate agents but repeated
forgetting Mark Twain’s trade emails to them garnered just
winds behind us. one response from 11. The estate agent, a
The first thing we did? Tell everyone. Our one-man band, sent us over a few properties
thinking was that if we don’t make our plans to consider. As we were planning for the most
known it would be too easy to backpedal. We expensive summer period, we were prepared
decided to commit to six months starting in to have to match our rental income in the UK
Facing page: Boats moored in Les Marines de Cogolin May 2015. Another summer season. With both – and it quickly became apparent that we
This page top: Colourful St-Tropez made a lasting of us working on the media/creative side (but would have to. We shortlisted two or three
impression on Ben both unsated by our roles) we decided to plan and then headed out to France at the end of
Above: Ben and Victoria on their wedding day a project working for ourselves. Aware that it February to make a final decision.

FPN REAL LIFE
Above left: The Chatfields’ apartment is just a stone’s throw from St-Tropez Above right: The working marina has a friendly atmosphere and a sense of community
Ultra marine The difference between our dealings with The apartment was clean
The decision was simple with one property a the agent in the UK handling our Wimbledon and bright and the owner, NEXT
dream and the other far from it. Les Marines sale and the one here in France was noting our Wimbledon
de Cogolin is a unique residence just a stone’s remarkable. The level of detail provided by address, had even gone
ISSUE:
throw from St-Tropez which, due to it being a the French agent was far beyond both his so far as to put up a
Settling In
working marina, manages to combine a duty and anything we had been accustomed couple of vintage tennis
friendly atmosphere with a small community to before. pictures on the wall in the
of locals and small businesses and cafés. We were hand-held through the flood of spare room.
The split-level, two-bedroom apartment was French administration, something which, in 20 So here we are. The adventure begins. That
everything we wanted with an enormous years, has not abated. We were greeted on rosé went down rather well. ■
balcony and additional terrace at the rear, arrival by three representatives, nine keys,
underground car parking, a large living room, four key passes, a bottle of rosé, a baguette Ben Chatfield is currently writing a blog:
two bathrooms and a roomy kitchen. and two bowls of fruit. mediterraneanhomesickblues.wordpress.com
Cabinets Immobiliers - Real Estate - Golfe de St Tropez & Var
LE LAVANDOU ST CLAIR RAYOL CANADEL BORMES LES MIMOSAS

Maisonnette close to the beach with sea view. Villa with sea view large living room, kitchen, Villa with pretty garden and swimming pool.
Kitchenette, living room, 3 bedrooms, 5 bedrooms,3 bathrooms and 2 terraces. Living room, kitchen, study and 3 bedrooms and 2
2 bathrooms, terrace and pretty garden. Large garden close to the beach. bathrooms.
Ref 2109 Price 499 900 € Ref 2072 Price 728 000 € Ref 2112 Price 690 000 €
BORMES LES MIMOSAS BORMES LES MIMOSAS BORMES LES MIMOSAS

Gaou Benat private estate. Villa with sunny living Close to the village super villa with sitting room, Village house with open plan kitchen, dining room,
room, fitted kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. kitchen, living room, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 sitting rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms.
Terraces, swimming pool and sea view. swimming pool and large terraced garden. Parking in front of the house. Beaches 10 mins.
Ref 2110 Price 936 000 € Ref 2091 Price 1 350 000 € Ref FC 05 Price 460 000 €
Le Lavandou Office 0033 4 94 15 22 77 canat.warton-lavandou@wanadoo.fr www.canatwarton.com

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FPN EXPERT ADVICE
Inner beauty
Holiday lets with beautiful interiors always tend to attract bookings and delight guests.
Modern classic
L
a Cour is a typically French maison de bourg
and – together with its adjoining cottage –
lies at the edge of Carennac, one of France’s
Plus Beaux Villages.
The properties, which each sleep four guests,
were built 60 years ago by the village maire and
the family told Kathy and Paul Godfrey, the
current owners, that it had been a very happy
home to four generations.
This inspired the couple to recreate the cosy,
welcoming home it had once been, with a nod to
early 20th-century French country style.
If you want to achieve this look, then make sure
that kitchens and bathrooms have a traditional
feel by using natural materials, soft colours and
lots of pictures and ornaments that evoke a French
country feel.
Kathy chose soft furnishings in natural fabrics
such as cotton and linen with sisal rugs on the
floor. She used a palette of French provincial
colours such as blues, creams, greys and warm
earth tones.
Authentic French furniture can still be found in
local dépots-ventes and brocantes and brown
furniture can be transformed by painting it grey or
white. Finish the effect by choosing practical
decorative touches that are pretty but not too
precious, so accidental damage is not a disaster.
La Cour is ID 103502
Style and substance
L
a Cressonnière, which sleeps up to eight
guests, and the neighbouring Le Presbytère,
which sleeps six, are located in a picturesque
hamlet near Puy-L’Evêque.
Le Presbytère was originally the parsonage for
the church in Loupiac and, although the date
stone states 1832, some sections go back to
medieval times. La Cressonniere also has a
history as a watercress farm.
Current owners Barry and Paula Casement
have created stylish, luxurious interiors that
combine the unashamedly modern with period
features. To emulate this approach, they
retained, where possible, the original exposed
beams, terracotta floors and open fireplaces.
They then chose sleek, bright kitchens and
bathrooms with clean lines and opted for large,
contemporary pieces of furniture that make a
bold statement in the home’s uncluttered spaces.
Keeping wall colours rich and warm with
white for contrast creates a luxurious feel, and
the couple’s eye-catching period pieces
emphasise the enticing mix of modern and
traditional elements. ■
La Cressonnière is ID 153045
Glynis Shaw is joint MD of French Connections

holiday rentals and property sales online
Tel: 01580 819303
frenchconnections.co.uk
Glynis Shaw looks around two exquisitely designed homes in the Lot countryside
Facing page, top to bottom: The fishing village of
Gujan-Mestras has an understated charm; piles of chalk-
dipped tiles sit outside fishermen’s huts on the quay; the
village oysters are plentiful and delicious
This page, top to bottom: A private art exhibition
with splendid buffet at Château Monbazillac attracts
visitors in their droves; Jack and Serena’s garden has now
matured around their new home
Wednesday
The LeRoys’ house in the woods is also
approaching completion, but here the
atmosphere is more tense. The inside of the
house is due to be handed over in a fortnight
and until 10am it had looked like we were on
schedule, if only just.
Now, the programme is in tatters as the
carreleur (tiler) has told us his supplier has lost
the carreaux, the kitchen floor tiles, which
were due to be laid today and grouted
tomorrow so the cuisiniste could fit the kitchen
next week.
“Ca veut dire quoi, ils les ont perdus?” I ask,
suspecting the carreleur has simply forgotten to
order them.
“Comment ça c’est possible de perdre des
carreaux d’un mètre carré?” I am asking how is contractor. Delays can just snowball. There is first should this be necessary. I aim to convince
it possible to ‘lose’ tiles which are each a metre much scratching of heads and the immortal (aka blackmail) him to absorb any extra cost
square, but the carreleur swears it’s the case, phrase is heard: “On va trouver une solution”. as this will enable me to recommend him for
shows me the order and says I can talk to his I hope it’s the case, and I can tell from some larger projects already in the pipeline.
suppliers direct for confirmation. Monsieur LeRoy’s look that he’s expecting me In the evening I head up to Château
This is getting us nowhere, so I ask when he to come up with something. Monbazillac near Bergerac, famous for its
can get some more. He replies it’s not too bad, sweet wines, for the private view of a collective
they will have to be couriered up from the Thursday art exhibition.
manufacturers in Italy, but this can be done Solutions are being trouvé, at least tentative As ever, things kick off late with speeches
within a week. ones. The carreleur can pick up the tiles from first (six of them this time) and then a
“Problème!” pipes up the cuisiniste, “après la the main distribution point at Toulouse, saving splendid free buffet in the grounds of the
semaine prochaine je n’ai plus de disponibilité ce a day or two. The cuisiniste, for his part, is château, with everybody tucking in and talking
mois-ci.” His diary is full this month, so if we’re looking to sub-contract fitting the kitchen to 19 to the dozen and entirely forgetting we’re
not ready for him next week we have a serious the excellent joiner on site or, failing that, supposed to be here to look at art.
delay on our hands. paying his men overtime to work through the The setting sun lights up the vineyard and
It’s not an uncommon problem on building weekend and get the job done. the stonework of the château, honey-coloured
projects here, as they are undertaken by He says this will mean an extra cost to the like its wines, and I can’t resist taking arty
individual tradesmen rather than a general client, but I email him to talk to me about it shots with my phone.
Friday However, he also now has a problem

One of my early projects after moving to with the drainage system: he’s been on the
Villeréal was Jack and Serena’s new house, internet and wants to know why the
completed around three years ago, and Pierre groundworker has installed a microstation
and I have been invited up for an end-of-the- rather than a fosse toutes eaux.
working-day drink, still being on the best of I spend 20 minutes pacing the garden,
terms with them. I know my life may sound like phone clamped to ear, gesticulating and
a constant social whirl of visits to the seaside to talking in French about capital and running
consume oysters, private views in sun-kissed costs, frequency of emptying, life
vineyards and drinks by the pool, but I do also expectancy of filter beds, and the need for
do some work you know. Honest. spare parts and maintenance contracts.
It’s good to see the house in use with its Eventually he is sufficiently reassured, and
garden maturing. Serena is a keen painter and I hang up and turn round to see everyone
runs classes (Charlotte goes and has shown an staring at me.
impressive talent for assemblages in white “One can have our weekend now?” asks
which even she wasn’t expecting) so the house Pierre. Yes. One can indeed have our
has paintings and sculptures on every available weekend now. ■
surface, even outdoors under the terrace.
My mobile rings. It’s Monsieur LeRoy to tell Neil Vesma’s architect’s practice is in Villeréal
me the cuisiniste has been able to reorganise his near Bergerac
diary (phew!) so the kitchen can be fitted the Tel: 0033 (0)5 53 01 74 20
week after the tiles arrive. neilvesma.com

TO DONOW AVA
WNLO ILABL
AD ON E
iP H O
N E
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Saint Saud Lacoussiere Apartment Fréjus Saint Caradec Tregomel

This gorgeous 16th century stone cottage Residential area 5 minutes from town. In a sweet hamlet in the countryside, charming
would be a perfect holiday home in the Super apartment on the ground floor, living stone house lovingly restored and with all
beautiful Perigord Vert. The cottage absolutely room, semi-fitted kitchen, 3 bedrooms, conveniences. It comprises: lounge/living-
oozes charm and character thanks to the bathroom, pantry, parking. quiet residence,, room with fitted kitchen, office, WC, lounge.
many period features, yet it has recently been 10 minutes from the beaches. Garden without Mezzanine with fireplace, deux bedrooms.
reroofed, has quality double glazing. overlooking views. Veranda and laundery. Barn in wood.
119,000 € 320,000 € 215,000 €
Loudun, Vienne, Poitou-Charentes Village House Fréjus Loudun, Vienne, Poitou-Charentes

Detached character property in a small hamlet This Large village house of about 116 m2, prime A surprisingly spacious VILLAGE HOUSE, that
near the market town of Loudun (dept 86). location in the old center, consists of 3 floors and dates in part fom the late 17th CENTURY, in large
Exposed beams & stone work. Large living room 3 bedrooms on the ground floor pantry. Fitted gardens. The property is in the village (dept 86) of
with fireplace. Fitted Kitchen with wood burning kitchen, a large living room with balcony, two LES TROIS MOUTIERS. Character features include
stove. Mezzanine. 4 Bedrooms. 1.6 acres of land. large bedrooms with a bath room and wc, two an original ‘tower’ stone staircase leading to the
12 x 4m swimming pool. large bedrooms, a bathroom with bath and toilet. convertible 2nd floor lofts, fireplaces and beams.
254,000 € 280,000 € 169,500 €
Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes Vienne, Poitou-Charentes St Benoit Du Sault, Indre

Pretty stone townhouse in frontline coastal Pretty one bedroomed detached house with This beautiful town house, is in the lovely
position with sea views. This 2/3 bedroom stone garden, tucked away down a quiet lane near medieval town of St Benoit du Sault where
house, set in a pretty coastal village with shops market town , Vienne, Poitou-Charentes. Lovely there are a good selection of shops and services.
and restaurants, is in a front line position with little hideaway at the end of a small lane with Private little area outside to be able to sit in the
uninterrupted views and within walking distance fields behind but within walking distance of a sun shine. It sits in an idyllic position in the heart
of the beach. pretty market town. Perfect ‘lock up and leave’! of the old part of the town.
192,500 € 51,000 € 199,020 €
FPN EXPERT ADVICE
Make a pact
Following recent changes to legislation in France and the
UK, Matthew Cameron explains the legal implications
of civil partnership relationships in France
W
hen the editorial team at French Inheritance considerations survivor of a specific right of inheritance).
Property News invited me to write an We shall therefore look at some of the main One point of note that is the same whether a
article on estate planning in civil points affecting these different scenarios. We couple had married or were in a civil
partnership relationships, I initially thought shall need to bear in mind the current regime partnership is in relation to inheritance tax:
that I may have some difficulty reaching the of inheritance rules in France, which leaves a there is an exemption to French inheritance tax
standard word count. That was perhaps a little fixed interest to a person’s children on death. to a surviving spouse or civil partner, and this
naive: there is much to consider. Presuming a deceased person did not is indeed the case in the UK as well.
Most readers will appreciate what a civil prepare a will, in the absence of children, a This was not always the case though. When
partnership is, although for the avoidance of surviving spouse has a right to take a the Civil Partnerships Act 2005 first came into
doubt we shall consider this point. A French deceased’s estate in France absolutely. Where force in the UK, a British CPA was not initially
Pacte Civil de Solidarité (PACS) is a co- the deceased had children, a surviving spouse recognised in France as being the equivalent of
habitation agreement that has been in has an entitlement to a part interest in the a PACS, and therefore a couple who had
existence since 1999, effectively as an deceased’s estate. The level of that interest completed a British CPA would still have been
alternative to marriage. depends upon whether the children were their treated in France as ‘strangers in blood’, and as
A couple living together (providing they children together, or the deceased’s children such any legacies passing between them on
were not already married to each other or from a previous relationship. death would have been taxed at 60%.
anyone else, in a PACS or related) could So we see that a surviving spouse would take Thankfully, this anomaly was soon rectified.
complete a PACS. The couple could either be a an interest in the deceased person’s French Recent legislative changes either side of the
heterosexual or same-sex couple. A British Civil assets. That, though, is not the case for a Channel have enabled same-sex marriage. It
Partnerships Act Agreement (CPA) came into couple who have completed a CPA or a PACS. now follows, therefore, that a same-sex couple
existence in 2005, on a similar premise save Such agreements do not confer upon the will be treated exactly the same, legally, as a
that it was only available for same-sex couples parties any succession rights between them. heterosexual couple. Perhaps there will be less
(the rationale being that a heterosexual couple The difference, then, between a married call in the future for civil partnerships in
could marry). couple and a couple that had completed some general as a result.
There has been some movement in the form of civil partnership agreement, is that the
position since the institution of these two married couple could count on at least a Estate planning
arrangements. Both the UK and France do now minimum interest passing to the survivor Nevertheless, it is always going to be important
recognise in the eyes of the law that a same-sex (although had the deceased written a will, he to bear in mind that for those couples who
couple can marry. or she could have expressly deprived the remain subject to a CPA or a PACS, careful

consideration is required for estate planning British couple are Scottish, then Scottish relationships, the change of regime has been a
matters. If the couple want to ensure that the inheritance rules will apply, and these invoke good estate planning tool for married couples
survivor of them would inherit the whole of their own reserved interests. The new regime in the past. It can now be useful for same-sex
the property absolutely, then they will have a may not necessarily offer all of the married couples too.
number of options. opportunities that some seem to believe. What is clear, though, is that civil partners
They could simply prepare French wills to I mentioned above that a same-sex couple is and married couples should not only bear in
this end, and under the current regime that able to marry now, and mind the situation
would require that neither of them has any that marriage would be between them, but also
children. If there are children, then those fully recognised in either Recent legislative how their assets would
children would of course have a reserved jurisdiction. Indeed the pass at the time of the
interest in a portion of the estate. Inclusion of a definition of marriage in
changes either side second death. While there
tontine clause in the purchase deed would the French civil code now may be any number of
overcome this, although it is important to includes a confirmation
of the Channel have different ways to ensure
remember that a tontine clause cannot be
inserted after completion of the purchase deed.
that marriage can be
contracted by two people
enabled same-sex that the survivor would
inherit all of the French
There are other potential concerns with tontine
ownership, and it is wise to consider the pros
of different sex or of the
same sex.
marriage and it now estate, and without any
adverse inheritance tax
and cons of this method of ownership before This means that a follows that a same-sex consequences, the
deciding upon it as an option. same-sex couple could situation on second death
now select a French couple will be treated may not be as suitable.
New legislation matrimonial regime, If the first to die had
It should also be possible for a British couple to allowing their French the same legally as a children but left the
select the law of their nationality to apply to assets to pass absolutely French estate to the
their French estate, in accordance with the to the survivor. It has heterosexual couple survivor, with that
terms of the EU regulation on succession long been possible for a survivor aiming to leave
coming into force on 17 August 2015. heterosexual married couple to change their everything to his or her stepchildren, then
There will, though, inevitably be a number matrimonial regime, often to adopt a universal French inheritance tax at 60% is a real risk. ■
of concerns with this – one being that it is community of assets regime (communauté
likely to be several years before we have any universelle de biens). Matthew Cameron is a partner at Ashton KCJ
definitive answer on the workings of the Provided that this is drafted suitably, and Tel: 01603 703070
regulations, and another being that if the provided there are no children from different ashtonkcj.co.uk
Our selection of
Handpicked properties
Call us on +33 (0)8 05 69 23 23
Freephone from UK: 0800 270 0101
IMMOBILIER or visit www.beauxvillages.com
Historic mill, Dordogne Perfectly presented, Charente Rare find, Lot et Garonne Beautifully maintained, Tarn et Garonne
A unique 4 bedroom historic watermill and A substantial property offering 7 bedrooms, Stone cottage with attached barns for A few minutes from the village and close
separate 4 bedroom gite. Idyllically situated, most with ensuite and 4 receptions rooms. further development, and just over 4 to Agen, this 3 bedroom traditional stone
on the edge of a village. Also has a pool. Close to beautiful tourist area. Bordeaux hectares of pasture land with water and country house has masses of original
1hr. Angouleme and TGV 45mins. shelter. Large open hangar with 6 horse features, swimming pool, huge barn. All
boxes, tack room and hay barn. very sensibly priced!
Ref: 9689 €583 000 Ref: 8116 €499 900 Ref: 9232 €333 900 Ref: 9205 €449 000
Competitively priced, Dordogne Holidays in the sun! Lot et Garonne Mountain views, Pyrenees Atlantiques Wow! Charente Maritime
An attractive modern house with swimming Nicely renovated house in a lively Stone character 4 bedroom property with A stunning 6 bed manor house with 5
pool in over an acre. Masses of storage small town. In very good condition and quarter of an acre garden and views of the bathrooms, 2 bedroom guest quarters and
space and a huge basement area. Situated beautifully decorated with three bedrooms. Pyrenees. swimming pool. Private driveway, full central
in a hamlet and convenient for Bergerac and Ideal for holidays or permanent residence. heating. Just 2km to the town, easy access to
Perigueux. the TGV and airport at La Rochelle.
Ref: 11435 €212 000 Ref: 11899 €169 000 Ref: 11837 €254 400 Ref: 12138 €795 000

FPN EXPERT ADVICE
Cottage industry
Thinking of running a holiday let in France? Alex Romaine explains the tax implications
of this type of venture and shares how you can best prepare for the current legislations
T
here is often confusion and to be sent to the non-resident tax office. The obvious disadvantage with this route is
misinformation about the taxation If your holiday let is fully furnished, there that no matter what the actual running costs
requirements for individuals who rent out are two income assessment methods to of the property are, the individual will be
their French properties. However, it’s vital that consider, both of which fall under the Bénéfices liable for tax. As such, if your running costs are
current property owners, and those Industriels et Commerciaux (BIC). The income in excess of 50% of the gross income, it
considering letting their property for the first from your holiday let is treated as commercial becomes more advantageous to look at the
time, familiarise themselves with the most income for calculation purposes. It is second income assessment option, which is the
up-to-date rules and regulations. important to check the deadlines for regime simplifié.
For those who rented their French property submitting accounts under both methods as
out for the first time in 2014, the deadline for these do vary annually. Régime simplifié
their French tax return was moved forward to This régime requires simplified accounts to be
5 May for clients under the régime simplifié UK residents renting out drawn up and presented each year, with tax
and 19 May for those under the régime being assessed against actual income and
micro-entreprise. their French property expenditure incurred.
UK residents renting out their French Losses arising from excess expenditure can
property should be aware that any letting should be aware that any be carried forward for a maximum of 10 years,
income generated by the property is always while losses resulting from depreciation can be
taxable in France, regardless of where the letting income generated set against future profits indefinitely. As a
money is paid or received. This applies result, an altogether more tax-efficient
whether the property is owned by an by the property is always approach can be maintained.
individual, a partnership or a Société de Although this régime requires more
Personnes resident in France or the UK, under taxable in France bookkeeping – retaining invoices, a detailed
the rules of the current double-tax treaty. breakdown and itemisation of expenditure and
Secondly, if the owner is resident in the UK Régime micro-entreprise income, plus bank reconciliations requiring
at the time, the income will also always be Many individuals who rent out their French separate bank accounts to run exclusively for
taxable in the UK. It is therefore a legal properties opt for the régime micro-entreprise, business activity – the work does offer the
requirement that tax returns are made in both whereby tax at 20% will be applied to 50% of chance to ensure that the minimum tax is paid
France and the UK, regardless of whether income. In certain limited circumstances, this in France and the UK.
there is a profit or a loss. 50% figure may be reduced to 29% (so tax is When you consider the fact that simplified
The French tax year runs from 1 January to paid on 29% of rental income received rather records need to be kept in order to complete
31 December, with any profits for non-French than 50%). the UK self-assessment returns, the extra work
residents taxed at a flat rate of 20%. French An example of the calculation is as follows: involved really is worthwhile.
lettings activity must be registered at the local €10,000 income @ 50% @ 20% = €1,000 An example of how this method of
tax office, with additional tax forms needing income tax to be paid. accounting can be more beneficial for an

FPN EXPERT ADVICE
Gain an
advantage
Money matters can be tricky when you live with one foot on either side of the Channel,
so let Rupert Holderness guide you through the muddy waters of capital gains tax
Taper relief
A
re you looking to buy a property in it for many years. However, the exemption can
France? Or do you already own one? apply for up to 12 months after you move out, If you are selling a property that is not your
Either way you need to know what sort as long as the property has been constantly on main home, there is a taper relief system that
of tax to expect if and when you come to sell the market and not rented out. will lower the amount of taxable gain,
the property. In most cases, this exemption also applies if depending on how long you have owned the
If you sell a French property, you will be the property is held in an SCI (Société Civile property. The systems are different for income
liable to French capital gains tax whether you Immobilière), which is a French property tax and social charges.
are resident there or not. holding company. This applies whether the For capital gains tax, from the 6th year of
If you are resident, then you will also have property itself is sold, or the shares of the SCI. ownership to the 21st year, the taxable gain is
to pay the tax on any property you sell, Gains on property are taxed at a fixed rate of reduced by 6% each year. For the 22nd year it
whether it is in France, the UK or elsewhere. 19%. There are currently surtaxes, which can is reduced by 4%. This means that once you
You will pay on the full gain, even if you push the tax rate up to 25%, as follows: have owned a property for 22 years, there is no
bought the property a long time before you capital gains tax to pay.
moved to France. Gain Surtax rate Total tax For social charges, from the 6th year of
The good news is that your principal Up to €50,000 0% 19% ownership to the 21st year, the gain is reduced
residence is exempt from tax. You benefit from €50,000 - €100,000 2% 21% by 1.65% each year. For the 22nd year it is
this exemption provided the property is your €100,001 - €150,000 3% 22% reduced by 4%. For the 22nd year it is 1.6%.
habitual and actual residence at the time of Then for years 23 to 30 the reduction is 9%
€150,001 - €200,000 4% 23%
sale. This is not time-apportioned, so even if each year. Therefore, no social charges are due
you owned a property for many years without €200,001 - €250,000 5% 24% if you have owned a property for 30 years.
living in it, it will still be fully exempt from tax Above €250,000 6% 25% France also provides an age-related
if is your habitual home at the time you sell it. exemption, depending on your income and
On the other hand, if you leave a property Social charges are also levied on top of the wealth. If you are in receipt of a state pension
without having sold it you could lose relief capital gains tax at a rate of 15.5%. This makes or hold an invalidity card, you do not pay
completely, even if you had previously lived in a total top tax rate of 40.5%. capital gains tax on the sale of real estate if:

1) You do not have a liability to wealth tax in capital gains tax in the UK under the same Non-residents
the tax year preceding the year before sale rules applied to UK residents. However, it is Non-residents owning French property are
2) Your taxable income in that tax year was only the gain since 6 April 2015 that is taxed. fully liable for French tax on the property sale.
below a certain level. For 2015 gains, the The gain is also fully taxable in France, From 2012, they became liable to social
2014 income limit is €10,633 for the first though under the UK/France double-taxation charges as well, but this has been overturned
part of the household, and €2,839 for each treaty you do not have to pay tax twice. You by the European Court of Justice. In February
additional part. receive a credit in France for any UK tax paid 2015, the court ruled that charging French
on disposal. residents working outside France, and
Gains can also be exempt if you use the non-residents with French-source unearned
proceeds to invest in acquiring a main home. income (this includes capital gains) social
So if you own a property that you do not live The good news is that charges was discriminatory. Therefore if, for
in, sell it and use the profits to buy or example, you are a UK national living in
construct a home, and you have not owned a
your principal residence Britain, you should not have to pay social
main home for the preceding four years, you charges on any gains made when you sell
do not have to pay capital gains tax.
is free from tax, provided French real estate.
Furthermore, if you have development land
to sell this year, there is an exceptional
it is your habitual and As always with French tax, it can be more
complicated than it first appears, so you do
allowance of 30% for gains on land sold before
31 December 2015.
actual residence at the need to seek professional advice to establish
exactly what your tax liabilities are and what
time of your death, even tax planning opportunities are available. This
Property in the UK also applies to selling a UK property as part of
Prior to April 2015, non-UK residents did not if you’ve only been living your move to France. If you have not moved
have to pay tax on the sale of UK property, yet, seek advice before you sell in the UK and
provided the gain was made in a complete year there for a short while buy in France. ■
of non-residence in the UK and they remained
non-resident for five complete and consecutive Rupert Holderness is general manager of Blevins
tax years. French residents also pay the 15.5% social Franks France, international tax and wealth
This has now changed, and if you sell UK charges on gains arising on UK real estate. In management advisers
residential property while resident in France this case, there is no UK equivalent to get a Tel: 0800 668 1381
(or in any other country), you are liable to credit for. blevinsfranks.com

FPN EXPERT ADVICE
Antisocial behaviour
Sean O’Connor takes a closer look at the controversy surrounding social
contributions and asks whether the French government will give way
S
ince shortly after François Hollande came that “persons to whom this regulation applies professional activity by them”.
into power, that is to say since 2012, shall be subject to the legislation of a single One is therefore led to the conclusion that
British vendors of French holiday homes member state only”. So if you work in France, France must stop hitting British nationals
have been hit, on top of French capital gains you can only be subject to French social resident in the UK and subject to UK social
tax, with French social charges totalling contributions. Then when you move on to security contributions, with French social
15.5%. Among other matters, the Italy, you can only be subject to Italian social contributions upon selling a French property.
contributions include helping old people to contributions. And so on.
move around in wheelchairs and on scooters Gérard de Ruyter, a Netherlands national Is a resolution in sight?
(0.3%) and helping the state to pay the resident in France, declared in France his But wait a minute. Is a capital gain, in French
minimum wage (1.1%). income from Netherlands sources. That called revenus d’investissement the same thing
In its judgment in the Gérard de Ruyter case included income from investment capital, in as income from a capital asset, in French
delivered on 26 February of this year, the French, called revenus de patrimoine. The called revenus de patrimoine?
Court of Justice of the European Union at French tax administration imposed the social It seems that the French government is
Luxembourg ruled that the imposition of the contributions on de Ruyter, who contested this pondering the notion that the answer to this
French social charges on the said British in France. The matter came up before the question might be in the negative. Aha, they
vendors, resident in the UK, is contrary to topmost administrative court in France, the contemplate saying, the European court has
European Union law. So far, however, the Council of State (Conseil d’État). only hit income from an investment, not
French government has That court noted that capital gains.
not implemented the If you paid the social income from investment There can be no certainty yet that the
judgment of the European capital is not the same French government will cave in without
Court. When is it going to contributions in 2014, thing as employment another judgment of the European court
do so? Now read on. income. Therefore, the on this precise point. The European
In order to understand you have until the end said French court Commission may itself bring the necessary
this whole scene one has submitted the following action against France.
to go back to European of 2015 to lodge a question to the European So there can be no telling, for the moment,
Regulation No 1408/71 of court: Do tax levies on when this whole social contributions
14 June 1971 on the claim for repayment income from assets have, repayment issue is going to be resolved.
application of social by virtue of the mere fact Probably by the end of this year if the French
security schemes to employed persons and that they contribute to the financing of government accepts the de Ruyter judgment.
their families moving within the Community compulsory French social security schemes, a Not for another year or two if they decide to
(now called the Union). Article 4 says that the direct and relevant link with some of the wait for another European judgment.
regulation applies to sickness and maternity branches of Social Security listed in Article 4 Even so, you should note that if you paid the
benefits, invalidity benefits, old age benefits of Regulation 1408/71? social contributions in 2014, you have, under
i.e. pensions, survivors’ benefits, benefits in To simplify, the question was whether French law as most safely interpreted, until the
respect of accidents at work and occupational income from an investment was to be treated end of this year 2015 to lodge a claim for
diseases, death grants, unemployment benefits in the same way as income from employment repayment, even if the French tax
and family benefits. or from a self-employed business activity. administration takes longer than that to make
The European Union held that the answer to up its mind. This point is most important. Be
Single member state the question is yes because “it is not in dispute wary and make sure that your application for
The general scheme and purpose of Regulation that the proceeds of those levies are allocated repayment is lodged in time.
1408 is that a worker can move from country specifically and directly to the financing of I had better add that if you paid in 2013 you
to country within the European Union on the certain branches of social security in France”. can still have a go because under French law
basis that the contributions that he pays in Hence the court ruled that “those levies as unsafely interpreted, the deadline might be
each country get totted up such that they are therefore have a direct and sufficiently two calendar years, not one calendar year,
taken into account when he makes a claim in relevant link with the legislation governing the from the year of payment. ■
the country where he is living at the time of branches of social security listed in Article 4 of
the claim. Regulation No 1408/71 irrespective of the Sean O’Connor is a bilingual solicitor
Crucially, and most important, Article 13 of absence of a link between the income from Tel: 01732 365378
the regulation lays down the general principle assets of taxable persons and the pursuit of a seanoconnor.co.uk

Q A ASK THE EXPERTS
&
Need advice? Put your problems to our panel
Make the most of stone walls and exposed beams
Building feature period beams. Insulating and
blocks in plasterboarding between them can bring out

more of the character of the beams and also
give you additional insulation. A laser should be
Brittany used to ensure a perfectly level ceiling when

plasterboarding between the beams, and even
if the beams vary in depth the overall finish will
look superb. If you intend to vault the ceilings it
I
have recently bought a small property in is wise to follow the RT2012 regulations for
Brittany which requires complete insulation. Sometimes less is more, and
renovation, and while it needs exposing the A-frames and not the purlins will
modernisation I’m very keen to preserve as inevitably give you more insulation and comfort
much of its original character as possible. without losing any of the character of the
How would I achieve this? building. You could also consider painting the
David King beams to lighten a room.
The walls are normally constructed from
Matthew Chalk of MC Renovation stone and can be pointed in different traditional
(mc-renovation.com) replies: styles, or rendered to a gentle sponge finish
There are many ways to modernise your house with lime and sand. That is not to say that you
in Brittany without losing its character, and can’t insulate and plasterboard the walls – you
these are just a few examples to help you get could draw attention to a fireplace or window
started. Traditionally, Breton houses are quite by returning the plasterboard just short of the
dark inside so start by thinking about light feature, for example, and really frame it to great
sources, either from new window and door effect. Plasterboarding also allows you to create
openings, or additional electrical lighting placed niches and add discreet hidden lighting. The
in key positions to pick out features, such as a only thing limiting you is your imagination.
single granite stone set in a lime-rendered wall. Having just one feature pointed wall can have a
When it comes to the floor you have a huge impact and look superb against the
number of choices, from the more traditional contrast of a contemporary plastered stud wall.
terracotta tomette tiles to oak flooring. If at all possible, try to retain and enhance the
Whichever one you choose, if pre-planned it can key features in the building, such as fireplaces,
accommodate modern underfloor heating if walls, as can laminate flooring, but this does staircases or stone door surrounds. You should
desired and look both traditional and depend greatly on the skill of the artisan doing also check what you can remove and what you
contemporary. Even an ultra-modern style of tile the work. cannot with the local mairie before undertaking
can look great against the contrast of ancient The ceilings in many Breton houses often the work.
Inheritance and disinheritance

M
y partner and I intend to marry soon Sarah Bogard of Furley Page Solicitors that he wants the internal laws of his country
and buy a property in France. We (furleypage.co.uk) replies: of nationality to apply instead. You may know
understand something of the French Currently French law dictates the distribution that English law gives you testamentary
law that enables children to have a claim to on death of property interests situated in freedom to choose the beneficiaries of your
part of the parent’s estate. France, no matter where you live. The general estate on death. There are still some
Due to actions of my 27-year-old son I have concept of French law is that you cannot uncertainties in the interpretation of this new
disinherited him from my will, and at this disinherit your children, although some regulation where there is a connection with the
stage I would wish all of my estate (after my property ownership structures can bypass UK, because the UK has opted out of it.
wife’s time, subject to whoever dies first) to children or delay their inheritance.
go to my 22-year-old daughter, respecting my Having said this, a new EU regulation will Residency
partner/wife’s wishes as well. apply to estates from 17 August 2015, and the How – or if – the regulation applies will depend
We understand that the notaire can make default position will be that the succession and to some extent upon where you are resident.
provision for such circumstances at the time estate administration laws of the country of a If you live in the UK and you are of British
of purchase of a property. Have we deceased’s last habitual residence will apply to nationality, then you should be able to avoid
understood this correctly? the worldwide estate. the fixed inheritance rights of children under
Name supplied A testator will have the option to declare French law, thereby disinheriting your son. It is

GET IN TOUCH!
Ask your questions about French property or life
in France...
Email: vicky.leigh@archant.co.uk or write to:
Vicky Leigh, FPN, Cumberland House, Oriel Road,
Cheltenham GL50 1BB. Alternatively, you can post
your question on our Facebook page
UK borrowing costs have been at record lows

Have we for more than five years, but the extent of the
UK’s economic recovery and erosion of slack in
areas like the labour market have prompted
missed our many industry experts to bet that the BoE can’t
hold off hiking rates for much longer.
Higher borrowing costs, or even the prospect
moment? of interest rates being raised, would keep the

pound supported. That being said, the euro
could recoup losses if the ECB’s QE scheme
drives the eurozone’s own recovery forward.
M
y wife and I are looking to transfer surprise outright win for the Conservative party, If you’ve got a large currency transfer coming
our savings to France from our UK a pickup in key commodity prices and the up and are concerned about missing out on a
bank account. We noticed that the prospect of a Greek exit from the eurozone favourable GBP/EUR exchange rate, you may
GBP/EUR exchange rate hit a seven-year high pushed the pound back to the 1.41 level in May. want to get in touch with a currency broker to
in March but later fell from these levels. Have In the months ahead sterling’s bullish run could talk through your options. As recent
we missed out on the best exchange rate of continue if UK ecostats print positively and keep developments have shown, the currency market
the year? the Bank of England (BoE) on track to increase is highly volatile and keeping track of trends can
Peter Gibbons interest rates in the first half of 2016. be time-consuming. Some brokers will eliminate
this hassle by monitoring the market for you
Laura Parsons of TorFX (torfx.com) replies: and keeping you abreast of the latest
If you’ve been monitoring the pound sterling to If you’ve got a large movements with regular updates.
euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate you will have They may also offer you the option of fixing a
noticed that the pairing has experienced currency transfer coming favourable exchange rate for up to two years in
considerable volatility this year. advance of a trade, so you can secure a rate
The GBP/EUR exchange rate closed out 2014
up and are concerned when the market’s at a high point and safeguard
trading in the region of 1.2876, but surged to a
seven-year high of 1.4158 back in March due to
about missing out on your funds from any negative shifts.
An added bonus of using a currency broker to
a number of factors. The Swiss National Bank’s
(SNB) scrapping of its cap with the euro
a favourable GBP/EUR manage your transfer, rather than a bank, is that
you could secure an exchange rate up to 3%
undermined demand for the common currency
in January and the euro fell further still after the
exchange rate, you may stronger and avoid paying transfer fees and
commission costs, which could potentially save
European Central Bank (ECB) introduced want to get in touch with you thousands.
quantitative easing (QE) in March. When picking a broker, look for one that is
Although global deflation and political a currency broker to talk authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority
uncertainty drove the GBP/EUR pairing lower in and operates segregated client accounts to
the run up to the UK General Election, the you through your options ensure fund security.
important to note that the regulation makes no you dies the survivor becomes the sole owner this structure creates joint ownership with the
change to inheritance tax. of the property, and therefore your children child/children.
You are likely to want to avoid a direct would not inherit. I would mention that under English law,
transfer of assets from your partner/wife to your However, if your partner/wife then leaves the marriage automatically revokes a will unless
own child as this would attract a rate of 60% on property to your daughter, the inheritance tax you have made the will declaring that it is in
almost all of her inheritance. You also want to rate of 60% will apply. Also, this may not help if contemplation of your marriage. If you do
be very careful about including French assets in your wife dies before you. nothing you may find that you are intestate
a trust structure as this may have a detrimental Another option is to make use of the usufruit after you marry, and the application of
tax impact in France. structure, to give the survivor of you and your intestacy laws may not accord with your
If you are to be habitually resident in France wife the right to continue using the property intentions for the distribution of your estate.
you will need advice on your specific following the survivor’s death, but with it The key points here are the importance of
circumstances to ascertain the extent to which ultimately being for the benefit of the next getting detailed advice on the property
French law may apply to your estate and generation. ownership options for you both and also the
prevent you from disinheriting your son. One Again, thought must be given to the application of inheritance tax and succession
way to exclude your son’s inheritance rights inheritance tax consequences, and whether laws – your residence status and your
might be to buy the property en tontine there could be any conflict between your wife nationality will have an impact on the
between you and your partner. When one of and your family that would cause problems, as succession advice you get.

FRANCE PROPERTY SHOP There
This month’s visit to our market-leading French property website are
13,560
properties on
the
site and
201
Spotlight on: in Finistère
Save or spree Finistère

in Dordogne Properties here currently on
France Property Shop
Save: €99,000
Ideal as a lock-up- ■ Up to €100,000 157%
and-leave holiday ■ €101,000 - €200,000 124%
home, this one- ■ €201,000 - €300,000 38%
bedroom wooden ■ €301,000 - €400,000 20%
bungalow is just ■ €401,000 - €600,000 7%
42km from Bergerac ■ €601,000 plus 14%
airport, making it easy to pop over for regular
occupying the western-most
O
visits. This bijou property might be small but it’s including langoustines, oysters and fish
perfectly formed, with a corner of France, Finistère available in the markets and restaurants.
garden covering 1,900m2, translates literally as ‘end of the Traditional Breton crêpes and their
a swimming pool and a earth’ and is similar to the Cornish name savoury equivalent galettes, made using
shed also included in the for Land’s End. The department is home to buckwheat flour with all manner of fillings,
asking price. The riverside 1,200km of coast, which accounts for are not to be missed either.
market town of Le Bugue almost a quarter of the entire Brittany
is 6km away. coastline, meaning there are plenty of Fun fact
Ref: 340840 beaches, rugged inlets and busy fishing Finistère is where Breton survives most
ports to explore. There are plenty of lively strongly as a spoken language.
Spree: €690,000 towns to visit too, including Morlaix, Brest
Located on the and Quimper. Access
outskirts of Bergerac, – By air: there are seasonal flights from
this spacious stone- Capital: Quimper London to Quimper and year-round flights
built property is set in Quimper gets its name from the Breton from the UK to Brest
over six acres of land word kemper meaning confluent, which – By train: There are TGV stations in Brest,
and has been fully refers to the junction of two rivers, the Morlaix, Quimper and Rosporden
renovated, yet still Steir and the Odet. Not only is the town – By sea: there are ferries to Roscoff from
retains plenty of original character. The house the administrative capital of the Finistère Plymouth, Cork and Rosslare
has three bedrooms and the large window over department, it is also often regarded as
the stairs offers lovely views of the surroundings. the cultural heart of the Brittany region. Climate
The attractive grounds include a stream, spring The ancient capital of Cornouaille, – Average annual temperature (Quimper):
and fishpond, and Quimper has a distinctive Breton character 8.4°C/15.3°C
there are several which is celebrated every year during the – Average annual rainfall: 1,250.2mm
shaded terrace areas Festival de Cornouaille. – Average annual sunshine hours: 1,683.8
too. A barn and other
outbuildings are also Highlights Property prices
part of the sale. Named after a revered Irishman who Brittany region – €148,300
Ref: 335667 settled there, medieval Locronan is Finistère department – €136,000
designated as both a petite cité de Finistère is the second cheapest Brittany
SPEND LESS THAN €100,000 caractère and a Plus Beau Village. Offshore department after Côtes-d’Armor and is
islands such as Ouessant and Île de Batz divided into four sectors:
On the market for can be accessed by ferry from the • Chateaulin – €95,000
€99,950, this mainland and are well worth a visit, while • Morlaix – €110,000
detached house in the Parc d’Armorique extends across • Quimper – €145,000
Mayenne, central Finistère and is home to colonies • Brest – €151,400
Pays-de-la-Loire, of grey seals, dolphins and numerous
has three seabirds, making it the perfect place for
bedrooms and a nature lovers. The Crozon peninsula is the This three-
pretty garden, and is just a short walk from central feature of Finistère’s jagged bedroom
the village boulangerie. The market town of coastline and is one of the most scenic cottage is just
Gorron is also nearby, while the ferry port in spots in the region. a five-minute
St-Malo and the airport in Dinard are both 90 walk from the
minutes away. Local specialities beach and is
Ref: 335522 With such an expanse of coastline on the for sale for
doorstop this is definitely the place to €194,400
indulge in delicious fresh seafood, Ref: 340979

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The great outdoors

We choose homes that make the very most of France’s long summer days
W
hen the sun is shining
in a bright blue sky
there’s nothing nicer
than having your own private
outside space to enjoy the good
weather in, and this pretty
country house in Charente certainly has
plenty of that.
Set in a plot of around 3,500m2 there is a
courtyard to the front, with garden to both
sides of the drive. One side even has its own
pétanque pitch, so I can just imagine getting
into the spirit of one of France’s favourite
pastimes with a group of friends and a bottle
of rosé or two. With wooded areas and a view
of the neighbouring farmer’s field, the rural
setting makes this the perfect summertime
retreat, and yet the market town of
Châteauneuf-sur-Charente is within walking
distance and has a range of amenities.
On the market for €399,000, the house is a
converted barn (another box ticked for me)
and still has scope for further extension. The
open-plan living room has doors leading out
to the garden, while the dining room has a
double-height ceiling and is overlooked by
the gallery landing on the first floor, where
there are three large bedrooms.
Ref: 337010
Vicky Leigh, Deputy Editor
M
y idea of the perfect
M
outside space has to y jaw fell open when I
include a pool – what a saw this property – and
luxury to be able to swim daily at it ticks the ‘outside space’
home – and at this property in box in more ways than one. With
sunny Dordogne, you’d be able to a spectacular setting in the
do that for much of the year. Haut-Languedoc regional park
The pool is just one of its many and on the market for €737,500,
attributes. Located a two-minute walk from the it comes with nine hectares of its own land
market square of a sought-after medieval including pasture, woodland and a little brook
bastide village, the six-bedroom home offers – attracting everything from butterflies to boar.
180-degree countryside views, which you can Leading out through multiple doors from
enjoy from the large terraces and balconies to the restored eight-bedroom mas is a wonderful
three of the floors. Landscaped gardens extend paved terrace, with ample room for al fresco
to 750m2, and there’s a further 1,200m2 of dining and entertaining, pretty outdoor lights
woodland below. and views that would keep me sitting out all
For sale at €695,000, the property has been day long. When the summer heat starts to sear
lovingly restored, providing spacious, light I’d be the first person in the bassin pool just
interiors throughout, with character features across the lawn, complete with old-fashioned
such as polished wood or terracotta floors, iron water pump – and I’d just have to earmark
stone fireplaces and exposed stone walls, while the second-floor bedroom with balcony as my
the kitchen dining room offers modern own, so I could contentedly survey swathes of
appliances and polished granite work surfaces. green countryside over my morning coffee.
Ref: 327880 Ref: 341713
Karen Tait, Editor Rachel Johnston, Editorial Assistant

FPN EXPERT ADVICE
Grand schemes
With pension changes in April meaning you can now withdraw funds early, David
Anderson runs through the options available to you via this useful case example
Option Takes money out of
A
60-year-old married man with two is accordingly £13,316 per annum (state
6
children has a £600,000 house and pension + lump sum/25). the SIPP and moves
£200,000 in a SIPP (self-invested to France
personal pension). Takes money out of the
He is still working and earns £35,000 per Option SIPP and puts it in the As in option four, but he uses the SIPP money
4
year. He is in good health but is considering to buy a house in France. At the current
his retirement options in view of the pension
bank after leaving exchange rate of say €1.4/£1 he has €238,000
changes which took place on 5 April 2015 and
employment to spend. He sells the house in the UK and buys
are applicable to all persons over 55. Assuming he had stopped work in the tax year two smaller properties for £300,000 each.
He will be entitled to a state pension of no he takes the SIPP money, his tax liability will These each rent for £800 per month after all
less than £7,716.80 per year from his 65th be about £50,000. expenses, i.e. £19,200 per annum. His income
birthday in 2020. His planning is based on him This means he is left with £150,000, which now is £26,916 per annum (state pension +
living to about 85 years old. is £6,000 over 25 years. His total income, rental income).
Below you will find the different options assuming he lives to 85, is £13,716. He He has the option at say 70 of selling one of
open to him. It should be noted that continues to live in his house. the rental properties which gives him
throughout each one I have not given any £300,000/15 = £20,000 per annum of extra
account to inflation, price rises or taxation. money through until the age of 85. He then has
Reminder ions’ annual money of £37,316.80 (state pension +
Under the ‘Freedom and Choice in Pens
Option Traditional route h came into effect in April 2015, £20,000 + rent from one property).
1
refor m, whic
and He could sell the other property later if
you will have greater choice about how
He could take a tax-free lump certain needed, or keep it in case he needs to move
when you can take your benefits from
sum of 25% of the fund, which is r the back to the UK.
types of pension arrangements. Unde
in your
£50,000, and an annuity based on the balance new rules, you can take all the money
of £150,000. sum or as
pension pot as a one- off lump Option Takes money out of the
7
Assuming he lives until he is 85, the £50,000 several lump sum payments. SIPP and buys leaseback
will
would amount to £50,000/25 = £2,000 per For UK residents, 25% of each amount
annum. The annuity he is likely to get is the bala nce will be
be paid tax free and As in option four, but he uses the
rate.
£7,000 per annum. This means he would have subject to income tax at the marginal SIPP money to buy a leaseback in France for
can take adva ntag e of the
per annum a total of £16,716 (state pension + French residents €210,000 (£150,000 @ £1 = €1.4) taking the
are
lump sum + annuity). new flexibility and providing that you maximum own use entitlement of say eight
the Fren ch incom e tax syste m, it
He continues to live in his house. Income registered in weeks, and stays UK resident. He sells his main
tax
will become a problem later on with inflation is possible to claim exemption from UK home and buys a £300,000 house to live in and
the UK
but he could move to a smaller house or under the double-tax treaty between a £300,000 buy-to-let.
release some equity later on. and France The leaseback should yield say £5,800 per
annum and the buy-to-let £9,600. This means
Option Traditional route plus he has an income of £23,116 (state pension +
2
Takes money out of the UK rent + leaseback rent).
UK buy-to-let Option SIPP and puts it in the
5
There is a need in this option to ensure the
He could also sell his main bank plus buy-to-let leaseback company is financially strong. ■
residence and buy two properties each worth
£300,000 and rent one and live in the If he sells his house and buys two houses for David Anderson is a solicitor advocate and chartered
otherThis will provide him with an additional £300,000 each, and then lives in one house tax adviser at Sykes Anderson Perry Limited
rental income of say £9,000 per annum. His and rents the other, he will increase his income Tel: 020 3794 5959
total annual income would then be £25,716 by £9,600. saplaw.co.uk
per annum.
Takes money out of the SIPP and

puts it in the bank Summary
Option while still working Option 1 £16,716 Simple; stay in house and benefit from future UK house price rises.
3
Option 2 £26,316 Simple; extra income but have to move to a smaller UK house. Could
He could take the money out of sell the buy-to-let property to release capital later on.
the SIPP. As before, £50,000 is Option 3 £13,316 Expensive tax-wise; flexibility to use the money and stay in house
tax-free. Option 4 £13,716 Expensive tax-wise; flexibility to use the money and stay in house
The balance of £150,000 will be taxed as his Option 5 £23,316 Expensive tax-wise; have to move to a smaller house
income and as he has a salary of £35,000 Option 6 £26,916 Expensive tax-wise; lifestyle change with exchange rate benefit.
about £60,000 tax will be payable. This leaves Keeps all options open including a return to the UK
him with £140,000 net which is £5,600 per Option 7 £23,116 Expensive tax-wise; no lifestyle change but two months of free
annum over 25 years. holidays per year
The money he has (assuming he lives to 85)

JOIE de VIVRE
Enhance your life and home and experience the joy of French living
ON IS
TH
M TH
88 Food & drink: dining out

We review two must-visit restaurants in Limousin and
the Loire Valley
90 Interiors: shabby chic

Distressed, bleached, faded: get the antique look
without the price tag
91 Reviews
Two stories set in southern France and a stunning
tome for your table
92 French lessons
Put your language skills to the test with our
entertaining puzzles
93 Your photos
Celebrating life and times in France through your own
camera lens
94 Rural riddles
The answers to all your pastoral problems from our
countryside expert
Restaurant La Treille Muscate © Laurence Ogiela
FPN FOOD & DRINK
#11 Mirazur, Menton

30, avenue Aristide
# 47
Tel:
Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée
25, avenue Montaigne, 75008 Paris
0033 (0)1 53 67 65 00
Briand,
Le Châteaubria nd, Paris
e #Tel:2001
06500 Menton
in
en r, 75011 Paris
W
tie
Tel: 0033 (0)4 92 41
86 86 129, avenue Parm
33 (0)1 43 57 45 95
#12
7500 7 Pa
L’Arpège, Paris,
84, rue de Varenne
ris
Tel: 0033 (0)1 47 05
09 06
and d ine
With five of the country’s restaurants making it into the World’s 50 Best for 2015, there’s never been a better
reason to dine out en France. Here are our delicious findings from trips to the Loire and Limousin
#
75
36 L’Astrance, Paris
4, rue Beethoven,
016 Paris
Tel: 0033 (0)1 40 50
84 40
Restaurant L’Etape Gourmande, Villandry

I
f you’re looking for countryside calm and cottagey feel, with uneven stone walls and
a cuisine showcasing quality local chintzy curtains. My starter of an egg
ingredients in the Loire Valley, this poached at 63° was exquisite, paired with
restaurant should be top of your list. It asparagus velouté and plenty of warm
forms part of La Giraudière, a working farm crusty bread for dipping. A fillet of pollock
dating from the 17th century and set at the followed, served with chorizo and spelt and
edge of Villandry, a mere kilometre from beautiful little confit vegetables.
the eponymous château and gardens. As ever, choosing a dessert required much
Owner of 35 years Béatrice de discussion with my companions but I
Montferrier greeted us in person and, as we eventually plumped for the tarte tatin
sipped kir apéritifs, she explained that the révisitée, a playful, topsy-turvy take on the
restaurant came about by chance, after a classic French favourite which came with a
passer-by asked if she could enjoy the goats’ scoop of gingerbread ice cream. The wine
cheeses she had bought from Béatrice’s list was extensive, with most offerings from
roadside stall in the shade of the farm’s nearby Bourgeuil, Chinon or Saumur – and
mulberry trees. This sparked the idea to justifiably so.
make full use of both the tranquil setting Rachel Johnston
and the delicious produce and, together
with her daughter Alexandra, Béatrice L’Etape Gourmande
opened L’Etape Gourmande in 1990. 37510 Villandry
This ancient building has retained its Tel: 00 33 (0)2 47 50 08 60
character and has a delightfully rustic, letapegourmande.com
Restaurant La Treille Muscate, Uzerche

L
ocated in the heart of the medieval using fresh local produce. To start, I opted
town of Uzerche in Corrèze, Limousin, for the local delicacy foie gras accompanied
La Treille Muscate restaurant in the by toasted brioche and chutney while my
Hotel Joyet de Maubec is a real treat. companion chose crunchy asparagus with
Transformed from a tax office into a stylish ham and salad. For the main course we both
and charming concern by French owners had rolled chicken, deliciously moist and
Daniel and Thierry, the building has a served alongside creamy mashed potato and
warm and welcoming atmosphere. fresh vegetables.
In the summer guests can enjoy their Dessert was a difficult choice – chocolate
meal on the terrace with views of Uzerche or strawberry? We both opted for the latter,
and the River Vézère below, but, as the which turned out to be a finger of sponge
evening had a slight chill, we ate in the topped with mascarpone and fresh
restaurant from where we could admire the strawberries and accompanied by rhubarb
interiors. An old pram has been given a sorbet. Full to bursting, we settled down to
new lease of life as a wine trolley and a petit café only to find it was served with
photos of the family who once owned this three mini cakes – but we managed to find a
16th-century building line the walls, space for them!
contrasting with the minimalist decor. Emma Rawle
We started our meal with a glass of
champagne to celebrate the hotel’s first Hôtel Joyet de Maubec, Place des Vignerons
anniversary and tucked into the basket of 19140 Uzerche
freshly baked bread as our hosts talked us Tel: 00 33 (0)5 55 97 20 60
through the set menu with all dishes made hotel-joyet-maubec.com/la-treille-muscate

FPN INTERIORS
Pack of 20 floral ‘heart and craft’ pegs with

aged finish
£5.99, dibor.co.uk
Not too
Decorative distressed birdcage,
92 x 63 cm
shabby
£275, alexanderandpearl.co.uk
Large elm dresser in aged

aquamarine, 226 x 190 x 52 cm
£1,235, sweetpeaandwillow.com
Our pick of distressed

wood, pastel tones and faded florals
provide plenty of antique chic
Double cotton
voile quilt in pale sage
with Tree of Life design
£110, lamaisonbleue.co.uk
Recycled elm and timber headboard for

queen- or king-sized bed, 170cm wide Top: ‘Hérault’ tripartite mirror,
£495, frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk 100 x 104 cm, £210
Bottom: Distressed rouge ‘Louise’
mirror, 71 x 97 cm, £165.90
la-maison-chic.co.uk
Vintage floral
cutlery tray in aged
tin, 34 x 36 x 7 cm
£24.95, melodymaison.co.uk
Compiled by Rachel Johnston
Shabby turquoise salle de bain sign

£11.99, distinctivelyfrench.com ‘Coteaux de la Loire’ wall clock
£12.99, distinctivelyfrench.com
‘Versailles’ gold console
table with marble top, 80cm high
Follow our interiors board: Pinterest.com/frenchpropnews/interiors
£672, frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk

REVIEWS
Two stories set in southern France and a stunning tome for your table
INTERIORS NOVEL
Pierre Frey: Inspiring Interiors The Ghosts of Maraval
Serge Gleizes and Philippe Garcia, £40, Abrams, ISBN 978-1617691591 Siobhan Fraser, £12.99, Albury Books,
ISBN 978-1910571323
“We are not decorators, and it is not for us to create the perfect setting – but
to instinctively coordinate fabrics, wallpapers, carpeting and accessories to “Sheila’s mouth fell open as she looked at the
achieve harmonious interiors, explain equivalences, relationships between vast decaying house that dominated the
colours and materials that have meaning... ultimately, our work is a form courtyard, three storeys and a high sharp
of alchemy.” – Patrick Frey Périgord roof, with a tower to one side peering
over the valley and beyond. Wide stone steps,
A
nyone with an interest in interiors will be agog at the mention of worn by the patina of ages, climbed to a
Pierre Frey which, since 1935, has been designing and balcony, its roof hanging at an angle over a
manufacturing some of the most coveted wallpaper and textiles in wide oak door. The shutters were closed. Vines
the world. With its head office at 47 rue des Petits-Champs in Paris, it had run amok, their invasive tendrils hanging
remains a family enterprise guided by Patrick Frey and his sons and is a and twisting in every crack.”
true ambassador of French taste.
A
Inspiring Interiors is a book to treasure, stuffed full of sumptuous fter losing his arm in a motorbike accident – as well as his flat,
fabrics, rugs and upholstery brought to life by fashion photographer fiancée and place in the rugby team – Jack wanders into a
Philippe Garcia. There are intimate shots peeping through silk curtains property show and buys a derelict farmhouse in south-west France
into luxurious drawing rooms, studio portraits showing a table scattered on an impulse. Maraval is a secret place with no water, electricity or
with snakes of ribbon, cotton reels and multicoloured offcuts, and phone signal, and the woods are full of spirits past, watching out for the
close-ups of the exquisite detail of a new wallpaper design. But it’s not all future of the house. As the story unfolds, these spirits seemingly take
visual: this is a rich historical account of Pierre over Jack’s life at Maraval and, on the last day in July, an attempt to install
Frey’s beginnings and growth, as well as a running water brings unforeseen consequences to all.
fascinating look behind the scenes at how the This is a début novel for Siobhan Fraser, an Irish-born artist now based
age-old traditions of weaving, embossing and in Oxford, who first started writing for her children and created
embroidery are continued by the company’s illustrated, hand-bound books to read to them. She has lived in France on
skilled artisans today – all in the words of and off for over 40 years and has a palpable love of the country and its
journalist Serge Gleizes. people, something that shines through in this story.
The book also includes some astounding Fraser’s imagination clearly knows no bounds; The Ghosts of Maraval
figures. Did you know that 150 rolls of Pierre has an enormous cast list of colourful characters to get your teeth into,
Frey wallpaper are printed every four minutes, and some wonderfully descriptive passages that pull you into the book
or that 8,570 metres of yarn are required to and keep the pages keenly turning. Despite the cover it’s more Harry
weave a metre-long piece of its fabric? A Potter on holiday than spooky horror, weaving together personal tragedy
beautiful addition to your coffee table – but with love, humour and mystery – and the writing
WIN!
one to be read rather than simply admired. is full of flair.
We have 5 copies of
Picnic in Provence to
MEMOIR give away.
To be in with a chance
Picnic in Provence Now with a baby on the way, Bard and husband of winning, visit
Elizabeth Bard, £8.99, Summersdale, Gwendal take one final holiday à deux before two completefrance.com/
community-forum to ent
ISBN 978-1-84953-700-1 become three, to the Provence of the title of her latest er the
competition. The closin
book. Arriving in Céreste, an hour east of Avignon, for a g
date for entries is
“It’s impossible to say exactly what moved us. Some heady 10-day stay, the couple have “no intentions beyond a few
18 August 2015
combination of the history, the baby – not to mention those days of sun”.
first strawberries. It took only a moment for the absurd to Of course as many will know, Provence has the ability
become the obvious. This is where we would live the next to cast a pretty magical spell. By the end of a holiday full
chapter of our lives.” of exploring and picnicking, they’ve decided to swap
Paris for the south of France. The move leads to a career
Eating in France has a lot to answer for. A lunch in Paris change too, as they embark on a new adventure running
changed American journalist and author Elizabeth Bard’s an artisan ice cream shop.
life forever, and a picnic in Provence has changed it all Replicating the format of Lunch in Paris, Picnic in
over again. In her first novel Lunch in Paris, she shared the Provence is interspersed with a mouth-watering selection
story of how she fell in love with a Frenchman and set up of recipes, many of which include a handy tip at the end.
home in the world’s most romantic city. They both Served up with wit, humour and a generous helping of
thought that was where the story ended, but life, as is so ice cream, this thoroughly enjoyable book offers
often the case, had other ideas. sunshine on a plate in more ways than one.

FRENCH LESSONS
Put your French to the test and have fun with our puzzles
C M J V N W E A Z E L E C R
Common knowledge Wordsearch B H Y A U R L G S J N D O H
Work out the word that links Find the departments
these groups together, plus of these French towns O J K R E T S U B R H X I T
their English translations and villages, all U I B S P H E R A U L T P Y
mentioned in this issue
1. ~ glacée, ~ fouettée, ~ fraîche C P I Q D B A M L C D P R B
La Souterraine
épaisse, ~ au beurre, ~ antirides (Limousin) H M Z E R G O C F R B H E J
......................................................................................... Bordeaux (Aquitaine) E C O I H M I G E O P R S L
La Roche-Bernard S E A R T S L R A K V P U J
(Brittany)
2. ~ à chapeau, ~ à cheveux,
Montpellier D Q L R B Y J Z O R J G E P
~ de cravate, ~ de sûreté
(Languedoc-Roussillon) U W T E C I U F E N D O R E
......................................................................................... St-Tropez (PACA) R G M N O F H C G C D P C S
Beaumont-de-Lomagne
(Midi-Pyrénées)
H Y O I M S A A E Y B E M G
3. ~ absorbant, ~ par avion,
~ d’emballage, ~ peint, ~ de soie Sacy O R R J Y E R F N A M E C T
(Champagne-Ardenne) N T A R N E T G A R O N N E
......................................................................................... Marseille (PACA)
E I C A P J S I F W S C O S
La grammaire
Match each word category with the
Les conjugaisons appropriate example
Find the correct forms of the conjonction celle
following verbs in the tense given
préposition parlé
je..................................................(partir, perfect)
adjectif possessif Antoine
tu.........................................(manquer, present)
participe passé devant
il...................................................(casser, future)
pronom démonstratif notre
nous........................................(tenir, pluperfect)
nom propre car
vous................................(parler, future perfect)
elles..................................(vendre, conditional) Les expressions
de liaison
Match these French link phrases
with their English meanings
1. d’autre part
Le courrier électronique: êtes-vous connecté? 2. certes
Do you know what these French email and internet terms mean?
3. autrement dit
un arobase .................................................................... un signet ...................................................................
4. bien que
faire suivre .................................................................... naviguer.....................................................................
a. in other words
une liste de diffusion ................................................ télécharger ...............................................................
b. moreover
notre; participe passé = parlé; pronom démonstratif = celle; nom propre = Antoine Les expressions de liaison: 1 = b; 2 = d; 3 = a; 4 = c
un signet = bookmark; naviguer = to browse; télécharger = to download La grammaire: conjonction = car; préposition = devant; adjectif possessif = c. although
tenu; vous aurez parlé; elles vendraient Le courrier électronique: un arobase = ‘@’ sign; faire suivre = to forward; une liste de diffusion = mailing list;
(paper) (kitchen paper, airmail paper, wrapping paper, wallpaper, tissue paper) Les conjugaisons: je suis parti; tu manques; il cassera; nous avions
(cream) (ice cream, whipped cream, double cream, buttercream, anti-wrinkle cream); 2 = épingle (pin) (hatpin, hair pin, tie pin, safety pin); 3 = papier
d. admittedly
ANSWERS: Wordsearch: Creuse; Gironde; Morbihan; Hérault; Var; Tarn-et-Garonne; Marne; Bouches-du-Rhône Common knowledge: 1 = crème

YOUR PHOTOS Send your pics
We love seeing your photos of France.
If you would like to share them with us,
then email: rachel.johnston@archant.co.uk
or post to: Rachel Johnston, FPN, Cumberland
The best photo will win a year’s free subscription House, Oriel Road, Cheltenham GL50 1BB.
to French Property News
ST★R
1 PHOTO
2
We always enjoy looking at your photos of France, so if

something catches your eye while you’re holidaying or
househunting then we’d love you to share it with us!
1. This month’s winning photo pots in the porch outside his house in
was taken by Chris Bradley of the Lot-et-Garonne
16th-century church at St-Aubin-des-
Chaumes near Vézelay, Burgundy 4. Paul Fildes stayed at the impressive
19th-century Château St-Martial in
2. Paul Camp test-drove this iconic Jarnac, home to a prominent cognac
E-type Jaguar at Un Matin dans les Bois,
a shooting lodge in Nord-Pas-de-Calais 5. Martin Hagen took this stunning
3. Peter Smith captured the silhouettes

from summer sunshine on the plant
shot of the Pyrénées looming above
Marciac, a town in Gers famous for its
jazz festival
3
5
4
RURAL RIDDLES
Jeremy Hobson solves more of your pastoral problems
© Marek Szczepanek/WikimediaCommons
The European
nuthatch On the hoof
We are moving to France and our teenage
son (who speaks good French) has finished
school and is keen to come with us. He
loves horses and has a hankering to become
a farrier. Do you know whether there would
be training available in France or should he
apply for a course in the UK and join us at a
The name fits the bill later date?
Last winter our bird table was
regularly visited by nuthatches but There are farriery colleges in France but,
so far I’ve not been able to discover despite his command of the language, it might
their French name. Can you help? be best for him to train in England with a
farrier and go to college there.
The European nuthatch (Sitta Arguably, the best place is at the
europaea) is known in France by the Herefordshire and Ludlow College (hlcollege.
delightful name of Sittelle torchepot. ac.uk). There are farriers (marechal-ferrant) in
Apparently, the latter part of the name France but it might be difficult to find a
comes from the word torchis which qualified training farrier willing to take him on
roughly translates as the English word as an apprentice.
‘cob’ – the building material made The laws in France regarding shoeing horses British trained farriers can find work in France
from packed mud – and is given to the are not quite as strict as in the UK and some
nuthatch because of its habit of owners see to their own animals. Others use
adapting existing natural holes for hoof boots and self-trim their horses’ feet in farrier in France – and he would certainly not
nesting. It then adds packed mud order to save money as a visit from the farrier be the first British person to do so. We bought
around the entrance until it is the size can be quite expensive. our house from one such person and in the 13
it requires. W. Warde Fowler, a British Having said that, once qualified, it would be years we’ve lived in France, I’ve heard of a
ornithologist of the 19th century, possible for your son to make a living as a handful of others.
travelled much in France and noted in
his book A Year with the Birds (1889)
that nuthatches also used holes as food The laws in France regarding shoeing horses are not as
larders: “The nuthatch will carry away
any number of hard nuts, and store strict as in the UK and some owners see to their own
them up in all sorts of holes and
corners, where they are sometimes animals in order to save money, as a visit from the farrier
found still unbroken.”
can be quite expensive
Lawn and order

Rural Riddles reader John Greenwood tells beneath) before then covering them over.
me of a very successful experiment he’s “Very few weeds grew and those that did
tried this year in his potato plot at his house were easily removed by hand and, when
near Toulouse. walking to remove them, the soil wasn’t
compacted as it was protected by the springy
“As lawn clippings take a long time to rot down mulch. When it came to harvesting the new
in the compost heap, I began dumping and potatoes, all that was necessary was to pull a
spreading them on my garden towards the end four-tined ‘drag’ along the rows and the
of last summer. I put it all on the part of my potatoes came out with ease – and with no
garden where, working a rotation system, I digging required.”
knew I’d be growing potatoes in 2015. In the It sounds a good ‘plan’ as, by the time the
autumn, I added fallen leaves to the mix. new potatoes were harvested, the mulch of
“In early April, I marked out rows and then ‘No-dig’ potato growing can be surprisingly leaves and lawn clippings would have broken
simply went along at appropriate spacing, successful, and Jeremy is tempted to try it himself down somewhat and could be easily rotovated
dropping a seed potato through a scraped-out next season into the soil ready for a crop of winter greens. I
hole in the mulch (and barely into the soil might well try it next season!

GET IN TOUCH!
If you have any ‘rural riddles’ for Jeremy, contact him either by
email: jcjhobson@wanadoo.fr, or via letters sent to the FPN offices.
Jeremy Hobson is a France-based writer who specialises in all country matters
j-c-jeremy-hobson.co.uk
Hatching eggs is a tricky business
Safe and hound Down the hatch

In your June column, the answer to one of is surprising just how quietly and discreetly Why are my hen eggs not hatching?
your riddles was accompanied by a photo of they can slip away. I’ve a new and very obviously virile
a wild boar. We know they are in our area Apart from when grazing and rootling about cockerel running with them but not
but we’ve never seen one as close as the one in farm crops (maize is a particular favourite), one of the eggs we placed in a small
in your photo. They look formidable; are they much prefer the safety of woodland cover incubator produced chicks.
they any danger to us or to our dogs when and are adept at staying in there even when
out walking? pursued by a pack of hounds. Sometimes male chickens can be
The greatest danger of possible attack (and infertile even though they are seen
Theoretically, yes, but in practice, wild boar it is more likely to be a worry to an inquisitive mating with the hens; this is, however,
(as with most animals) will always choose the dog than to its owner) is if anything should not all that common unless it is a very
flight rather than fight option when it comes come between a sow and its piglets – but young cockerel.
to encounters with humans. Most often, if again, given the option, a sow would much You don’t mention how long the
alerted to your presence by their sense of prefer to take her youngsters out of danger cock bird had been running with the
smell, boar will wander quietly off on your altogether than fight and risk injury to herself hens before you incubated their eggs.
approach. Considering their size and weight, it or them. A male should run with the flock for at
least a fortnight in order to ensure that
his sperm has fertilised the eggs in the
hen’s ovaries.
It may be that while the eggs were
fertilised, it was a problem with the
incubator that caused none to hatch.
The correct temperature and humidity
is important and the incubator’s
instruction manual should be followed
to the letter (incubators vary and it is
impossible to generalise on their
appropriate management).
Storing fertilised eggs prior to
incubating is also important: lay them
on their sides, turn them each day and
keep them in a cool place (not the
fridge!) where temperatures do not
fluctuate. Finally, the age of eggs
before being set in the incubator has
some bearing on their hatchability –
but not all would fail to hatch as in
It’s best not to get in the path of a galloping boar your case.
The two ivy leagues

We have ivy on our trees and on the walls of dead, brown-leaved ivy still attached to a
an outbuilding. Our French neighbour often mature tree.
tells us to pull it off as it will kill the trees However, ivy is underrated as an essential
and damage the mortar of the building. plant for both birds and insects. Its evergreen
However, a recent visitor from the UK says nature affords a roosting place for birds during
we should leave it as it provides a valuable cold winter nights and is also a place of
home for wildlife. semi-hibernation to insects that have survived
the autumn.
Both are correct! Ivy roots and tendrils will Ivy flowers provide a rich source of pollen
work their way into the dry mortar of old while the subsequent berries, which will not be
buildings and eventually cause damage. It will fully formed until the early spring of the
also restrict the growth of some trees coming year, are taken and enjoyed by many
(particularly young ones) – which is why, when bird species. They are not poisonous to birds
it has taken hold, most foresters will chop it at and are particularly precious at a time of year Ivy can choke a tree or hedgerow
the root – and is the reason one sometimes sees when there is little else about.

FPN Classified To advertise call our advertising department on 01242 216099
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TWO DETACHED €360,000 COULONGES SUR L’AUTIZE CHARENTE

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Full details with photos TYPICAL PROVENCALE VILLA IN DROME
Haras is a magnificent fully renovated
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Vendée: Cycle to Beach www.frenchgitesale.com Living space: 125m2, Total ground: 1000m2.
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In quiet village with all shops Terrace south facing. Swimming pool. Price: 750,000 euros 535 000 €
110,000 euros Contact 01822 611320 or To view go to www.harasfrance.com Phone: +33 (0)5 45 98 24 95
NO agency calls please
vendeehouse@outlook.com salussw@hotmail.co.uk Contact: trish@millsinternet.com Tel 0033 (0) 549171902 www.gites-for-sale.com
SAINTE MAXIME £195,000

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Enchanting wood home on half

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Comfortable holiday home in attractive
MAINE ET LOIRE
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Comprising 1/2 bedrooms, living room, setting with shared pool and tennis court, Freehold privately owned Beautifully renovated (2004) 3
second bedroom, utility room, large garage, French doors to large balcony, fitted close to beaches and town. Beautiful views Excellent Investment Opportunity bedroomed detached house with
outbuildings, parking, quiet but not isolated, kitchen with wood burner, bathroom. across hillside and vineyards from sunny Recently refurbished ensuites, huge kitchen/diner, all
Pons 10mins, beaches 40mins, Insulated attic could provide more full width balcony with two tables. Spacious 1st Floor Apartment
Bordeaux a/port 1hr. bedrooms, full size cellar. amenities, plus mains drainage; approx
sitting/dining room, two bedrooms, bathroom Living Room,Kitchen,Bathroom
All mains services. and separate toilet. Kitchen. Parking. Double Bedroom,Terrace 2500 sq ft, fully furnished; with
€130,000
T: 0033 7 88 27 51 97 outbuildings, garage and ample parking.
Price €49,950 324,000€ | Tel: 01296 614626 T: 07734 792616
E: andrew.sutherland@orange.fr Tel: 0191 4217093 m.dagg@sky.com No agents please E: iainrace@btinternet.com www.bargainhouseinfrance.com
MODERN VILLA AT
JOYEUSE, ARDÈCHE
Traditional village house near

Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, lounge, Chablis, northern Burgundy
dining room, kitchen, TV room, laundry room, Village House in Melisey. Located in
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elevated position with exceptional
VILLA & WOODLAND
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It stands in grounds of just under 3 acres. 4 bedroom villa with pool, set in private
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www.villa-avendre-laboulou.com
LOT(nearVALLEY
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BRITTANY 22 HOUSE Lower Normandy (61)
Property with Land and Income
DOMUS ABROAD
Spacious 3 bed family home with private FRENCH PROPERTIES WANTED
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We specialise in marketing properties to international clients.
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large lake tourist attraction nearby. Viewing highly recommended
Contact Benita Thomas Phone +33 (0) 233 38 60 04 for details
0033 5 65 21 63 60 €145,000 email: nicky@webvivant.com
benitaandoscar@outlook.com Michael (UK) 0118 9874325 www.arankinfrance.co.uk ref: 3766601

To advertise call our advertising department on 01242 216099 Classified FPN
PROPERTY FOR SALE
When you have

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magazine please SANCERRE
Beautifully restored Longere in a peaceful hamlet 5
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T. 0033248790695
E. richludlam@aol.com
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4 bedrooms, sitting room, dining room,
7 rue du Château 47410 Lauzun
£125,000 INCLUDING PLOT large kitchen-diner, two bathrooms, seating
area with inglenook fireplace and wood
burning stove.
€179,000 net price

legal and notary fees not included
Tarn et Garonne, near Montaigu de Quercy Email: elronmat@gmail.com
Tel: 0033 (0) 2 31 61 16 62
A small country estate in the heart of the Pays de Serres. Beautifully renovated large
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RENOVATED VILLAGE HOUSE
Email: jamaundrell@hotmail.co.uk Tel: 0033 686 452 466 €690,000
IN VALENSOLE (04)
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double bedrooms/ wood burning stove/ terrace/ small
garden with parking. Potential rental income.
Contact Judy Robinson: judyrobtalbot@gmail.com
€185,000
Plot of Land
for Sale
SW France
2 Acres with
260,000€ planning permission
Views over valley
CHARENTE MARITIME to Pyrenees
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Please contact: Martyn Jaggard on 07721 652340 or paulburrell53@gmail.com
e-mail martynjaggard@btinternet.com 07802 983788

WANTED CARS FOR SALE BUSINESS FOR SALE

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CARCASSONNE AREA inte r e s t i n
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FACTFILE BUYING GUIDE
French property lowdown

Things you should know before you start looking for a property across the Channel
AGENTS AND VIEWING SURVEYS AND
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Discover the beautiful countryside
September
and properties of armagnac country issue
On sale
19th August
Next month in
FRENCH
NEWS
PROPERTY
● Cheers! ● Wheel estate ● Making a living ● Pool of knowledge
Raise a toast to Champagne Accessible homes for Shopping for vineyards, Top tips for installing a
and Burgundy on their wheelchair users plus campsites, gîtes and farms pool, including the different
recent UNESCO recognition advice from those affected in the south-west of France types and costs
● On your bike ● City of Light ● New-build diary ● The searches

We get on two wheels to From art galleries to fine The Charente home Part 9 of our buying guide
explore properties along architecture, Paris is a city nears completion in the explains the role of the
the Vélo Francette route that never disappoints penultimate instalment notaire and conveyancing
● Location location ● Deptford to Gascony ● A French address ● Escape the daily grind
What are the pros and cons A journey from a working Meet the young couple Three of the best waterside
of a town or village setting class background in breathing new life into homes that are anything
for gîtes? London to gentle Gers an apartment in Lyon but run-of-the-mill

£1 OFF
Pre-order the SEPTEMBER issue
Plus... all the usual
regulars, expert
legal and financial
and SAVE £1 OFF the cover price
with FREE UK delivery! RRP £3.99. advice, real life
Go to www.buyamag.co.uk/FPN
stories and property
USE DISCOUNT CODE )31 and travel news

Get to know
FRANCE MAP REGIONS, DEPARTMENTS & TRAVEL ROUTES the different
P&O areas of France
(Dover),
DFDS Seaways
with
(Dover), this regional a
LD Lines DFDS Seaways
(Dover) nd
Brittany Ferries Brittany Ferries
(Dover)
departmental
(Portsmouth, (Portsmouth),
Poole),
Condor Ferries
DFDS Seaways
(Portsmouth), Eurostar
breakdown...
(Portsmouth), LD Lines
Celtic Link Ferries (Portsmouth)
(Rosslare), Ryanair
Irish Ferries DFDS Seaways Aer lingus,
(Rosslare) CityJet Ryanair,
Ryanair (seasonal) (Newhaven), Eurostar
Brittany Ferries Brittany Ferries LD Lines Flybe,
Flybe (seasonal) easyJet,
(Plymouth, (Portsmouth, (Newhaven) Lydd Air
Cork), Plymouth), Brittany Air France,
Irish Ferries Condor Ferries Ferries British Airways,
(Rosslare) (Weymouth, (Portsmouth) Jet 2,
Poole, CityJet
Portsmouth) bmi
Eurostar
Air France, Ryanair, Marne-la-
Flybe, Deauville
Aurigny Flybe Vallée
easyJet, Air France
CityJet
Ryanair,
easyJet
British Airways,
Quimper easyJet,
British
Airways Swiss International
(seasonal) Flybe,
Aer Arann Basel-Mulhouse
LD Lines
Rosslare Air France,
British Airways,
Air France, easyJet,
Flybe, BMI Regional
easyJet, Monarch
Ryanair British Airways Eurostar
CityJet
bmi British Airways,
Ryanair Flybe,
Jet 2
Ryanair
Aer Lingus,
Bourg-Saint- Eurostar British Airways,
Jet 2, Maurice (direct trains easyJet,
easyJet, La Plagne only in winter) Flybe,
Flybe, Jet 2,
Ryanair Ryanair, Moûtiers
Flybe Swiss Int.
Flybe
CityJet, St-Étienne Ryanair (seasonal)
Ryanair
Brive Aurigny,
Ryanair,
Flybe,
easyJet,
easyJet, Jet 2,
Flybe, Monarch
Air France, BA
British Airways, Ryanair
Ryanair,
Monarch Jet 2,
Aer Lingus Ryanair Flybe
CityJet
Jet 2,
Ryanair, easyJet,
easyJet British Airways,
Flybe Air France,
Béziers Ryanair Monarch
Air France Norwegian
Flybe (seasonal) Flybe (seasonal)
Ryanair,
Ryanair Lourdes CityJet Calvi
Bastia Air France
Flybe Flybe (seasonal)
Flybe, easyJet
Ryanair Ryanair
Jet 2, Ryanair, Corsica Air France
easyJet, easyJet,
British Airways, Flybe, Ajaccio
Aer Lingus British Airways,
Air France Air France
Ryanair Ryanair
Figari
Eurostar
Eurostar British Airways
(direct trains
Ryanair only in
ALSACE & LORRAINE summer)
• Departments: Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, BRITTANY

Vosges, Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin • Departments: Finistère, Côtes-d’Armor, Morbihan, CHAMPAGNE-ARDENNE
• Towns: Strasbourg (capital), Metz, Nancy, Ille-et-Vilaine • Departments: Ardennes, Marne, Aube, Haute-Marne
Mulhouse, Colmar • Towns: Rennes (capital), Vannes, St Malo, Brest, • Towns: Reims (capital), Verdun, Troyes, Epernay,
• Rivers: Meuthe, Meuse Roscoff, Quimper, Lorient, St Brieuc Châlons-en-Champagne
• Rivers: Vilaine, Blavet, Rance • Rivers: Meuse, Marne, Seine, Aisne
AQUITAINE
• Departments: Dordogne, Gironde, Landes, BURGUNDY FRANCHE-COMTÉ
Lot-et-Garonne, Pyrénées-Atlantiques • Departments: Côte-d’Or, Nièvre, Saône-et-Loire, • Departments: Haute-Saône, Doubs, Jura, Territoire
• Towns: Bordeaux (capital), Périgueux, Bergerac, Yonne de Belfort
Bayonne, Biarritz, Pau, Mimizan, Lourdes • Towns: Dijon (capital), Beaune, Macon, Nevers, Auxerre • Towns: Besançon (capital), Belfort
• Rivers: Dordogne, Garonne, Lot, Adour • Rivers: Yonne, Seine, Loire, Saône • Rivers: Saône, Doubs
AUVERGNE CENTRE ÎLE-DE-FRANCE

• Departments: Allier, Cantal, Haute-Loire, • Departments: Indre, Indre-et-Loire, Loir-et-Cher, • Departments: Ville de Paris, Seine-et-Marne,
Puy-de-Dôme Loiret, Eure-et-Loire, Cher Yvelines, Essonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-
• Towns: Clermont-Ferrand (capital), Moulins, • Towns: Orléans (capital), Tours, Bourges, Chartres, Denis, Val-de-Marne, Val-d’Oise
Montluçon, Vichy Blois, Châteauroux • Towns: Paris, Versailles, Fontainebleau
• Rivers: Allier, Loire, Dordogne • Rivers: Loire, Indre, Vienne, Cher, Loir • Rivers: Seine, Oise, Marne

LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON
• Departments: Aude, Gard, Hérault, Lozère, Departments by
Pyrénées-Orientales
• Towns: Montpellier (capital), Nîmes, Perpignan, numbers
Béziers, Carcassonne, Sète
• Rivers: Aude, Hérault, Gard
LIMOUSIN
• Departments: Corrèze, Haute-Vienne, Creuse
• Towns: Limoges (capital), Tulle, Aubusson,
Guéret, Brive-la-Gaillarde
• Rivers: Vienne, Creuse
MIDI-PYRÉNÉES
• Departments: Ariège,
Aveyron, Haute-
Garonne, Gers, Lot,
Hautes-Pyrénées,
Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne
• Towns: Toulouse
(capital), Albi, Cahors,
Figeac, Labastide Murat
• Rivers: Lot, Tarn, Garonne,
Ariège, Adour
NORD-PAS-DE-CALAIS
• Departments: Nord, Pas-de-Calais
• Towns: Lille (capital), Douai, Lens, Arras, Calais,
Boulogne, Dunkerque, Le Touquet
• Rivers: Clarence, Nave, Scarpe
NORMANDY
• Departments: Eure, Seine-Maritime, Manche,
Calvados, Orne
• Towns: Rouen (capital), Caen, Cherbourg,
Dieppe, Le Havre, Honfleur
• Rivers: Seine, Orne, Eure
PAYS-DE-LA-LOIRE
• Departments: Vendée, Maine-et-Loire,
Loire-Atlantique, Sarthe, Mayenne
• Towns: Nantes (capital), Angers, Le Mans,
St-Nazaire, Les Sables d’Olonne
• Rivers: Loire, Sarthe, Loir
PICARDY
• Departments: Aisne, Oise, Somme
• Towns: Amiens (capital), St Quentin, Compiègne,
Abbeville, Beauvais
• Rivers: Somme, Oise, Marne
01 - Ain 24 - Dordogne 48 - Lozère 72 - Sarthe
POITOU-CHARENTES 02 - Aisne 25 - Doubs 49 - Maine-et-Loire 73 - Savoie
• Departments: Charente, Charente-Maritime, 03 - Allier 26 - Drôme 50 - Manche 74 - Haute-Savoie
Vienne, Deux-Sèvres 04 - Alpes-de-Haute- 27 - Eure 51 - Marne 75 - Ville de Paris
• Towns: Poitiers (capital), La Rochelle, Saintes, Provence 28 - Eure-et-Loire 52 - Haute-Marne 76 - Seine-Maritime
05 - Hautes-Alpes 29 - Finistère 53 - Mayenne 77 - Seine-et-Marne
Angoulême, Royan
06 - Alpes-Maritimes 30 - Gard 54 - Meurthe-et-Moselle 78 - Yvelines
• Rivers: Charente, Vienne 07 - Ardèche 31 - Haute-Garonne 55 - Meuse 79 - Deux-Sèvres
08 - Ardennes 32 - Gers 56 - Morbihan 80 - Somme
PROVENCE-CÔTE D’AZUR 09 - Ariège 33 - Gironde 57 - Moselle 81 - Tarn
• Departments: Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Hautes- 10 - Aube 34 - Hérault 58 - Nièvre 82 - Tarn-et-Garonne
Alpes, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Vaucluse, 11 - Aude 35 - Ille-et-Vilaine 59 - Nord 83 - Var
Alpes-Maritimes 12 - Aveyron 36 - Indre 60 - Oise 84 - Vaucluse
• Towns: Nice (capital), Marseilles, Arles, Avignon, 13 - Bouches-du-Rhône 37 - Indre-et-Loire 61 - Orne 85 - Vendée
Toulon, St Tropez, Cannes, Gap, Briançon 14 - Calvados 38 - Isère 62 - Pas-de-Calais 86 - Vienne
15 - Cantal 39 - Jura 63 - Puy-de-Dôme 87 - Haute-Vienne
• Rivers: Rhône, Durance, Var
16 - Charente 40 - Landes 64 - Pyrénées-Atlantiques 88 - Vosges
17 - Charente-Maritime 41 - Loir-et-Cher 65 - Haute-Pyrénées 89 - Yonne
RHÔNE-ALPES 18 - Cher 42 - Loire 66 - Pyrénées-Orientales 90 - Territoire de Belfort
• Departments: Ain, Ardèche, Drôme, Isère, Rhône, 19 - Corrèze 43 - Haute Loire 67 - Bas-Rhin 91 - Essonne
Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Loire 20 - Corsica 44 - Loire-Atlantique 68 - Haut-Rhin 92 - Hauts-de-Seine
• Towns: Lyon (capital), St Étienne, Grenoble, 21 - Côte-d’Or 45 - Loiret 69 - Rhône 93 - Seine-Saint-Denis
Annecy, Montélimar, Valence 22 - Côte-d’Armor 46 - Lot 70 - Haute-Saône 94 - Val-de-Marne
• Rivers: Rhône, Saône, Isère, Ardèche, Drôme, 23 - Creuse 47 - Lot-et-Garonne 71 - Saône-et-Loire 95 - Val-d’Oise
Drac, Arc, Loire

MY DREAM HOME
Ian Purslow opts for a stately Gascon château with medieval origins near Masseube
Ian Purslow of Purslow’s What is the immediate location like? have improved enormously in the 25 years I
Gascony explains why It sits perfectly in grounds with a have been working here.
this imposing period wonderful collection of trees and the owner
home 20km south of has established an organic vegetable garden. What is your favourite room or feature?
Auch, on the market for The village chapel is next door and the The entrance hall at the heart of the house,
€1,296,000, easily wins property is the proverbial ‘private but not with its marble floor and grand staircase
his vote isolated’. Nearby Seissan has smartened up rising to a galleried landing flooded in light.
immensely in recent years and has a Staircases are a Gascon speciality.
Why does this property stand out for you? splendid local produce market on Fridays.
It has big, bold architecture which gives it a Who would it suit?
stately presence, with wonderfully light and What is the appeal of the area? A tall person! The ceiling heights are
lofty rooms and the most impressive double For me the Pyrénées are the best imaginable wonderful throughout. But various
run of outbuildings I know of. playground for hill-walking with my local demographics could happily set up here –
club in summer and skiing or snowshoeing either a young family with school-age
Why is it a great buy? in winter. For the beach we always head to children (as in the case of the current
It represents real value for money at its the Atlantic where my wife and I cycle owners) or an early retiree who could move
current sale price and also has manageable while our daughters enjoy surfing. The into the apartment in summer and run the
running costs due to an ecological, high-tech proximity of Spain for shopping and a château as a high-end rental property
heating system by wood pellets. tapas lunch in, say, San Sebastian is sleeping up to 20 in comfort.
another real bonus. Alternatively, the property would work
What’s the wow factor? well as a corporate headquarters with
A stunning, loft-style apartment in the How easy is it to get to? potential for further commercial or
outbuildings with a 70m2 open-plan Very easy. Toulouse is now an excellent residential development in the vast and
kitchen-living area. The banded timber floor international airport with British Airways numerous outbuildings. ■
was cut from trees on the estate. and easyJet operating multiple flights to UK
and European airports, and the road links purslows-gascony.co.uk

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FRENCH

The Good Life

www.completefrance.com August 2015 French Property News 3

News your way www.completefrance.com

your format of choice: ARCHANT

BUY a single copy and have it

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Fantastic four: the benefits

Lovely bubbly: when a British

Location Expert advice Regulars

6 French Property News August 2015 www.completefrance.com

travel kit FREE this month’s

The years near La Rochelle.

Knowledge relocateici.com to help

when selling a French property has lived and practised

Joie de vivre various magazines and

Take your pick: homes

experiences inspiring real life stories and

www.completefrance.com August 2015 French Property News 7

The pick of this month’s musings

The three Rs ST★R soon ours.

@KarenBurnsBooth Everyone needs a

Don’t forget to Like us

8 French Property News August 2015 www.completefrance.com

In the heart of the Luberon national park in Vaucluse,

This charming riverside cottage in

British buyers out in force in France

10 French Property News August 2015 www.completefrance.com

than in previous years. Shrewd buyers are 19-22 August 2015

7-16 August 2015 up includes Kasabian, The Stereophonics, The

www.completefrance.com August 2015 French Property News 13

In the French papers

■ Motorcyclists and scooter riders will be

14 French Property News August 2015 www.completefrance.com

Invalides, 7th arrondissement: €1,100,000

St-Georges, 9th arrondissement: €985,000

Rambuteau, 3rd arrondissement: €780,000

16 French Property News August 2015 www.completefrance.com

18 French Property News August 2015 www.completefrance.com

THE GREEN GREEN

22 French Property News August 2015 www.completefrance.com

24 French Property News August 2015 www.completefrance.com

Time to stop living at work

www.completefrance.com August 2015 French Property News 25

Sea, sun and culture

26 French Property News August 2015 www.completefrance.com

www.completefrance.com August 2015 French Property News 27

In a new development in the 4th

28 French Property News August 2015 www.completefrance.com

www.completefrance.com August 2015 French Property News 29

Paris Tourist Office/Amel

30 French Property News August 2015 www.completefrance.com

©CRT Cote d’Azur

Buying property in Lyon first-time buyers,” she says.

apartments in the city centre. access to the centre. At the other

www.completefrance.com August 2015 French Property News 31

©Bordeaux Tourism/Francois Poincet

Buying property gardens in the suburbs can

32 French Property News August 2015 www.completefrance.com

August 2015 French Property News 35