France

Ikea opens apartment in Paris metro station

Flatpack furniture giant Ikea is no stranger to adventurous marketing stunts, from staging instore sleepovers to quarantining male shoppers, but their latest ruse tests brand loyalty to the maximum - encouraging 'housemates' to take up a five day residence in a temporary apartment constructed in a Paris metro station.

12 January 2012

Lifestyle buyers in the majority in France

Half of all British buyers who purchase homes in France do so with the intention of moving there permanently, according to French property specialist My-French-House.com

12 January 2012

2 million Britons set to retire in 2012

2 million Britons are set to retire in 2012, according to figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions, a rise of 22% from 2011.

5 January 2012

The lowdown on leaseback

How and why have French leaseback schemes been a slow-burn success?

1 January 2012

Toulouse, Munich and Hamburg top for rental returns

Toulouse, Munich and Hamburg are the most attractive locations for buy-to-let investments according to the results of a study published by real estate management company PATRIZIA Immobilien AG.

8 December 2011

France named as top country for expats raising children

France has topped the Raising Children Abroad league table as the best country for expats to raise children in.

8 December 2011

Neat gîtes

Our appetite for French homes remains ever strong - and the rentals market is saturated in places. So what does it take to set your gîte apart from the rest? One couple with a gîte in Carcassonne share their recipe for success.

30 November 2011

France still top with Rosbifs...

France has once again beaten Spain to the top European spot and destination of choice for Britons leaving the UK to live permanently abroad, following only Australia in the worldwide stakes.

30 November 2011

Brits stay loyal to “safe and stable” France

Research from global property investment company IPINglobal.com, shows that homes in France are still an attractive option for British property buyers, who are attracted by its market stability and incentives for long-term property ownership.

28 November 2011

Les Misérables inn comes on the market

An astonishing slice of French history has gone on the market. Sleep in the room where Victor Hugo wrote Les Misérables in a hotel that's been a favourite amongst French heroes from Napolean Bonaparte to Gerard Depardieu, and for British officers on leave from the Western Front. Drink and dance in the ballroom where Field-Marshall Haig planned the British campaign in 1918.

25 November 2011

Home from Home: Montpellier

Young, lively and dynamic, the southern French city of Montpellier is booming. But what does it offer British buyers tempted by the Languedoc lifestyle?

1 November 2011

Over 50’s communities come to France

They have been popular in the US for some time, but now the concept of a resort dedicated to those over 50 has been brought to France by developers The Villages Group.

24 October 2011