The Dordogne is a truly beautiful department located in the Nouvelle Aquitaine in the south west of France. It has long been one of the most popular areas for many British people to visit and settle in as it has so much to offer: beautiful countryside, stunning towns and villages, medieval castles, prehistoric caves, a great climate, rich and varied food, pretty timber houses. The list goes on and on!
Most of us have gazed at a French cottage on the verge of collapse, a chateau that’s gone to seed or an apartment on a boulevard that’s seen better days, and wondered how beautiful we could make it. We’ve imagined the joy of rescuing a ruin and creating something wonderful. We’ve considered the profit! But could you handle a French property renovation?
Sometimes it’s easy to forget, when you’re busy researching Brexit rules or running around trying to organise estate agents and viewing trips, exactly why France is regarded by all right-thinking people as the nicest place in the world to live. So we thought we’d give you a quick reminder!
One of the joys of living in France is all the space. When we bought our house in the Languedoc-Roussillon eight years ago, we were determined to make our outside space both pretty and manageable. We knew this would allow us to take full advantage of the wonderful Mediterranean climate, and from May to October a good deal of our time would be spent outside. With this in mind we created a small corner in our garden for sunbathing and relaxing beneath our ivy clad wall, which is both lovely to look at and easy to maintain.
The rental market in France was very buoyant until Covid struck, and will be again by mid-2021, hopefully. If you’re considering buying a second home you can let out when you’re not in residence, or perhaps you’re moving permanently and you’re looking for a property that comes with a gîte, now is a great time to start planning.
