Where to Find Cheap Property in France

Country:  France

In these credit-crunch times, it’s good to know that there are still pockets of France where cash-strapped property buyers can get value for money. You may have to travel that little bit further, or sacrifice the sea view, but step off the beaten track and there are some amazing property deals to be done. Prepare to be pleasantly surprised.

Property in The Basque Country

With direct, low-cost flights into Biarritz and Pau (plus Bilbao, across the Spanish border), the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département is easily reached from the UK. Most visitors are familiar with bourgeois Biarritz and its chic, art deco architecture, but beyond the cosmopolitan town is a less-populated landscape of palm-fringed coast, rolling green countryside, white-water rivers, forests and mountain peaks, where the thermometer rarely dips below six degrees Celsius. 

To the north of the county, the Landes area encompasses pine forests and vast, deserted beaches; one of France’s least-populated areas, it is perfect for property hunters craving unspoilt scenery. “Properties for sale on the coast will always command high prices, but head half an hour inland and there are vast farms with land starting from €550,000,” says Julia Troccaz of Beyond Biarritz. “Basque farmsteads traditionally housed both family and livestock, so this kind of property comes with huge amounts of living space; villages like Sare, Ascain and Espelette are attractive, well-kept, and still relatively near the Atlantic.”

Farms to be renovated cost from €300,000 (£240,000), but remember to factor in the work needed to render the property habitable; materials and labour are expensive here, according to Troccaz, who suggests that the best buys to be had in Landes are directly inland from the popular resorts of Capbreton and Hossegor: “Prices of Landes property are lower than around Biarritz, because there’s more available land, yet the access is still incredibly good; you can be 15 minutes inland but only 20 minutes from Biarritz airport, five minutes from the motorway, and 25 minutes from Saint-Jean-de-Luz.” Budget upwards of €500,000 (£397,000) for a renovated Landaise farm with around 6,000 square metres of land.

Property in Lozere

Down on the Mediterranean coast, the region of Languedoc-Roussillon is made up of five administrative départements, of which only one – Lozère – lacks a coastline. This hilly, land-locked area of long, winding roads has low visitor numbers and an even lower profile, particularly when it comes to British property buyers (figures released last year classified Lozère as the French département with the lowest number of overseas-property owners, qualifying the presence of Johnny Foreigner as “insignificant.”) 

This authentically French spot is also very quiet: French news magazine L’Express and its 2007 “Best Places to Live in France” survey voted Lozère the ideal retirement destination, by dint of its unspoilt landscapes, quiet roads, and low pollution and crime rates. It has a small population (around 73,500, which works out as 14 locals per square metre), and arguably not much in the way of cultural infrastructure (the area is ranked 94th out of 96 on this particular point), but Lozère is undeniably well suited to those in search of a quiet, safe base, and property in Lozere comes cheap.

The L’Express survey ranks Lozère as the seventh least-expensive area to buy property in. Alex Charles of Crème de Languedoc comments: “You won’t find much opportunity for capital growth or rental potential, but Lozère’s property market offers great value, and its large, stone-built properties are perfect for self-sufficient types with the necessary know-how. Your money will go further here than in the Languedoc’s busier southern areas of Gard and Hérault. A budget of €242,000 (£192,000) buys a two-bedroom stone property set in 1.5 acres [over half a hectare] of land in the Cévennes national park, which would be ideal for nature lovers; or, for twice the price we’re selling a vast, five-bedroom, renovated farmhouse with outbuildings, with an acre [just under half a hectare] of ground near the village of Florac.”

Property in Poitou Charentes

The Charente area sits amid the undulating countryside and forests of western France’s oitou-Charentes region, and has been in the spotlight recently for two reasons.
Firstly, some of the world’s most famous brandy is produced in the Charente town of Cognac, and sales of this precious tipple reached a new all-time high in 2007. With business booming, the cherry on the cake for locals was the opening, in spring this year, of the new Angoulême-Cognac airport, with direct flights to London Stansted.

"It’s bound to have a positive effect on the property market in and around Cognac and Jarnac," says Graham Downie, a property search agent who tips this part of western France to soar. “There are several reasons that make the Cognac area worth a look: it has a very convenient location, within striking distance of four airports, and only five and a half hours by train from London; the cognac industry makes it an affluent area popular with tourists, who come to visit Rémy Martin, Hennessy, Martell and Courvoisier, which means it’s lively year-round; and the thriving local economy spells good news for property owners and investors alike.”

Figures released in June 2008 show that of the nine areas that make up Poitou-Charentes, property in Charente has the most accessibly priced dwellings, and its traditional stone properties will appeal to property buyers with a penchant for character property. According to Downie, a two-bedroom townhouse within five minutes’ walk of Cognac’s main square can be picked up for around €120,000 (£95,000), while €200,000 (£159,000) bags a three-bedroom stone property in a nearby village, with a small garden and easy access to shops and restaurants. For an imposing four- to six-bedroom property with pool, walled garden and vineyard views (the kind coveted by many UK property buyers), allow €300,000 to €450,000 (£240,000 to £355,000); in the lively market town of Jarnac (home to the house of Courvoisier), a three-bedroom property in immaculate condition, with pool and garden, is selling for just under €400,000 (£318,000).


First published in October 2008.
Some information contained within this article may have changed since it was first published. Homes Overseas strongly advises you to seek current legal and financial advise from a qualified professional. 

See all properties in France

Some properties in France

	Ref 5287339, Languedoc-Roussillon, Herault, France
	Price: £16,325 Type: House
	Town offering all shops and services, markets, schools, situated 5 minutes from the Orb river valley, 30 minutes from Beziers and the motorway. Building needing total renovation (floors, roof, etc) in a quiet street, with 30 m2 private garden.
	View details | Enquire further

	Ref 3734434, Languedoc-Roussillon, Herault, France
	Price: £16,744 Type: Apartment
	Autignac: Nice village with all shops, 15 minutes from Beziers, 20 minutes from the motorway and 30 minutes from the coast. Flat leisure land of 10 000 m2 located 500 m of a village with all amenities. No water or connexion to electricity.
	View details | Enquire further

	Ref 3734432, Languedoc-Roussillon, Herault, France
	Price: £26,790 Type: Apartment
	Saint Genies de Fontedit : nice village with all shops, 15 minutes from Beziers, 20 minutes from the motorway and 30 minutes from the coast. Flat leisure land of 18 000 m2 located 500 m of a village with alla amenities.
	View details | Enquire further

	Ref 4908202, Limousin, Creuse, France
	Price: £28,000 Type: Apartment Bedrooms: 1
	Make your pension work harder with 13.6% NET return pa via a SIPP*0% Non-Status Finance*Exit Strategy with 150% Return on Your Capital Investment*200% NET return over 10 years*Investment so brilliant I have bought one myself*Only 6 units left
	View details | Enquire further

	Ref 4516140, Limousin, Haute-Vienne, France
	Price: £28,000 Type: Apartment Bedrooms: 1
	Last remaining fractionals at this stunning resort for 1/12 ownership of a luxury Chateau Suite. An opportunity to own a share in the luxurious Chateau de la Cazine, combining the perfect lifestyle choice, with a rewarding investment.
	View details | Enquire further

	Ref 4236304, Languedoc-Roussillon, Herault, France
	Price: £29,302 Type: House
	In a hamlet at 5 minutes from Lamalou les Bains, stone house to renovate with possibility to make 90 m2 of living space on a plot of about 100 m2. Ground = Courtyard/garden of 30 m2 + ruine of about 70 m2 ground surface. 1st = Possibility to make a
	View details | Enquire further

	Ref 3734435, Languedoc-Roussillon, Herault, France
	Price: £29,469 Type: Apartment
	Autignac : Nice village with all shops, 15 minutes from Beziers, 20 minutes from the motorway and 30 minutes from the coast. Flat leisure land of 20.135 m2 located 500 m of a village with alla amenities. No water or connexion to electricity.
	View details | Enquire further

	Ref 5178652, Languedoc-Roussillon, Herault, France
	Price: £33,479 Type: House
	Village with cafe / restaurant and small grocery store, 10 minutes from major shops and 30 minutes from Beziers, the highway and the sea.
	View details | Enquire further

	Ref 4876493, Midi-Pyrenees, Gers, France
	Price: £33,488 Type: House Bedrooms: 2
	This village house is situated in a village in the north of the Gers. Property for total renovation. The house, of approx. 109 m2, currently consists of 4 rooms with two separate entrances.
	View details | Enquire further

	Ref 3734379, Languedoc-Roussillon, Herault, France
	Price: £35,162 Type: House
	Village situated 10 minutes from Saint Chinian, Saint Jean de Minervois, and 30 minutes from Beziers, Narbonne, highway and the beaches.
	View details | Enquire further

See all properties in France