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The French Senate has voted to relax the 90-day rule for British second-home owners, giving cause for optimism for Francophile travelers and property buyers alike.
However, whether the rules are relaxed or not, our nearest neighbor remains the preferred choice for those who want the ease of driving to their holiday home, along with some of the most affordable places to buy.
What’s more, with British house-hunters finding it difficult to get a French mortgage for properties under €300,000, not to mention higher interest rates in both countries, agents report that demand for lower-value homes from of cash buyers is higher than that of the “medium tight” market. .
The most searched places on the Rightmove portal during the months of October and November were Normandy, Dordogne, Brittany, Poitou-Charentes and Languedoc-Roussillon, all of which were very affordable.
Here’s proof that you don’t have to go deep into rural France to find pretty town houses with a budget of around £100,000 (€115,000).
Lower Normandy/Mayenne
Accessible, affordable and with a wide range of properties to suit all tastes, Normandy remains a favorite with British buyers. Tourist attractions such as the D-Day beaches, Bayeux and Mont-Saint-Michel Bay make this a great location for rentals as well.
Avoid the expensive coastal areas and drive 40 to 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 of Rennes and the ferry ports of St. Malo and Caen.
You can still find a small liveable village property or a larger rural renovation for under €50,000, but be prepared to make some major upgrades.
For €115,000 you can expect to get a two or three bedroom property with a garden. There’s even one for sale right now with a lake in a hamlet near Gorron for €112,230 (via Cle France).
Northern Charente
Rivaling the Dordogne for the most popular area of south-west France with British residents, Poitou-Charentes still offers good value for money and the second best climate after the south of France.
Northern Charente, where it borders the Deux-Sèvres department (another area worth exploring), is an ideal base from which to drive to the Atlantic coast and historic cities such as Angouleme, Niort, Saintes, La Rochelle and Cognac .
About a four-hour drive from the nearest ferry ports, it is also easily reached via four different airports.
Take Ruffec, a popular market town, surrounded by forests and sunflower fields and the typical Charentaise honey-coloured stone houses with sky-blue shutters.
You can find houses to renovate for less than €80,000, but €95,000 to €105,000 will get you a two- or three-bedroom property with a garden near a village, says James Rolt, regional sales director at Beaux Villages.
“While Ruffec has all the amenities you need, there is plenty to do in the area, with walking, cycling and also kayaking and rowing being very popular,” he says.
The agent has a renovated four-bedroom property for sale, with barns, for €84,000.
Central Brittany
Occupying a third of the French coast, with rugged cliffs, bays and sandy beaches, Brittany is a sunnier version of Cornwall with property at a fraction of the price.
This is especially true in central Brittany, which is a great base from which to explore the entire region and a typical budget of €115,000 is a typical budget, says Lisa Greene, regional director at Leggett Immobilier.
However, it also has lakes, and Greene suggests that Glomel, located between two lakes, is a good base, with shops, eating places and water sports, and 10 minutes from the larger Rostrenen, which has supermarkets, cinemas and plenty of restaurants .
“On a sunny day, if you fancy the beach, you can be on the north or south coast in just over an hour.”
For less than £100,000 you can expect to find a two or three bedroom house and have a little left over to improve it. A two-bedroom stone house with pretty blue shutters is sold through the agent for €67,500.
Haute-Vienne, Limousin
Much of the Limousin region of south-central France is sparsely populated, but the key is to find pieces that are more easily accessible, and many buyers have been doing just that.
The charming medieval town of Bellac has become a hotspot for bargain hunters with its craft shops, restaurants and festivals.
You can reach Limoges by TGV from Paris in less than three hours, or 38 minutes, from where there are flights to the United Kingdom or Poitiers.
In the surroundings you can take walks along the Vincou River to the Monts de Blond or boat trips on Lake Saint-Pardoux.
Chris Summers, property advisor at Beaux Villages, says: “Prices start at around €75,000 for a ready-to-move-in three-bedroom detached property around 15 minutes from Bellac, or you’ll pay €85,000 for a property in the village.”
The agent is selling a nice two-bedroom house with a barn for €96,000.
Pézenas, Occitania
Without the prestige of the Côte d’Azur or Provence, a greatly reduced influx of wealthy international buyers has kept prices real in Languedoc.
However, it ticks the boxes for those looking for a holiday home that offers a real ‘South of France’ feel, with historic villages, easy access to the coast and Lac du Salagou, a huge lake with its own beaches.
“If you use Pézenas as a centre, you’ll be within an hour’s drive of everything you need,” says Simon Kerridge of Languedoc Property Finders.
“The Cap d’Agde area has around 14 km of golden sand beaches, including luxury beach clubs, nature lovers can explore the Languedoc Regional Park and the bustle of the city of Montpellier.”
Béziers airport (30 minutes away) is even closer than Montpellier. Kerridge says that €115,000 can buy an apartment in the historic town of Pézenas, or a larger house inland.
Among the most beautiful villages in the area are Cazouls-d’Hérault, Caux, Tourbes, Nezignan-l’Eveque and Neffies.
There is currently a nice converted two-bedroom townhouse for sale in medieval Puimisson for €99,000 (via French-property.com).
Northern Dordogne
The Dordogne remains a much-loved area of south-west France, but if prices won’t allow you to live in the trendy area around Sarlat or Bergerac, look north for better value for money.
The towns and villages of the Périgord-Limousin regional natural park, which extends across two departments, are traditional and essentially French (or deep France.
There is the beautiful town of Brantôme, where you can canoe on the River Dronne, and it is about 40 minutes from Limoges airport.
“The lifestyle is very rural, relaxed, with lots of outdoor living and peace and quiet,” says Helen Dawson, of agent Beaux Villages.
“People come for the scenery, and Piégut-Pluviers is a good base: it is famous for its old Wednesday market selling organic products, but it is also a very welcoming town, with everything you need and where many different nationalities live” .
You’ll pay around €95,000 for a renovated two-bedroom village property with a garden or €115,000 for a three-bedroom house near a village.
Mazamet, Tarn
To enjoy the spectacular beauty of southern France, great outdoor activities and the easily accessible walled city of Carcassonne, 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 year-round playground for cyclists and nature lovers.
Food lovers will love the three weekly street markets in Mazamet; In summer there is one where 200 people sit and enjoy local products. Access is via Toulouse airport (90 minutes), but it is also only three hours to ski in the Pyrenees or 2.5 hours to reach the Costa Brava.
«In the old warehouses of the city you can find many cheap properties, even maître’s houses. [double-fronted bourgeois house] at low prices,” says Sonja Marks-Terrey of Leggett Immobilier.
The agent is selling a three-bedroom semi-detached house, which requires simple renovation, for €89,000, or a four-bedroom house which needs updating is for sale for €109,000 (green-acres.com).
