cyrian

A higher proportion of people in France rent than in the UK.
That is why - by law - every new apartment development must have some apartments for rent and why there are tax breaks for wealthy French to purchase "buy-to-let" apartments. For example your local Depute - Phillip Briand - owns many apartments throughout Tours. (as well as being pdg of CityA)
Visit the Sanitas area just down from the station or Joue -les-Tours and you will struggle to find owner-occupiers in certain parts.
It is not like that in the UK where former council estates have a fair proportion of owner occupiers.
I have to agree that everyone I associate with in France is an owner but you cannot ignore the number of renters (many paid for or supported by the State) who are all around.

Touraine

Just because they rent, does not mean they don't own a property elsewhere. My farther in law rented a property throughout his career in France but still owned a number of properties.

There is no point comparing UK and France. There is a housing shortage in the UK where as in France there is a glut.....although not in the right areas.

You just need to go into Leroy Merlin in Chambray or Tours Nord / Brico depot if like and see how many young couples are investing in carrelage, bathrooms, Kitchens ect. They are not buying it for their rented accommodation.

If I had to go back to Paris or Lyon I would rent my house out and rent a place myself. I like my house.

JWL

Or, unless of course a buyer is looking for something s/he wants and you don't. How do you know what any given buyer's circumstances and wishes might be?

Most expacts judge France from their rural hideaways

Hmmm, a bit sweeping, no??

cyrian

I like it - what is he called - Shrek.
There is a point in comparing the UK and France and that is what the British Expats who are coming to France will do. They will think that things are just the same as in the UK and they are not - that is exactly the point.

Touraine

I don't. I don't know why there is a 'Brit' trend in buying houses in the middle of nowhere in France. Does anybody know ? I suspect it is because they have not got a clue about France. If they did, they would not do it.

What I am saying is that there is not lot of sense investing in a property in rural France. The fact that it takes on average 4 years to sell a house (national average 3 months) in such areas proves my point. Nobody apart from expats wants to live there which why certain areas are becoming enclaves. There is no demand from the French ! Furthermore, expat property websites are bursting at the seems with leafy over renovated farm houses with people wanting to leave. Life in rural France has been miss-sold. The reality of rural France is the reality. But people prefer to listen to the advice of Amanda Lamb and channel 4. Have you seen a place in the sun property website ? I mean really. People actually fall for that ? I bet I could find half of the houses advertised on expat websites and half the cost.

Most 'Brit expats' (500,000 I believe) who live in France live rural. I have met two english people in 17 years. There is a massive difference in the functionality/quality of life in France between a rural location and semi rural/city location. Life is completely different. I done both.

audio

This word ‘RURAL’ must have been said 50 times on this thread, must be popular, or for some tiresome. Whatever happened to countryside? It has a much more homely friendly ring IMHO.
By the way, I live in a rural (sorry 51 now ) location and my two nearest neighbours are ex Parisian. They wanted to move away from the hustle and bustle and high crime rate of the big city to live a more relaxed life in the countryside.
So there is a market for country life after all. Not all are hell bent on a huge investment, they prefer quality of life.

Touraine

Nope. Rural is the right word.

You have countryside in city areas too. Bois de Boulugne for example. That is countryside in my book.

5 mins by bike and I am in the countryside.

Big difference between countryside and rural. Rural means rural.

Touraine

Sorry, I forgot to deal with this point.

Your neighbours are French and can speak fluent French.....big difference. Living in rural land is not so much a problem if you can survive.

They probably paid the market rate for their house and not an inflated price from a UK property website. They probably have good pensions with full heathcare and don't have to look at the exchange rate everyday. They are happy to employ French builders and are able to communicate with them so they do a good job. They will have a network of French friends. They don't need to go onto forums and ask if anybody knows of a English speaking 'doctor' 'vet' or 'hairdresser' in their area. They certainly do not order their food from Tesco's and have it delivered direct from the UK to their doorstep in France.

I bet also they can sell their house a lot quicker if they wanted to move.

Their quality of life will be infinitely better than the average expat Brit who will in most cases struggle to adapt.

Last point, there is more 'in your face' crime in rural France.

JWL

Exactly! What's with all this 'investment' constantly creeping in here. I certainly never mentioned it. Quality of life is the thing and one person's idea of that will surely be different from another (vs 'rural is crap').

JWL

A lot of 'probably' and 'I bet' in there.

As Dickens once wrote in some obscure novel, 'facts is what we wants, nothing but facts'..

Touraine

JWL.....define what a 'quality of life' would be in France.

without using the word ''probably'

audio

The general well-being of a person or society, defined in terms of health and happiness, rather than wealth.

Tweedpipe

I'll bite.
Quality of life in France?
For a great many Englishmen, the likelihood of being mille bornes from the mother-in-law.

JWL

I can only do that for me. It's like trying to compare oranges with bananas. You make some first class points but then you resort to trying to define 'quality of life' for everybody.

For me:

-small, maybe 2 beds fairly easy-manageable property for just me.
-a bit of land easily lawn-mowed over wouldn't be bad.
-quiet! essential point as I've spent past 20 years in noisy Asian locals.
-rural, but take that widely. I'd like neighbours to be within sociable distance but far enough away that I can still enjoy my own noise, not theirs
-French neighbours/community within realistic reach. I don't want to live with only British all around me. I want to socialize with decent French people. I like them.
-Also, French neighbours who are happy to have a British person there and keen to be friendly.
-NOT 'investment'! Of course, nobody wants to be peeing money away by the kinds of silly 'expat in nowhere' examples you mention, but, circumstances as they are, I am fortunate to be able to put me first. I hope I have time and wisdom enough when buying to make sure I buy right and don't have to consider re-selling at my advance OAP time of life. Property is for me, and don't really care too much what happens when me is not here..
-The 20-30 mins from civilization sounds fine to me.
-Near small (market) town
-Internet. Window on the world.
-French TV, no cable crap
-no hunting zone near me (ideally...)
-near historical, traditional French town/things
-near history. I love history.
-access to French traditional music of some sort or other would be great.
-accessible to decent French eating out places (simple is fine. I'm not a fussy eater. Throw me a couple of croissants and cheese and I'm happy).

Etc...

Touraine

I can do that. Have a look at Amboise !!!!

I would stay clear of Brittany.

What is your budget ?