The French Property Is For Sale

For some years now, France has been the Mecca of house-hunters, especially due to the rapid expansion of the high speed rail network across Western Europe. This also includes high speed trains under the English Channel, thus linking Britain to France by means other than sea or air. The British, spurred on by a high value Pound, have rushed across in droves to purchase french property for sale, which for the most part is a lot less expensive than in England. Not only are French homes less expensive, but they have a tremendously appealing character. You can buy French chateaux, mills, picturesque country cottages, villas and inns at a fraction of the price of English or American property, even if there was anything comparable. And the further south in France you venture, the more the climate appeals, with long hot summers and mild winters. But it is the variety and quaintness of France that is most attractive. It would appeal even more to Americans as France is steeped in history and romance. France is still one of the most agricultural countries in Europe, with an estimated 2,250,000 farms. Over recent years, there has been even more migration to urban centers, leaving many extremely desirable properties vacant, especially in Mid-France. Most of the urban concentration is located in the north, around Paris, or in the south near Marseilles, which means there are vast tracts of countryside from the Loire Valley down as far as the Pyrenees with French house bargains galore. Some of the older French cottages and farmhouses are exquisitely beautiful, full of charm and mystique. That also applies to the French property in the mountainous regions of the Alps, or Cote d'Or, or beside the sea. It's worthwhile taking a holiday just to see what French homes are available. For example, French chateaux or castles can be had for a fraction of the price that an equivalent property would fetch in other parts of Europe. And they give history-starved Americans the chance to be lords of the manor, some of which have ancient customs attached, including, it's rumored, le droit de seigneur, or the right of the lord to sample the brides in his domain on their wedding nights before her husband! But this may be wishful thinking! More realistically, old French mills can be snapped up at bargain prices and cost very little to renovate. They make extremely attractive homes, once they have all the modern utilities. You should look in the river valleys of the Dordogne, the Loire, the Garonne, or Rhone. The large French rivers are mostly linked by canals, which, likewise, have very desirable properties, like lock houses along their courses. Other property for sale in france which are very amenable to conversion are old, disused abbeys, or even abandoned churches. Living in such a residence would undoubtedly arouse the envy of people back home in the USA. The French cities also have extremely attractive properties, although they're much more expensive than in the country. Parisian garrets dating from the French Revolution, or attractive modern apartments in Paris, Orleans, Tours, Limoges, Toulouse, Marseilles, or Montpellier. The choice of French investments is vast. Go see for yourselves.