Mistakes to avoid when buying in France
No doubt this is a peculiarly British obsession, fuelled in no small part by the fact that land comes at a premium price in the UK and therefore we all seem to be focused on how much land we can get for our money and get rather obsessed when there is lots available for relatively little price.
Faced with the prospect of buying acres of land cheaply, many people cannot resist. But beware.
Having lots of land has a lot of hassles. One word: maintenance.
Imagine how long it takes to cut the grass every couple of weeks on your property at home: let's say half an hour. Now multiply that by a hundred for lots of land, and you see the problem.
Consider the terrain too: if it is flat so much the better, but if it is up and down then it can be nearly impossible to maintain, without some planning.
Sometimes you can have a suitable arrangement for instance where if your neighbour does some farming they use your land and maintain it, perhaps using it for, say, hay production or similar.
If you buy a house that needs some work don't get obsessed with its potential. If it has rot, poor roofing or presents some other sort of challenge, then think twice, then think again. You might be able to take that project on at home, but do you really want the hassle of taking it on abroad?
Of course, there is nothing stopping you moving to France, learning from your mistakes and then moving property again, but if you can get it right first time, so much the better. For many there are regrets by taking too much on in their first French property: better surely to have a solid base that requires minimal work and then if you wish to expand the empire, you have that base to work from.
More French property articles:
- Reasons why a new build property is attractive
- How to overcome isolation when abroad
- Paying for a new build property in France
- The ideal home in France
- Borrowing money when in France
