annabella

I have just sold my house in Normandy, France. Having wasted a lot of time and money last summer without success, when we targeted the Brit market and Brit publications costing a flipping fortune. I recommend you target the French market. The site we used for our house and sold it to the first people who saw it was

www.entreparticuliers.com

This is a site out of the reach of those greedy realtors and the price you agree is what you get. I do not know notaires' fees though as my husband handled everything while I was here in Canada. There is another site too that is excellent and can find out what it is for you if it helps.

Good luck. We found that the Normandy market had completely collapsed. Brits are going for further south and better weather. e.g. in the Dordogne one or two new airfields have been conveniently built for the Brit market.

The Brits who contacted us over our house last summer proved to be very unreliable. After hours spent cleaning the house and preparing it they would just not turn up and sometimes not even telephone to apologise.

Good luck for your sale!

JamesWanderer

[QUOTE=annabella;5295633 The Brits who contacted us over our house last summer proved to be very unreliable. After hours spent cleaning the house and preparing it they would just not turn up and sometimes not even telephone to apologise.]

yes, I found exactly the same thing happened when I tried selling my property on the usual channels, hence the reason im going down the auction road.

french website sounds interesting, there are a lot of parisians who want a getaway in the countryside. But dont you find they usually want the houses ready to go, and we brits are willing to roll up our sleeves and do the repair work?

BTW where about in Canada are you and how do you find it? I'm in Rural New Brunswick, which is pretty.....interesting.....Im thinking of starting a blog on life in these here woods!

annabella

[QUOTE=JamesWanderer;5296336] Hi James,
I am an old biddy of 69 in Oshawa, ON. Am off to Europe and India and then probably back here but am having serious doubts about staying on. India draws me and I have lived in the region in the past and loved it. I think Canada is great for hols but not sure if I want to stay on here. Great for immigrants at the start of their lives but not sure if it is for me. Everything is relative after all. Canadians are lovely people though (after the French) and I have had much kindness shown to me while going backwards and forwards between here and France. About selling your house. Can't recommend that site highly enough. Still receiving enquiries. One warning though, we do receive lots of enquiries from Ivory Coast and Nigeria and I feel they may not really be interested in a house in rural Normandy! I found on the whole that trying to sell to an English market is not without pitfalls as I said. The Brits are pretty spoilt. French property is very reasonable compared to Brit market and Brits act accordingly. As for whether property should be ready to move in to or need work I don't think it matters because it is reflected in the price. Our house needs lots of TLC and we have sold it like that but, of course, at a price lower than we had hoped. So what's new?
I believe NB to be very beautiful but don't know it. I love BC myself.
All the best.
Anne

artemis

Annabella, not all Brits are like that and I am talking about me I would have turned up to view your house.

annabella

And you are telling me that only now? Perhaps I could have persuaded you to pay me a higher price too? No, of course, not all Brits are like that. I am a Brit and I am lovely. Sure you are too. I am just speaking about the experience we had with Brits. who said they wanted to buy our house.

val50

[QUOTE=annabella;5298651]

I think we are going to have to start another forum for people living in France and Canada

Novocastrian

[QUOTE=val50;] Shall we call it Franada or Crance?

val50

[QUOTE=Novocastrian;5303019] Maybe we should just call ourselves lucky

annabella

[QUOTE=val50;5303073] Bonjour,
Sorry, have to be nosy and ask whereabouts you are in Normandy? Don't have to tell if you don't want to. I was in the Orne.

val50

[QUOTE=annabella;5303191] Novocastrian and I both have houses in Manche. I am in Carentan, close to St Lo and Cherbourg.
I don't think people realise how big Normandy is, or how different the areas are. Love it

annabella

[QUOTE=val50;5303494] OK. Yes, it is a lovely country. I know your area having lived in France since '71. I miss the food and drink. Quebec should be a good place to be with the North American culture mixed with the French.

Novocastrian

[QUOTE=annabella;5303191] I'm not technically there yet, but we are in the process of buying a house in Isigny-sur-mer, about 7 km east of val50, but just over the Calvados-Manche border.

Novo.

annabella

[QUOTE=Novocastrian;5303791] So you are in Richmond Hill ON and you are buying a house in France? For hols? Forgive me, it's the age, I am trying to get the picture here. Trouble with Normandy (yes, whinge, whinge - sorry) is the weather. In my area it has rained every day since April apart from about three days and temp. has never gone higher than about 23. A great excuse though to sit back and drink multiple glasses of chilled white (etc). That's if you need an excuse. I don't......

Novocastrian

[QUOTE=annabella;5303875] Well it's been a dampish summer in most of N Europe. Not just a holiday place, although it'll serve that purpose for a few years. Then we'll retire there. My wife's family are from around there and we've visited pretty much every summer since about 1971. It's home.

I also need no excuse for tippling wine, although definitely not chilled.

Kate45

[QUOTE=Novocastrian;5304962] I also need no excuse for a glass of vino ...hopefully I'll find like minded people in Perpignan or Montpellier