Property Guides

Home rental is the future of quality tourism, says Airbnb

If you had a friend visiting from overseas, where would you take them to show them the best of your country? According to the boss of Airbnb, it probably wouldn’t be the places that the tourist industry are taking us. He believes that new tourism models need to develop, and overseas home-owners are uniquely placed to deliver them.

Changes to notaire fees

New discounts have been introduced that apply to the work the notaire performs as part of the purchasing process in France. The main role of the notaire is to uphold French law throughout any property transaction, and as such he works for neither the buyer nor the seller; the notaire is there to make sure the legal process of buying in France is carried out properly. You will usually only need one notaire, but you are at liberty to choose a separate one if you wish – the fees will be no higher, but rather split between the two of them.

If Brittany is the new Cornwall, then where’s the new Brighton?

According to The Times newspaper, Brittany is the “new Cornwall” for London’s wealthy looking for a second home. “In many ways it’s like a bigger version of Cornwall but with more sun and homes at a fraction of the price,” says the newspaper: “The average value of a property in Brittany hovers about the €150,000 (£120,000) mark and it’s not that difficult to reach.”

Confidence in French market soars

There has been positive news for the French property market this week, as renewed market stability and improved buyer confidence has helped to entice would-be overseas buyers back to the country.

10 ways to regret nothing when you buy in France

It’s a big decision, choosing a home in France. A Place in the Sun readers recently revealed their top tips for getting it right. The French are famous for regretting “rien”, but A Place in the Sun magazine has revealed 10 regrets of its readers who bought abroad and then had a better idea. Don’t worry, they were all very happy to have bought a place abroad, but realise that with a bit more thought they might have made better decisions. The good news is that when buying a holiday home or moving abroad, you can normally correct any early mistakes.

Signs of Property Market recovery in Spain

The property market in Spain saw an improvement at the end of 2015, although this was patchy, with some areas faring better than others. Since the beginning of 2016, the market has had ups and downs, with a drop in sales in January, but a rebound in February, and a very strong comeback in Madrid and Barcelona with high end property selling well.