Showtime – back with a bang!

Earlier this month we were delighted to return to the UK for our first big property exhibition for a couple of years – A Place in the Sun Live! in Manchester. Over the two days over 5,000 property hunters packed National Centre convention centre, showing a huge pent-up demand for French property.

The French area of the show was standing room only for the seminars about how to buy and live in France, as people made the most of having legal and tax experts under one roof, as well as a number of the Leggett team. It was clear that people had driven from all over the UK to visit because it was the first major A Place in the Sun show for exactly two years. On the Leggett stand, it was interesting to discover that 95% of the demand was for permanent homes, so questions about visas and other practical issues were typical. It’s become clear that many people have really decided to change their lives or ‘reset’ after the pandemic, and that extra Brexit incurred paperwork is not a deterrent to many. The average budget was between €150,000 and €200,000 – with the average British house price now £260,230 (Nationwide) after soaring by almost £30,000 over the past 12 months, affordability is another key driver for property hunters in France.