Spain, France, Italy - Best place to buy.

[TrundleAlong]

Thanks Mr. Earl, a good post. As someone who loves watching the TV programme "A Place in the Sun - Home or Away" I often have thought about purchasing abroad in either Spain, France, Italy or Germany.
I don't think that I could purchase in a complex that had management charges etc. Rather I would look to purchase a townhouse in the city. Having said that I recognise that I have itchy feet and I think that I would feel trapped in my holiday home and missing out on all the other places that I could be visiting.

 

[davep]

If buying in southern France, only buy a
* new build
* detached
* 3 bedroom
* Garden back and front
* In a community with services, bakery,small shop, newsagent, pharmacy, dentist, doctor.
Ideally ensure you buy where there is a majority French ownership.
* Pick the area for the climate that suits you. On the coast , it can be sweltering in Summer. Higher up it can be very cold in winter. You would need to have been to the area in winter and summer to pick properly.
*Family builders should be sought and not bigger companies
* prices are stable in the Languedoc, however, fast profits are not going to be made. We purchased over 7 years ago and the house price using the above criteria has slightly risen. However "renovation" projects and lease backs have performed very badly.
Finally, I have found the buying process in France, especially the legal aspect, a breath of fresh air. Simple , clear and so much cheaper than here.
Should we ever want or need to sell then the property MUST be attractive to young native French, and I feel that the above is what they are looking for today.

 

[Wahaay]

Great advice,davep.

There are many horror stories about people buying homes abroad but of course you never hear about the many more good stories from people who've enjoyed the experience and not lost their shirts.

The key advice when you're buying a property is to think about the day you try to sell it.

I walked away from a massive renovation job in the Langudoc - a 5,000 square feet disused wine barn with uninterrupted views over vineyards and a Catholic semindary - mainly because the village had one shop that only opened for a few hours a day and a small,miserable bar almost always empty.

The end result would have been spectacular but who would have bought it ?