Boom-time or economic crisis, one corner of France that will always be attractive to British buyers is Brittany, thanks to its picturesque coastline and countryside, affordable character homes and easy access from the UK.
Prices of pretty stone houses around Brittany’s northern coast, the Cotes d’Armor, are especially attractive at the moment, with two/three-bedroom cottages in good order realistically available for €100,000, or half that if you head inland and find somewhere in need of work.
“We recently found a semi-detached little house requiring internal renovation for €19,000 for one couple,” said Megan Cooper of Agence Arguenon, a bi-lingual estate agency with offices in Dinan and Lamballe. “Noticing that the attached barn was empty, we made enquiries to find the owner, who then agreed to sell it for €11 000. That meant our clients ended up with a detached property on half an acre on a fantastic budget.”
So where are the best places to buy in this part of Brittany? Dinan is considered one of the most beautiful towns in France, boasting a medieval centre and harbour on the River Rance. Continues Cooper of Agence Arguenon: “We recently sold a period house in need of restoration there for €170,000 to a British couple – they have fallen in love with Dinan and their project is to create a bijou ‘pied à terre’, with the possibility of offering it as luxury holiday accommodation.”
As an example, this 17th Century “longère” style property is just five minutes from the beaches at St-Jacut-de-la-Mer and 15 minutes from Dinan. Its €128,400 asking price includes two/three bedrooms, a feature fireplace, garden and lots of character.
South of Dinan is the Canal d’Ile et Rance, where there are some real gems around the pretty villages of Lehon and Evran. Then, between Dinan and Lamballe, the character village of Jugon les Lacs is hugely popular with its lake and riverside situation – it’s also the starting point to the Arguenon valley. “There we have just sold a three-bedroomed lakeside house, nestled in a valley and with a garden, garage and terrace, to a London based professional couple with three teenage daughters. They paid just €168,500 for what is an ideal getaway in perfect order. Another popular medieval village, set on a hilltop, is Moncontour, south of Lamballe.”
For details of properties for sale in France visit the French listings on Rightmove Overseas. One way to save money when buying in France, or moving there, is to use a currency exchange specialist when transferring your pounds into euros. For more information on this, visit the Currency Zone or contact Smart Currency Exchange.
To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in France, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘France Property Buying Guide’
The views and comments herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Rightmove Overseas, Rightmove Group Ltd or Rightmove Plc