The appeal of French property is here to stay

The last census carried out in 2004 by the Insee statistical institute showed the number of British people who live permanently in France doubled in the past five years to 100,000 people, unsurprising considering all things French continue to gain in appeal from a morning croissant and coffee to an evening glass of wine.

The standard of living, education and healthcare coupled with a stress-free way of life made easier still by local airport connections, fast trains and new motorways means its no wonder that Brits continue to want to buy French property, in fact over a quarter of those surveyed by Mintel in its market report last year for homes overseas, expressed a desire to move to la belle France whether it be the French Alps, Provence or Paris city.
The English have long seen France as the perfect retirement destination emigrating annually in large numbers in search of more space, less people and an lower average property price which in France is just 176,000 euros. Spurred on by a strong pound, British owners have invested to the tune of 6.83 billion euros (8.58 billion dollars) worth of property in France and have bought 51,000 houses here since 2000, representing 48 percent of all non-residents who have bought in France, way ahead of citizens of Benelux, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg at 13 percent, and Italians at 10 percent, according to a study by Credit Foncier. This French bank has also started adapting to British demands for more flexible services such as variable mortgage rates or interest-only mortgages which are rarely available to French customers. Credit Foncier offers services ranging from a bilingual advisor for a day to managing an electricity subscription.

While it may not promise the huge returns in terms of capital growth that some of the emerging markets do, France can more than hold its own boasting a stable economy and proven rental sector supported by the government backed tourism industry which attracts 60 million visitors annually. Increasingly time poor holiday home buyers are swapping the idyllic farmhouse country ideal for coastal new build houses and apartments, opting for weekends playing golf with an afternoon at the beach rather than painting woodwork.

Just a short drive from the Mediterranean, the Domaine du Golf development sits in the popular Languedoc region in Fabregues, a charming town close to low cost linked Montpellier city and 20 minutes from the ancient city of Rodez. Beside a private 9 hole golf course, overlooking two swimming pools and enjoying an immaculate mature garden outlook, the 110 one, two and three bedroom off-plan semi detached properties and cottages of the Residence Domaine du Golf boasting sunny wooden terraces with jacuzzis will come fully fitted with kitchens, air conditioning and private car parking facilities, all with the majestic Aubrac Mountains as their backdrop. Operating under the highly successful French leaseback scheme, the price for a one bedroom at Domaine du Golf starts from £53,666 and included in the ownership terms are two weeks of personal holiday annually factored into the guaranteed rental income of 4.8%.

Property investment in France is an investment into a quality European destination offering buyers the sophistication and popularity that will keep traditional, mature European markets a favourite with buyers from abroad for a long time to come.

Visit Imoinvest for more details on the Domaine du Golf project.