12 things I wish I had known when buying a house in France

France is one of the most popular destinations for overseas property buyers. If you're new to France, you can learn from others who have been there, done that and made the mistakes so you don’t have to! Here are the top 12 bits of advice that I would have in mind next time you buy a property in France…

1. Neighbours are a bonus - it's easy to slip into isolation in the French countryside

Living in a town, or even a village in the UK, it can be easy to believe that to be private you need to be isolated. Isolation in France is something to be considered quite carefully. Do you want to drive 30 minutes for the groceries or to visit a bar? That’s quite possible in rural France. Perhaps you speak great French already. If not wouldn’t it be good to have someone nearby to chat with and practice on? We found that our neighbours were there when we needed them but didn’t ever get overfamiliar. They were happy to lend a hand, have an occasional apero for a special event, chat in the lane outside the front door but let us go about our daily lives (and we gave them and their space the same respect).

2. After a while you don't notice church bells and frogs

Personally I love the sound of church bells and a frog chorus just means a helping hand in the garden keeping the slugs and snails down. We’ve all heard stories about people moving into a French village and then complaining about these typical country sounds and more besides. Roosters were a recent hot topic! If you are going to adopt the French country lifestyle, that means adopting it warts, croaks, chimes and all. And honestly, I have to consciously listen for the bells now - they are just part and parcel of life. The complaints mounted in recent years to the point where the French government have enshrined in law that certain sounds (and smells) are just part and parcel of country life. Just as it should be…

3. Septic tanks are not scary

I grew up in a market town and until my 20s had never even heard of a house without mains drainage. Moving to France, it was one of the things I had the most trepidation about. It’s an easy topic for a scare mongerer with their tales of smells and overflows… 20 years on I can safely say that we never had an issue with any ‘fosse septique’. As long as you have a decent fosse that complies and you then comply with the 3P rule (only flush pee, poo and paper) life is simple and odourless. An occasional sachet of Eparcyl to feed the bacteria helps if you are absent for periods of time.

4. Foreigners can buy a house and get a job in France

If you are making a permanent move and have the right visa, you might be considering working in France. You could put your enthusiasm for property and love of France to good use by joining an estate agency. There are different options, depending on your lifestyle and experience. Agencies have salaried support staff covering things such as marketing, HR and admin. Or there’s the freelance route of becoming an Agent Commercial and helping other people find their own dream property. Being freelance leaves you completely independent and free to work to your own schedule.

5. Walking distance to a bar will help your integration more than proximity to a bakery

A nearby bakery is the dream but given the choice, I’d go for a bar every day. Not that I’m a hardened drinker (!) but you get far more chance to exchange a few words and make new contacts over a glass of wine than over a bag of croissants!

6. Currency exchange can have a huge effect on your property budget (and nerves)

From the point of making an offer to the deal actually completing is around 4 months on average. During that time the currency exchange rate can vary wildly and end up costing you 10s of thousands of pounds. Ask your agency for a currency company recommendation and check with them if forward booking would work for you so you know just how much money you have to play with. And you’ll need an insurance recommendation for when you do find ‘the one’!

7. Volunteering in France is a great way to get integrated AND learn the language

Everyone loves a volunteer and there are loads of opportunities in France. Local dog and cat refuges always need helping hands or you could join the village fete committee. All of this gets you connected, improves your language skills and gives you a community.

8. I’m way more private than I thought!

Our first house had a little cottage at the end and we rented it out for a couple of years. I had seen friends doing it and enjoying drinks with the guests and cheerily being on call. I just didn’t like it and at the end of the second season I took down my website and called it a day. For me, the money was not worth sharing my garden and pool.

9. It’s common for furniture to be included with a property sale in France

When we sold our first house in France almost all of the furniture stayed behind. The buyers walked in, loved it and wanted everything. This can work two ways. Either furniture and white goods are included in the price or they are on an inventory and available by separate negotiation. Either way, it’s a quick and convenient and gets your holiday home up and running in no time.

10. The buzziest town in summer can quite quickly become a ghost town in winter

Just as with UK coastal destinations, small, attractive touristy villages can be all go in the summer and all no in the winter. If you intend to spend time in France out of season, do your homework and see what restaurants, bars and shops are open year round.

11. A modern house is cleaner

Hear me out. The dream for me was a stone-built, roses round the door farmhouse with blue shutters. And I got that, along with all the housework that goes with it. Stone walls can be dusty and cobwebby, wood burning fires also create dust. Having said all that, you simply cannot beat an older property with beams and stacks of character for making you feel that you are living the French dream. Further down the line we moved into a house with plastered walls and central heating which was bliss on the cleaning front. I’d still go for the old and dusty another time - but I’d know what I was letting myself in for!

12. Land! You can have too much of a good thing!

Land is cheap in France. It’s a big country and many, many houses come with tempting acres of garden, pasture or woodland. It’s all fine and dandy if you want to keep a few animals, if you love mowing and managing trees but if all you want to do is loll by the pool consider carefully how much land you really do want to maintain. 2000m² is a big garden. For a lock-up-and-leave, a courtyard might be plenty. And you’ll find great deals to be had on village properties with no outside space or a detached garden.

Looking for your dream French property? Start your property search here.

Article written by Julie Savill at Beaux Villages Immobilier for French Property News magazine. Published in in the September/October 2024 edition.