Ten Tips for French Property Hunting

If you’re looking into buying French property or French homes, then you’ve likely been doing a little bit of research on the internet. Houses for sale in France have become increasingly popular over the last decade or so, and property in France is a great way to get away from the rigors of everyday life a few times a year (or forever, if that’s your ambition). Here, we’ll take a look at ten easy tips for looking for housing in France.

1. Know Your Goal: Having an idea of what sort of setting you want will help you choose an area of France that suits you. If you’re looking for peaceful, easygoing surroundings, then southern or southwestern France offers a lot of rural areas with laidback lifestyles. If you want more hustle and bustle, try Paris or another large city.
2. Make a List: Recording what you are looking for in a home makes it easy to pick out houses that are closer to your requirements.
3. Check the List: Going down a checklist of things you’re looking for in your home will make it easier to narrow that list down.
4. Compare Needs and Wants: While some things are essential, some things are simply nice to have, and it’s important to know the difference.
5. Know Your Budget: Knowing how much you can reasonably spend will not only keep you from overspending or wasting your time looking at houses that aren’t within your price range, but will allow you to get a house you will enjoy spending time in.
6. Be Flexible: If you can’t find your dream home for the right price, keep in mind the fact that renovations are always possible at a later date. The important things are the fundamentals, like location and overall construction.
7. Get A Second Opinion: Even if you’re living in the home alone or if you and your family have already approved the house, getting a second opinion on the home might reveal some new information you hadn’t noticed before.
8. Do Your Research: Whether you’re looking online or actually viewing houses, you’ll want to get to know the area beforehand and know a little bit about the type of houses you’re looking into. This can save you a lot of time if done properly, and you can waste a time if you don’t do it (or do it poorly).
9. Compromise: Be prepared to make a few changes to either the home or your expectations, or both.
10. Meet in Person: If you’re looking into a house, make sure the agent or seller is available to meet in person! There are plenty of housing scams out there, but no scammer will meet you at the home and in person.