Unveiled: pretty rural homes in Spain
We adore Spain for its beautiful coasts, but overseas property buyers may be surprised to discover just how magical owning a home in the Spanish countryside can be. From Murcia to Tenerife, here are some of our most desirable rural homes.Read more...
Global popularity of Balearics leads to lack of homes
We hear a lot about the glut of Spanish homes following overbuilding in the 2000s, but in the Balearics they have the opposite problem – so few available that holiday employees arriving for the season are struggling to find accommodation, while prices are rising steadily.Read more...
Chinese buyers are falling in love with the French way of life
With a reputed one million Chinese millionaires looking for somewhere to spend their cash, it’s no wonder that the most desirable properties in the world are finding new Chinese owners. And where does your average Ultra High Net Worth Individual (UHNWI) want to be? Paris and the South of France of course – much like the rest of us.Read more...
The current property market in France
Easter has always been the traditional time for property hunters to begin their property search and this is no less true of the foreign property market. France’s property market in recent years has been completely different from that in the UK; prices have not risen very much if at all and indeed in some areas have fallen, forcing sellers to become more realistic about their property’s worth.Read more...
France still a good move for British buyers
Our France country expert, Ellie Robson, discusses what effect the upcoming EU Referendum will have on those looking to buy property in France.Read more...
Would a French mortgage be a good idea?
There is no doubt that the property market in France remains fairly stable with prices having stayed the same or even decreasing in some regions over the past year or so. Financing your French property purchase deserves careful planning and in many instances it is well worth considering applying for a French mortgage.Read more...
Spain’s four main political parties cannot agree on who should lead the next government.
There is no denying it – Spanish politics is in a mess. Back in December, the General Election results produced no clear winner, though the then-ruling party, the PP (Partido Popular) won the most seats. The leader and then Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, failed to form a government after much negotiation with the three other parties who had also secured seats. Spain’s King, Felipe VI, then invited Pedro Sánchez, the leader of the PSOE (El Partido Socialista Obrero Español) to form a government as they had the second largest number of seats.Read more...
Tasting food straight from the sea on the Costa Brava
Catalonia has a culture of its own and at this time of the year it celebrates a small creature which lives in the sea – the sea urchin. For the last 20 years, the town of Palafrugell has organised an important gastronomic event called La Garoinada. Sea urchins have many different names throughout Catalonia, but Palafrugell is the only place that calls sea urchins “garoines.”Read more...
Why the Languedoc Roussillon is so popular
The region of the Languedoc Roussillon, where we have lived for the past 6 years, is a wonderful land stretching from the Massif Central down to the Pyrenees and around the coast towards Provence. Blessed with the same geography and climate as its more expensive neighbour, Provence, it is fast becoming one of the most popular areas in which to buy in France. Here you will find incredible ruined Cathar castles, often set high up on the hills, making you wonder how on earth they were built so long ago, pretty circulade villages, ancient Roman towns, the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Cite ofRead more...
The pros and cons of the French healthcare system, and how to affiliate to it
The French healthcare system is amongst the best in the world. The hospitals are well funded, modern and well equipped, village GP’s offer a great service, and there is little, if any, waiting time for an appointment.Read more...
Solar panels to be installed over the next 5 years on French motorways
French roads will be covered with 1,000km of solar panels over the next five years and it is said that each kilometre will give enough power to light a village of 1,000 inhabitants!Read more...