Property prices in the UK have gone bananas. It is almost impossible now for any young-ish person (with a reasonable job) to even contemplate buying their own home.
So, let me propose an alternative.
The house above (which has just been SOLD) is an example of what can be bought around here, in S W France.
It was on the market for €194,000 (£164,000 or $205,000), but what it was sold for I don't know; presumably quite a bit less.
As you can see, it is quite large. It needs a reasonable amount of work, but is habitable. It has 4 bedrooms and oil-fired heating. It comes with 2 huge stone barns, 3 garages, a vaulted stone cellar, and a Pigeon tower. It is surrounded by 7,000 sq ms of land; but knowing the state of local agriculture, I expect more could easily be bought.
A similar amount of money back in the UK would probably buy you a beach hut! On the other hand, can you imagine what you'd have to pay for such a house in England?
Anyone who runs a business from home, or does not need to be tied to the UK (or even the US, or Oz) would be crazy not to consider this option. I did over 40 years ago, and have never regretted it.
The above house had been on offer through Charles Loftie's agency here:-
http://www.charles-loftie immo.com/listman/listings/l0158.html
Just click on the 'up to €200,000' heading and you'll see what I mean.
The potential of that place and, the roof still looks in a very good state.
ReplyDeleteGreetings Maria x
If I'd been house-hunting, I would certainly have considered it; but there are so many to choose from.
DeleteIt looks like it has a lot of potential but probably will take quite a bit of extra money to fix up. I tried finding the website but the Internet link would not cooperate.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite TV programs is House Hunters International. I love to see how people live all over the world. They often feature France, Italy and Australia. I could certainly live in any of those places, but I would need an American kitchen.
People over here tend to have Swedish kitchens these day (Ikea). If it took another €100,000 to restore, you'd still have a very cheap home.
DeleteYou have the best of both worlds then, Cro: Your idyllic pile in France and your goldmine in Brighton. I admire the foresight you had as long as fourty years ago.
ReplyDeleteU
It's all a matter of 'choice'; I think mine was OK.
DeleteThat is very cheap indeed,a beautiful house.
ReplyDeleteIt could be spectacular, with the right person doing the restoration.
DeleteOther possibilities include "up north" in England where one can still find a few bargains. And the lovely weather comes as a free extra.
ReplyDeleteI even know somebody who recently bought a house very cheap in Bulgaria not far from the Black Sea.
My advice. Shop around.
I heard one time that Charles was planning to buy a castle in Poland pretty cheap. He liked the idea of using it as a hunting lodge. Unfortunately a Polish newspaper reported 9 families who rented rooms in the castle could have to move out.
DeleteI thought he was against hunting.
DeleteAs if.
DeleteI see the main stream media has a new word for terrorists. The two just arrested in possession bomb making equipment and planning a major attack during the next few days in France are not Islamists, terrorists, men of eastern appearance or anything like that they are simply "radicalized men". Be careful out there Cro, there could be other sleeper cells on the move. I shall pray for you.
That is so incredibly cheap. A huge house and so much land. Even with repairs as you say still a bargain. Cheaper than houses around here
ReplyDeleteYou get plenty for your money, that's sure.
DeleteYou still need to have the money.
ReplyDeleteYes, but you need about a fifth of what you'd need in Blighty.
DeleteOur local estate agent in Normandy reports an increase in house sales to the English,pre Brexit.
ReplyDeleteGetting out whilst the going's good?
DeleteI think you may be right! Wanting to invest their money in property outside Britain. We bought our place in Normandy four years ago for£50,000.It was habitable but needed renovation. One acre with a garden laid to fir trees,apple,pear and plum. A small paddock with pressoir and well. Two cottages we've knocked together plus an extra holiday cottage. Huge workshop and two barns. The cottages retain character in their massive beams and huge fireplaces and all date from 1746,pre revolution. What a Bargain! Luckily my husband can work two days a week via computer and there's the rub. Property in France may be cheap but work virtually impossible to find.
DeleteThat's really why I mentioned not being tied to the UK for work. I was OK, because my studio is where I worked, and that could be anywhere. My youngest son's work is via the web, so it's the same for him, and he has two homes, one in Oz, and one here. Of course not everyone can do that.
DeleteHi Cro, as you know I live in Brighton and Hove and the house next door to me has been renovated, ha ha, not very well, and has just been sold for £960.000. It has 5 bedrooms, lounge, diner and kitchen and no garden, just a court yard.
ReplyDeleteMaybe our houses are now worth telephone number prices too? Both of ours have simple small courtyards, although one has use of a shared private garden.
DeleteFunnily enough the couple moving in are from Kemp Town, I haven't met them yet but just hope they don't fill it with students.
DeleteWhen I bought my house in St Nicholas Rd, it was full to the brim with students, all sleeping all over the place. I didn't get to see half the rooms, but bought it anyway!
DeleteRemember the film studios along there?
DeleteProbably there when you bought your property
You pay more for a one bedroom flat in Bath.
ReplyDeleteExactly.
DeleteRestauration - a good one- costs a lot of money and can really ruin you and maintaining an old house is not easy, I would not make this choice.
ReplyDeleteToo much enthusiastic restoration can ruin old houses. The French are the worst culprits.
DeleteI do not mean to make a "modern house" of an old one, but heating, water system and isolation can explode your financial ressources. And a nice new kitchen is quite expensive.
ReplyDeleteThe French will take a beautiful old cottage and change it into a modern nightmare.
DeleteExpense is relative. A very chic new kitchen can now be installed for anywhere between €3,000 and €10,000; not a huge sum. Bathrooms are cheaper. Heating systems can be expensive; as we have recently witnessed. Otherwise most interior work to old stone houses can be done little by little by the owner.
I would love to buy that place. Unfortunately, not knowing what will happen post Brexit, we will be selling and moving to Cornwall. You cant get a detatched house for that price down there... £164k is very cheap
ReplyDeleteCornwall is beautiful. If you wanted somewhere nearby, and don't mind hopping over to Wales, you could always try Pembrokeshire or Carmarthenshire. You'd get more for your money.
DeleteSol, Cro's right. South Wales has more to offer too. Cardiff is a beautiful city and the new opera house is a great seafront feature, nearby Swansea you have the Gower peninsula and breathtaking scenery, and you can still find starfish on the amazing beaches, and there's Pembrokeshire coastal path, and the seals, and the birds, and the beer, and the castles, and . . .
Delete...and far fewer tourists.
DeleteBeautiful, sign me up.
ReplyDeleteI also like the other places mentioned, Cornwall, Pembrokeshire but I am a desert dweller again.
cheers, parsnip
The dogs would love it out here. It's dog heaven.
DeleteCro I often wish that at some point in my life I had made a move abroad somewhere. But I suspect that is the kind of pipedream that many of us have. You had the courage to act.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure about 'courage'; occasionally (when I had urgent things to see to in England) it seemed like lunacy.
DeleteI would love to take your advice and look at that website but it doesn't work, or rather just takes me to the general website but I have no idea where to search. South of France would be perfect! I'll try it again.
ReplyDelete