This morning I was contacted by a customer looking for advice on buying a property in South France. This was my reply on where and what to buy in France in 2023. We do get asked these questions a lot and this particular customer has summarised the general pattern for prospective house buyers.

The cost of living in France is certainly not as cheap as it used to be. The French government advise that a single person will need at least €1,800 euros per month to move to France and live comfortably (and €3,600 euros for a couple). This is certainly the minimum income that is required for a long stay visa for France.

If you are buying a property in France in 2023 then you need to be aware of the real estate taxation costs involved. Often the French property taxes can have a big hit on people's budgets. In this article, Paddy Gibbins, from Artaxa Real Estate, gives you the in's and out's of all the different French Property taxes.

If you have never heard of Pezenas in South France, then you should definitely put it to the top of your list as a location for a long term rental in France for 2024. Here we explain what the quaint Southern French market town of Pezenas has to offer both during the summer and the rest of the year. We have also highlighted 12 popular rental properties located in and around Pezenas, that are available for 3-12 months long term rentals during 2024. 

The role of a Notaire in France is often characterised as being nothing more than a glorified tax collector. But they do provide some key services when buying a property in France. All property purchases in France must be conducted through a professionally licensed Notaire. The Notaire or Notary is a French lawyer, trained specifically in French property law. 

If you are looking to self-build a house in France, there are a number of very useful resources for calculating the likely build costs. The elements include the price of land, standard building materials estimates, the cost of services and utility connections, as well as fees for building permits and property taxes.

If you are considering renting out your holiday home in France or investing in property to rent out, then there is a particular tax advantageous scheme, called LMNP (Location meublée non professionnelle - non-professional furnished rental), which is specifically designed for private landlords.

This selection of houses for long stay rentals in France are all currently available from October 2024 to 2025. Some of the properties will take 12 month all year around rentals, but some are reserved for weekly rentals during the summer months. The prices quoted exclude the utility bills (which as a rough rule of thumb come to around 15-18% of the monthly rental price).

If you are moving to France, the good news is that France recognizes a whole range of international driving licenses and you can legally drive on your foreign license for up to 12 months. But what happens then? What do you need to do to apply for a French driving licence? How do you register your vehicle in France and when do you need to do this? 

The coastal town of Marseillan has become one of the most popular places for long term rentals in the Languedoc region of South France. It is fairly easy to see why. It has access to some of the best beaches on the Languedoc coast, it has a beautiful harbour ringed with bars and restaurants and it has excellent transport links.

Here we discuss, the minimum income requirements that you must meet to apply for French Residency or a Long Stay Visa for France. There are actually, 4 main criteria that you must meet on your French Residency application, but the most important on is that you have sufficient financial resources to support yourself and your family in France.

France has always been a popular destination for UK nationals to retire to. If you are thinking of retiring to France from the UK during 2024, we highlight the popular places for retirement in France and some key information on pensions, tax, healthcare and living in France for retirees.

These are the latest houses to rent in France long term that we have added to Long term rentals in France. The houses are available to rent from October 2023, with many being available for monthly rentals throughout 2024. Our houses for rent in Cote d'Azur are proving especially popular with customers, as well as a couple of new Provence houses to rent.

Buying a house is always an emotional experience, but from what I have observed, buying a house in France is especially emotionally driven. Here is a checklist of things to consider when buying property in France to help you make that right decision. 

We often get asked by clients for help and assistance in finding suitable renovation properties in Southern France. I recently met with two award-winning Architects, François Brunner and Olga Sanina, so I took the opportunity to ask them some of the typical questions about house renovation in France and the pitfalls to avoid when renovating property. 

The village of Aniane, is great place to buy a house in South France. This Southern French village is very beautiful and is served by excellent transport connections. From a property investment perspective, properties in Aniane can enjoy very good annual rental yields from summer holiday rentals, as well as long winter lets.