A survey just released has shown that people’s love affair with France is still going strong, as more foreign people bought a property in France last year, than they did in 2009.

French bank, BNP Paribas carried out their 3rd ‘Investing and Living abroad’ survey, and the results showed that in 2009, 42,300 properties were purchased by foreigners, compared to 51,200 in 2010, that’s an increase of 21%.

Trevor Leggett from the international estate agents, Leggett Immobilier said “This healthy increase in transaction numbers is sure to attract some eye catching headlines and it does sit comfortably alongside our own view of the market, where enquiry levels and sales figures are both up on last year.”

Mr Leggett believes that French sellers have realised that stricter lending conditions and the economic crisis are still prominent issues for buyers, and have therefore been realistic with their asking prices.

The survey also showed that the average selling price of properties in France had risen by around 6%, up to €238,000, mainly in the Île-de-France area around Paris. Mr Leggett explained, “We too have found that buyers are spending more and we have been particularly active at the top end of the market on the Cote d’Azur and other prime areas.”

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in France, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘France Property Buying Guide’