House home

Flat owner on hunger strike over non-paying tenants in south of France

‘I’m starting to feel a bit shaky’ says owner. The tenants say they cannot move out

French town is selling house for €1

However there are conditions and buyers will have to spend considerably more on renovations

Couple who wrecked French chateau after pretending to be buyers jailed

The con artists had a history of targeting high value properties

practical

MAP: See house price changes near you in France in new notaire data

From +9% to -20%: A few areas have seen rises but most have seen decreases

How to find out more about an area in France before you move there

Platforms abound on ways to tell if a town or neighbourhood might be suitable for you

Understand the new cycle beginning for property in France

High interest rates and tough lending rules have hampered the property market since 2022, but experts suggest 2024 may be a better year

Five homes with a sea view for sale in France for less than €500,000

These are perfect for those looking for coastal living at an affordable price

How Paris plans to crackdown on second homes and empty properties

The 8th arrondissement has the most unoccupied buildings, with a rate of 36%

Make sense of local rules governing planning permission around France

The Plan Local d’Urbanisme determines what can be built where, to what height, and, more importantly, what cannot be built - but only half of rural communes have one

Dream of a detached house with garden fades in France

Rising building materials is one of the factors identified in the reduction of newly built detached houses

See the French houses which align with sun's movements to save energy

The head-turning properties promise to shape the future of housebuilding by drawing on architectural principles from the past

Tiny homes that can be towed reinvent French caravan concept

The micro properties, which look like scaled-down houses, are built on trailer frames and registered as both a caravan and domicile

France sets out winter energy saving plan for residents and businesses

Brief cuts to electric radiators at peak times, money for car-sharing and added financial incentives for home working – we outline the key proposals being announced this afternoon

‘Cool roofing’ white roof trend grows in popularity in France

The practice involves painting your roof in a white paint mixture, which proponents say saves on energy bills, cuts temperatures by 6-7C, and eliminates the need for aircon for 20 years

House prices: smaller towns in France are ‘Covid effect’ winners

The pandemic has turned the property market upside down. Areas of west France as well as along coastlines have seen some of the biggest rises

Dordogne, Brittany: Eight French châteaux for sale for under €700,000

Many people dream of owning a fairytale chateau so we went on a tour of France to see what was available for under €700,000. Here's our pick - and not all of these properties need a lot of renovation

British couple warn of 90-day rule and French burglary insurance

They were told their insurance claim was invalid because their property had not been occupied for 90 days, even though Covid restrictions meant they could not visit

Why are light switches placed outside bathroom?

I have noticed that light switches are always positioned outside the bathroom in France. Why is this? FK

Covid-19 and property sales in France

Reader question: I recently decided to downsize and signed a promesse de vente to sell my apartment on March 4, 2020. The buyers proposed a final date of May 15 and I agreed as I had been told about the coming availability of an apartment apparently fulfilling my requirements. However the apartment was not to my liking and with the shutdown of estate agents and removal companies (including storage), I am worried about finding myself homeless if I am obliged to move on May 15. With the lockdown I cannot even visit potential new apartments. I have emailed the notaire's office which handled the promesse de vente asking for an extension but have not received a reply. I have not seen any information on situations such as mine. I am 77 and live alone, with no family in France and thus I have no help in finding a new apartment or trying to arrange a move. Should an extension be refused do I have the right to cancel the sale altogether?

Moving to new home during lockdown in France

Reader question: We bought a house in France on April 6 (via power of attorney) and believe we have the right to move for two reasons: 1) Our lease expired in our rented property on April 7 and 2) Our new home is empty and unsecured.

Can we do renovation work away from home?

Reader question: We have a renovation project house in a village 10km away from our home. We haven't been there since lockdown but really need to get back working on it. We wouldn't come into contact with anybody else, so would this be allowed?

Household bills soar by €64 a month in a year, new French study shows

Rising fuel costs are causing household bills to rise while purchasing power is also expected to drop next year with the impact varying depending on lifestyle and location

France lockdown: Can I visit from the UK to help my parents?

Helping elderly parents is considered a valid reason for travel in France.

France lockdown: Can I prepare the house I'm moving into?

Making preparations to move house is allowed during confinement, as long as you carry the right documentation

My French insurance was better than Apple when tea spill hit laptop

It took a clumsy splash of hot drink on her laptop for journalist Tamara Thiessen to appreciate the full benefit of her tous risques French house insurance

French holiday homes face extra ‘empty’ tax

Moves to combat Airbnb-type tourist rentals of second homes have seen some communes agree to impose a surtaxe de la taxe d’habitation which can amount to an extra 60% on part of the tax.

Second homes in France: Where is most popular?

The Haute-Alpes has the highest percentage of French-owned second homes, with the Var the most popular department in absolute terms - but Paris most impacted by “the Airbnb effect”, figures show.

New-builds in France from 2021 must feature walk-in showers

From next year, all new French houses should either have a walk-in shower or plumbing ready for one to be later installed

What is the impact of energy ratings on French house prices?

The French diagnostic de performance énergétique indicates how energy-efficient a property is from A to G, with better ratings sometimes fetching higher sale prices

Downsizers: We swapped our big house in France for modern - and modest

Property priorities can change. We talk to three sets of people who have swapped country piles for something smaller and easier to manage

New shed or pool at your French home? Remember the taxe d’aménagement

We look at the rates for this tax which applies to projects that require planning permission or prior declaration, who pays it and when

French property market news: October roundup

Our pick of stories for property owners in France from the last month

House prices soar in medium-sized cities in France due to Covid

The country is set to hit a record 1.2m property transactions by the end of 2021, with prices on the rise in cities including Brest, Angers, Reims, Quimper, and Orléans

83 new main homes created in Occitanie every day for past 50 years

The number of second homes quadrupled in the same period and overall the trend has been for larger detached homes with fewer inhabitants per household, new statistics show

Buying a home in France: Electricity report is for buyer to deal with

Electrical anomalies are not always serious but it is best to be transparent with the buyer

€650,000 of gold found in jam jars in junk-filled French house

The latest find is the second set of gold coins the mairie has discovered at the property

France coronavirus lockdown: Can I still move house?

The rules and regulations about moving house in France during the second coronavirus lockdown

Must I inform the mairie when I buy a home in France?

We explain whether registering at the mairie is a legal obligation, or just a good idea, when you move into a new commune in France

Houses in France struck by lightning as storm alerts remain

Three houses have been destroyed by lightning strikes in western France after heavy storms shook the region, and storm and heatwave alerts remain in place across most of the country.

French police holiday service in demand as break-ins soar

Did you know that you can ask your local police service in France to keep watch over your house when you go on holiday? The free service aims to reduce break-ins, which have soared by 114% since deconfinement.

French state of health emergency: What changes as it ends?

Midnight tonight (from Friday July 10 to Saturday July 11) marks the end of France’s state of health emergency imposed due to the Covid-19 crisis, with some changes taking place as a result. We explain.

What changes in France from June 1

Aside from the second stage of France’s deconfinement this month (from June 2) gas prices are going down, electricity prices are going up, and there are some important tax dates to remember.

Boys find gold bars at grandma's house in France

An auctioneer has told Connexion how two boys playing at the family summer house found two gold bars hidden in a cupboard – worth €52,000 each.

New reason for travel over 100km in France

A new reason has been added to the obligatory form for travel over 100km: to allow people to move to a new home.

France legalises all remote notaire sales signatures

Notaires in France can now organise signatures on property deed documents remotely so as to avoid unnecessary contact during the Covid-19 crisis, allowing house sales and property deals to go ahead.

Removal companies to stop work in France

The work of professional removal companies has been banned during the Covid-19 epidemic, it has been announced.

Why sweeping your chimney matters in France

You can be fined up to €450 if you don't maintain in-use chimneys at your property correctly

New mortgage rules could mean fewer new houses

Instructions from the Banque de France to banks to tighten lending conditions for home loans may dampen the market in 2020

French MPs suggest public service to combat bed bugs

There could soon be a public service in France dedicated to helping people get rid of bed bugs, after two cross-party MPs suggested the idea.

Micro-maison tiny houses catching on in France

It contains everything you would find in an ordinary home - but it is not much bigger than a Wendy house

Island home looking for its next Robinson Crusoe

A French house that comes with its own island has been put on sale for €1.68 million.

Beware rogue house-sitters

I was interested in the article (Connexion, September edition) about Nomador, a website that links homeowners and house-sitters.

French Mairies can soon request Airbnb property list

French Mairies in local towns and cities will soon be able to request a list of all properties listed on online rental websites - such as Airbnb - in new rules designed to monitor the practice.

French farmhouse renovation - August 2019

Nick Inman charts the ups and downs of doing it himself with tips and information he has learned renovating a French farmhouse. This month: the secret life of French shutters

Lifestyle of the nomadic European house-sitter

The Connexion discovers the ups and downs of looking after someone else’s home while they are away, from a pair of ‘working retirees’

See inside: Obama family’s luxury villa in France

Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, has chosen the Gard (Occitanie) for a week’s family holiday this summer, and images of the €55,000-per-week luxury villa have now been revealed.

France electricity bills rise to €1,000 per household

Average electricity bills in France could rise as high as €1,000 per household per year in June, as the bill freeze imposed by the government at the peak of the gilets jaunes movement is set to end.

French couple sell €1.5m property via €13 lottery game

A €1.5 million, 450m2 gîte property with a pool is being sold in Périgord (Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine) via an online lottery game that costs just €13 to enter, and which is still open to entries.

Gilets jaunes leader condemns ‘cowardly’ home attack

A house and car belonging to Eric Drouet - one of the so-called “leaders” of the gilets jaunes movement, have been vandalised - in a move that he has called “very cowardly”.

Bloggers inspired Europe to love houseplants again

In 2013, a Serbian man and a Dutch woman walked into a cafe in Paris. This is the story of what happened next.

My house is in one region, my garden in another

You can only imagine the administrative headaches for the hamlet of La Lamberdais – its eight homes are split between two communes, two departments and even two regions.

Homes in France at high burglary risk pre-Christmas

Homeowners and residents in France are being warned that houses are at particular risk of burglary and theft in the run up to Christmas.

I bought via firm - what is French tax position?

In the 1990s I retired in the UK, then was rehired as a contractor but had to set up a limited company. In 2001 we bought a French village house but the purchase was made through the company name. It is owned by myself, my wife, two sons and three grandchildren, with me now having a minority share. I am now in my 80s and if we need to sell the house and change to a bungalow, rather than having a lot of stairs, how do we stand for French tax? D.L.

Remembrance of times past

The village of Ménéham on Brittany’s north Finistère coast has been restored to show visitors the typical lifestyle of peasant farmers and fishermen in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Home help wage rise

People who pay workers for services in the home, such as a cleaner or gardener, can now use a simulator on the official Cesu website to check they have properly calculated a salary rise which should have been applied on October 1.

Electromagnetic surveys in France

Anyone concerned about electromagnetic radiation levels can now have their home – or any public space – checked out for free.

Best way to transfer money from UK to France

My husband and I have decided to bite the bullet and move to France now in case residency rules become more difficult. Our house in the UK is on the market and we are hunting in France. What is the best way to bring funds over?

Does household insurance pay to remove wasps’ nest?

Does household insurance cover having a wasps’ nest removed from my roof? What if the wasps come back? G.B.

Building a new life as a budding artisan

Some buyers fear renovation but others welcome it... our writer Nick Inman has a foot in both camps, as he tells in this first of a series of articles

Summer slump leads to 12.1% fall in new-builds

House-building slumped over the first half of 2018 with just 119,900 building permits approved between May and July... a fall of 12.1% on 2017.

Renovating a rural home in France

Author Josephine Ryan explores a renovated rural home and finds plenty of inspiration for antique buys

French property market holds steady

This article takes a look at the property market both in Paris and across the regions at the end of July 2018. The information is the most comprehensible available as it comes from the Notaires de France, who handle every purchase in France. Here the term ‘older’ homes refers to ones built more than five years ago.

Buying a property with a Pacs relationship

My partner and I are in a Pacs relationship and want to buy a property together. Can you tell us what the different régimes mean for ownership in our situation? A.L.

Inheritance tax bill on property

I am 35 and disabled. I live with my parents and my mum is also disabled. Our incomes are intertwined, the three of us supporting the three of us. But I am one of four children and my parents used the EU Regulation, allowing UK law, to make their will. I inherit everything and, depending on circumstance, will pay virtually zero inheritance tax. My will, however, is harder as I have neither husband or children. There is no cash involved, just a property. I will leave it (my parents fully support this) to my niece and nephew. However, inheritance tax is around 55%. Are there ways to cut the bill as they would have to sell a place they love to pay the tax? H.G.

French notaires expand their online help

One of the first and most accurate sources of information on the property market is the Notaires de France website notaires.fr which carries useful statistics on sales prices and legal advice on the stages of a property purchase.