Overseas buyers casting their eye over a property in France, either as a second home or to emigrate to, can come across some unfamiliar terminology when it comes to property styles.

Article written by The Overseas Guides Company

Here, we take a look at the most common types of property – some more familiar than others:

Appartement – this one is pretty self-explanatory, whether in English or in French. Apartments are generally located within cities and in towns and villages dotted along the Mediterranean coast.

Chalet – a chalet traditionally refers to a timber cottage located in the Alps. However its meaning has been expanded somewhat to incorporate cottages – still generally constructed of timber – outside of the region, and is a recognised architectural style.

Château – a chateau (or chateaux as plural) is the French word for castle. In practice, it incorporates the traditional idea of fortified castles as well as opulent palaces, generally with significant age and historical value.

Gîte – a less well-known term in the English-speaking world, a gite is essentially a guest cottage used for short-term lets. There can be several gites on one property, traditionally attached or in close proximity to the main house where the owner lived. These type of properties are popular with foreigners looking to open a B&B style business in France.

Longère – the word longère translates to farmhouse, however it generally refers to a particular style of farmhouse – a long, slender, multi-storey building which once would have been used as a residence and working farm building in one. The longère is popular with foreigners seeking a country retreat with plenty of character.

Maison – maison literally means house and refers to the family home. It is generally not a commonly found term when looking for French properties online, since the English equivalent is so readily available – unlike many of the other terms.

Villa – in France, a villa also means a house, however the term is generally reserved for a particular type of house. Here, a villa refers to a usually large and free-standing, well-appointed home that includes a garden and outdoor living space. Villa is a popular term when describing houses in sought-after tourist resort areas.

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.