andrew phillips

Hi I own a property in the Dordogne and due to the exchange rate,I was contemplating selling it ,does anyone know how the current French housing market is doing at present .

Scots in Treignac

not the Dordogne, but not far away in Treignac,I have just been looking at the website of my local immoblier.

It seems that you get more house for your Euro than a year and a half ago when I bought my house. As with everything, it,s not entirely straightforward.

The hotel beside the local lake is up for sale (again after a year or so) but after a make-over so maybe someone has made a killing (or maybe the opposite).

Then a local bar/ piza place with a stunning view is also for sale, but the owners may well be retiring.

Ka Ora!

It's an older story, but there may well be more on the site.

Right about here

The market here in the Midi has slowed down, Land is holding it's value.

G-J-B

http://www.premierfrenchproperty.com...0-2009-says-sp

I guess different people will give different stories. I don't see property going up in value this year, and am sure it will get harder to sell and buy, however not to the same degree as the UK.

wetwang

I was talking to a Fench Estate Agent who tells me that no agents in Sarlat have made a sale for 5 months! Agence Wilson have disappeared and another Agency next to the Renoir Hotel has gone.Century 21 have just closed down being unable to pay their staff and the Agency next door is slashing property priced over 300k by 100k to try and get offers. Its a great time to buy but,oops, you want to sell

tracy1

Hello all, new to the France section and have a question, I have heard conflicting reports about making offers on French property way below the asking price, is it worth a try or not?? French property prices don't seem to be decreasing but then the same houses keep coming up month in month out when I do a property search.
I am not particularly looking to buy at this time (but always willing to consider a bargain!!) just have an interest in worldwide housing markets and have been surprised that more vendors are not dropping prices, but then the ones who have dropped drop by a huge amount, like 50,000 euros or even more. It's a novelty because it's not something you see here. (Here being the UK by the way)

Ka Ora!

The French love to haggle on prices, With the current climate it's always worth a try. Although if it's way under the advertised price don't be suprised if they tell you to bugger off.

If your going to make a lower offer Justify why you are making the lower offer, Either evidence of lower priced house's in the area of same quality or the Defects with the property if there are any. Having had lot's of French People view properties here we have sold in the past, It's very normal for them to enter and say this is wrong thats not right etc etc. They like to start on a negative in a bid to lower the price. If it's not got a good Sun facing aspect thats always a good one.

onlyonebrenda

Even in good times properties take up to two years to sell hence no rush to drop prices but nothing is selling here and hasn't done so for months. If you're trying to sell I reckon targetting the Paris market is your best bet as people often want a second home and Parisians tend to retire back to their roots. They're more likely to buy than the English or Dutch in the current climate. there's a property advertising magazine advertised on French Tv as being national, something like P....à particular. Perhaps someone else can rememnber the name;

wetwang

The English are turning into the worst kind of hagglers. A pal of mine is selling near Perigueux and he has never heard so many contrived tales of woe from potential buyers. One buyer has chipped him twice on the price due to currency differentials to the point the deal was not worth doing.
Even at my humble B&B where the euro bed-night rate has been unchanged for two years I get emails asking for 'a deal' only from the English. They are becoming the beggars of Europe, the smugness of their 1.40 to the Pound has long since evaporated.

Andrea50

Well, yes, ok, point taken and all that but let's face it, who in their right mind would NOT take advantage of this situation? Its swings and roundabouts, as I and my partner between us have seen over £70,000 wiped off the value of our properties.

As cash buyers, I do not feel the slightest compunction about making low offers. I accepted an offer of £102,000 for this flat when it was on at £125,000. It didn't sell in the end cos he lost his mortgage offer. If people want to sell, they should perhaps realise that their property, on at 149,000 euros for two years, has not held that value in the current market.

I am certainly not trying to rip anyone off - only trying to redress the balance somewhat as indeed I suspect just about everyone else in the same position would do.

I always make my position very plain to agents I correspond with, and if they don't believe me, that's tough. Oddly enough, it is the British sellers in France who seem more open to offers - presumably they are a bit more clued up about what's really happening with the markets etc. And also they realise that if they are trying to move back to the UK their euros are worth more coming back over to England than going the other way. It's all relative.

And as ever, folk can always say "non".

Andy

wetwang

Many older English in the Dordogne,dependent on UK pensions are at their wits end with costs in France. They miss their families more than they ever thought.
Savvy Estate Agents often predict the 2 year honeymoon elderly English who buy a holiday dream as a permanent home in some remote and cheap area. Two years later when they still havn't seen their neighbour, sick of the red tape, sick of the winter cold, and travelling miles to buy basics the house comes back on the market.
Estate Agents with their high charges 7%/8%are having a tough time as if you can contact the owner direct there can be deals done but less comeback if you buy a pig in a poke.