The French Senate has voted to relax the 90-day rule for British second home owners, giving Francophile travelers and property buyers alike reason for optimism.
But whether the rules have been relaxed or not, our nearest neighbor remains the best choice for those who want the convenience of driving to their holiday home, along with some of the most affordable places to buy.
Furthermore, with UK house hunters finding it difficult to get a French mortgage on properties under €300,000, not to mention higher interest rates in both countries, estate agents are reporting stronger demand for lower value homes from cash buyers than the ‘squeezed middle’ market. .
The most searched for locations on the Rightmove portal in October and November were Normandy, Dordogne, Brittany, Poitou-Charentes and Languedoc-Roussillion, all of which can offer good affordability.
Here’s proof that you don’t have to venture into deepest rural France to find beautiful village houses on a budget of around £100,000 (€115,000).
Lower Normandy/Mayenne
Accessible, affordable and with a wide variety of properties to suit every taste, Normandy remains a favorite with British buyers. Tourist attractions such as the D-Day beaches, Bayeux and the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel also make this a great location for rentals.
Avoid the expensive coastal locations and drive 40-60 minutes inland to the market town of Gorron and historic Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët – an area bordering the Mayenne department but close to the Breton capital Rennes and the ferry ports of St. Malo and Caen.
A small habitable village property or a larger rural renovation can still be found for under €50,000, but be prepared to undertake some serious renovation.
For €115,000 you can expect a two/three bedroom home with a garden. There is even one for sale with a lake in a hamlet near Gorron at the moment for €112,230 (via Cle France).
Northern Charente
The Poitou-Charentes, which rivals the Dordogne as the most popular part of south-west France among British residents, still offers good value for money and the second best climate after the south of France.
The northern Charente, where it borders the Deux-Sèvres department (also an area worth exploring), is a great base for traveling to the Atlantic coast and historic towns such as Angouleme, Niort, Saintes, La Rochelle and Cognac to drive.
It is approximately four hours’ drive from the nearest ferry ports and is also easily accessible via four different airports.
Take Ruffec, a popular market town, surrounded by forests and fields of sunflowers and the typical Charentaise honey-colored stone houses with sky-blue shutters.
You can find fixer-uppers for less than €80,000, but for €95,000 to €105,000 you can get either a two- or three-bedroom house with a garden close to a village, says James Rolt, regional sales director at Beaux Villages.
“Although Ruffec has all the amenities you need, there is plenty to do in the area; walking, cycling is very popular, but also kayaking and paddle boarding,” he says.
The agent has a four-bedroom property for sale that is ready for renovation, with barns for €84,000.
Central Brittany
Brittany covers a third of France’s coastline, with rugged cliffs, coves and sandy beaches, and is a sunnier version of Cornwall with properties at a fraction of the price.
This is especially true of Central Brittany, which is an excellent base from which to explore the entire region. €115,000 is a typical budget, says Lisa Greene, regional director of Leggett Immobilier.
Yet it also has lakes, and Greene suggests that Glomel, situated between two lakes, is a good base, with shops, eateries and water sports, and 10 minutes to the larger Rostrenen with supermarkets, cinema and many restaurants.
“If you fancy a beach on a sunny day, you can be on the north or south coast in just over an hour.”
For less than £100,000 you can expect to own a two or three bedroom home and still have some left over to improve it. For sale through the estate agent for € 67,500 is a stone house with two bedrooms and beautiful blue shutters.
Haute-Vienne, Limousin
Much of the Limousin region in south-central France is sparsely populated, but the key is finding parts that are easier to access – and many buyers have done just that.
The pretty medieval market town of Bellac has become a hotspot for bargain hunters with its artisan shops, restaurants and festivals.
Reachable by TGV from Paris in less than three hours, or 38 minutes to Limoges, from where there are flights to Great Britain or Poitiers.
Nearby there are river walks along the Vincou River up to the hills of Monts de Blond or boating on Lake Saint-Pardoux.
Chris Summers, property advisor at Beaux Villages, says: “Prices start around €75,000 for a ready-to-move-in three-bedroom detached house about 15 minutes from Bellac, or you can pay €85,000 for a village home.”
The estate agent is selling a lovely two-bedroom cottage with a barn for €96,000.
Pezenas, Occitanie
Without the cachet of the Cote d’Azur or Provence, a sharply reduced influx of wealthy international buyers has kept prices in the Languedoc realistic.
Still, it is a good choice for those looking for a holiday home that offers a real “South of France” feeling, with historic villages, easy access to the coast and Lac du Salagou, a huge lake with its own beaches.
“Using Pézenas as a centre, you are within an hour’s drive of everything you need,” says Simon Kerridge of Languedoc Property Finders.
“The Cap d’Agde region has around 14 kilometers of golden sandy beaches, including luxury beach clubs, nature lovers can explore the Languedoc Regional Park, and there is the urban bustle of Montpellier.”
Béziers airport (30 minutes) is even closer than Montpellier. Mr Kerridge says €115,000 could buy you an apartment in the historic town of Pézenas, or a larger house inland.
The most beautiful villages in the area include Cazouls-d’Hérault, Caux, Tourbes, Nezignan-l’Eveque and Neffies.
There is currently a beautifully renovated two-bedroom village house for sale in medieval Puimisson for €99,000 (via French-property.com).
Northern Dordogne
The Dordogne remains a much-loved part of south-west France, but if you’re priced out of the fashionable area around Sarlat or Bergerac, look north to find better value.
The towns and villages of the Perigord-Limousin Regional Natural Park, which spans two departments, are traditional and typically French – or France profonde.
There is the beautiful town of Brantôme, where you can canoe on the River Dronne, and it is all about 40 minutes from Limoges airport.
“The lifestyle is very rural, relaxed, with lots of outdoor living and tranquility,” says Helen Dawson of agent Beaux Villages.
“People come for the scenery, and Piégut-Pluviers is a good base: it is known for its old Wednesday market where organic products are sold, but it is also a very welcoming town with everything you need and many different nationalities live there. ”
You will pay around €95,000 for a renovated two-bedroom village house with a garden or €115,000 for a three-bedroom house near a town.
Mazamet, Tarn
For dramatic beauty in the south of France, great outdoor activities and the UNESCO walled city of Carcassonne within easy reach, look to the area around the town of Mazamet, a former textile town where Napoleon’s uniforms were made.
At the foot of the Montagne Noire (Black Mountains) and surrounded by lakes, medieval villages and some vineyards, the area is a playground for cyclists and nature lovers all year round.
Foodies will love Mazamet’s three weekly street markets – one in summer where 200 people line up to feast on local produce. Access is via Toulouse airport (90 minutes), but it is also just three hours of skiing in the Pyrenees or 2.5 hours to the Costa Brava.
“In the old warehouses of the city you can find many cheap properties, even maison de maître [double-fronted bourgeois house] at low prices,” says Sonja Marks-Terrey of Leggett Immobilier.
The agent is selling a three-bedroom terraced house in need of a simple refurb for €89,000, or a four-bedroom house in need of an update is on the market for €109,000 (green-acres.com).