There is no doubt that 2017 is going to be a very interesting year for the French property market with the first round of France's presidential elections on the 23rd of April and 'Brexit' and other populist political movements as the background to the start of the year. It is forecast to be a tough year for real estate sales in the villages and countryside of the Languedoc but as always I remain hopefully optimistic!!
The Languedoc as with many other regions around France has been a popular destination for young English buyers relocating, drawn by affordable house prices, the warmer climate and relaxed lifestyle the region offers. These are buyers that arrive, knowing that once they have purchased their property they need to work in some capacity to create an income in France.
English buyers are a nation of home renovators so larger run down properties being sold for reasonable prices, (often hard to sell to the local french buyers) have attracted these buyers who often add tourist accommodation as part of their renovation project.
These english buyers are also attracted to village houses which, when compared to English prices are inexpensive. Is is possible to purchase a comfortable village home starting from 150000 euro upwards which is why this has been such a popular option.
In just the small area where i live, there are english owned bed and breakfasts, blacksmiths, electricians, builders, potters, tourist operators and those from many more professions legally living and working alongside their french counterparts.
Of course, all of this is about to change dramatically as England prepares to leave the European community and future English buyers will not necessarily have the freedom to purchase a home and work freely in France. Therefore this sector of the property market may start to decline over 2017.
The worry for real estate agents is that these buyers who came to the region to live and work and who will no longer be able to do so in the future, will dramatically change the rural property market in this region. These buyers have made a considerable contribution to renovating village properties, the local economy and buying and selling in the property marketplace.
Traditionally these buyers choose villages and countryside properties, as usually they have come from urban environments and are looking for a change in lifestyle to something more authentic, a lifestyle change with emphasis on time with family and friends rather than the work and make money ethics of city living. It is important to understand as a footnote, that we are not talking about cities like Montpellier but rural villages and the countryside surrounding them which are traditionally the preferred areas for english buyers in this region.
As well as the english buyers who come to work, there are also the English buyers purchasing holiday homes and there is no reason why this segment of the market will not continue to perform normally which is good news. This region offers a wonderful getaway less than two hours flying time from London with great transport infrastructure, 300 sunshine days per year and breathtaking scenery. From vineyards stretching to the horizon to sandy mediterranean beaches (where even in August you can have plenty of room to yourself to lap up the sun and swim in the pristine aqua waters) this really is the 'authentic' South of France.
So perhaps the upside will be that holiday home buyers, not just the English but other traditional buyers such as the Dutch, German, Belgian and northern French will benefit from the market remaining soft for 2017, meaning there will definitely be some excellent buys to be had.
It is always difficult to know what any year holds for the local real estate market so I remain positive that we can rise above the doom and gloom of 'Brexit' and the politics of populism that may throw us 'Europeans' a few stun grenades this year.
But whatever happens there will always be buyers searching for a 'Place in the Sun' and no matter what happens politically, the untamed wilderness, the authentic medieval villages, the Cathar castles, the sandy Mediterranean coast and the 300 or so days we get of beautiful warming sunshine will always be here. And perhaps most importantly the millions of hectares of vineyards planted across rocky hillsides and green valleys from the black mountains to the rocky outcrops on the mediterranean coast producing an exceptional array of wines.
These are the underlying factors that make me optimistic and that will always attract buyers to this wonderfully diverse region.
I say,
'Cheers to that'!!!!
Chardonnay from 'Chateau de Gourgazaud' with homegrown roasted almonds. (Visit the Chateau for a degustation highly recommended. Rich fruity reds and the best chardonnay in the Minervois).