We are approaching the time of year that is perceived as being “out of season”. Generally, airlines scale down and even stop flying certain routes into France and across Europe. Do not be concerned if you are looking to access Provence Var!

Never have I been more content than this week that I am spending in France. I split my time between France and the UK, unfortunately spending more of it in the UK than here in France.

Credit crunch, inflation, oil prices, global recession, failing investments, doom and gloom….. All these can be found in abundance everywhere you look in today’s world. Yet here in this tranquil corner of South-West France the reverberations of these things seem less important as little changes here over time and the region still offers the same reasons for buying a property that it always has.

We have on our books an attractive detached bungalow, please see reference 510269, which we were asked to market a couple of months ago.

Dear Trisha,

We are so excited to have signed for our new house in France. The whole process wes really smooth and there was never any doubt that VEF were acting in our best interests all the way.

Thank you so much, Peter and Annabelle

For anyone living and working in the UK, there is only one thing on their minds, who is going to be the next victim of the “credit crunch”? We have seen the collapse or takeover of Northern Rock, Lehman Brothers, HBOS and Bradford & Bingley. Everyday we turn on the news to hear stories of rising energy & food prices and falling property prices. There is a general sense of doom and gloom.

Last weekend saw the St.Siffret ‘rendez-vous’ picnic. It is an annual occasion which allows all the residents of the village to get together and chat.

It makes perfect sense, how many times have you told your friends your dream of living in France, and how many of them said “ohh I would love to do that”? So, buy a French property together.

Residents in our area of the Vendée are used to the holiday makers arriving during the summer months and filling the available accommodation, this year gite owners and hoteliers have almost filled their booking sheets for early November and February 2009 to the extent that coastal accommodation for these periods is now thin on the ground.

We had two completions yesterday, where two of our clients got the keys to their dream properties in France, and I must say it is one of the best parts of being an estate agent.

Hi Alan,

Thank you so much for all your help in processing our information, its been a very smooth process all of the way or so it seems from our end.

We are looking forward to going back to the Vendee and seeing the property again with Andrew

After a quieter August, the VEF partner offices had a busy September. With the summer traffic out the way and the temperatures cooling to a more pleasant level, our clients returned to France in force. September was our strongest month for French property sales so far this year.

At the recent French Property show held at Olympia in London we met a high percentage of people who wished to purchase holiday homes in Southern Brittany. A lot of their budgets were around the £100,000 which at today’s exchange rate equates to 125,000euro.

With all the uncertainty surrounding our banks, the keepers of our savings and the world financial markets generally, we are seeing strong flows of money out of the financial system searching for alternative forms of investment.

Up until recently renovations have definitely not been what clients looking to buy in France have wanted but the trend seems to be shifting. Most clients specify that they want a property that is structurally sound with a good roof and the usual answer to, ‘do you mind doing some work?’ is, ‘we don’t mind putting in a new kitchen and bathrooms, but don’t want to do anything structural’. However it’s not as simple as that. Let me explain.

In rural France and particularly in Limousin life is still very much lived by the seasons and the changing seasons are something to be celebrated. Many of my French friends, neighbours and colleagues tell me that autumn is their favourite time of year; the days are still warm and the changing colours of the trees and the changing face of the countryside are just breathtaking.

We can’t believe that almost a year has passed since we bought our house in France. We should have written sooner but we have been too busy enjoying our new life here!

Anyway, we wanted to thank you for the amazing service that your company provi

"Unlike Britain, the US and many other countries, France appears to be weathering the credit crunch storm in reasonable shape". As reported by the BBC on Friday.

This, of course, comes as no surprise to those of us who live and work in France but

Our French partner agents in the Pyrénées Atlantiques are reporting an increase in sales of properties up to 200,000 Euros and over 350,000 Euros so, if this is your budget, you would be well-advised to start house-hunting now.

Running the VEF office in the Vendée here in France means that we look at lots of different properties and every now and again we discover something extra special. This one represents excellent value for money and we would like to draw your attention to it.

Provence Var – The Gateway between Provence and the Côte d’Azur is NOT out of your league!!!

As I write this I have just witnessed a piece of history as Swiss aviator Yves Rossy landed on the cliffs above Dover having crossed the English Channel from Cap Blanc Nez close to Calais with his jet propelled wing.

My bicycle came out of the garage yesterday. It was a sunny afternoon and because of a dinner party later that day, a trip to the local wine cooperative was needed!

Dear Trisha,

We both felt our visit to the French Property Show was very useful, and, given that we are just starting to investigate the idea of moving to France, visiting your stand and chatting with you was the most worthwhile part.

Thank y

It has come to my notice after talking to clients at the recent Olympia exhibition that the name of our office may be confusing some of you.

The Vendée is the second most visited tourist destination in France and people come back year after year to sample the delights on offer.

The Loire Valley has always been linked with royalty and wealth. Few know that idyllic homes can be bought for under £200,000. Here at VEF we are pleased to offer a selection of these bargain homes from both our Loire and Mayenne-Loire offices. From

Having recently attended the property show at Olympia, I felt I needed to let you know that the Web site and your whole service is really user friendly. There is so much information available and so much food for thought!

Kim

The demand for traditional cottage style properties remains strong in the Pas de Calais/ Picardy region from buyers both local and further afield whether for weekend/holiday use or as permanent residences.

Having written last week about the feeling of potential property buyers who came to the French Property exhibition recently, I have been very interested to witness the amount of press attention this has evoked and the amount of other web sites all referring to it. It seems that everyone is after some good news, and owning a property in France certain provides that feel good factor.

Ok so you have made your minds up, France is where you want to spend some or all of your time. The question is how best to go about it? Let’s start by looking at the options
1. Do you buy now? 2. Should you buy something you can rent out in France that would pay for itself and also give you a special place to spend your holidays? 3. Should you wait until the market picks up? Maybe I can help you make up your mind.

It’s true that sometimes we estate agents are guilty of using the word “bargain” a bit too often. But sometimes you find a property that is on the market for such a great price that we just can’t help ourselves.

Dear James and Clare,

Just a note to thank you for all your assistance over the past 4 months in helping us find and purchase our French retreat, we could not have done it without you. So many potential problems disappeared with simply an e-mail

Our wonderful West Coast department has been full of holiday makers over the summer period and the restaurant owners are all enjoying a bit of respite, now that the main holiday period is over. This means that it really is a marvellous time to visit the Vendée and enjoy its excellent facilities.

It was so good to meet people going forward with their plans of buying a French property and great to chat with everyone who shares a similar dream. I was lucky enough to talk with lots of people who are planning to visit the Languedoc Provence area. Plans ranged from buying a plot of land to purchasing the perfect full time home.

If you have read anything about the city of Angouleme at the moment, you will know that it is a city on the move. A new airport, a new TGV link with Paris and London, and a cultural calendar that any major city in France would be hard pressed to match.

Autumn in Burgundy has to be my favourite season. The sometimes fierce summer heat has receded, leaving behind a gentle warmth and the first traces of the turning of the year. The sky is blue, the air is mild, the colours of the land are breathtaking, and the vines and hedgerows are heavy with fruit.

Dear Trisha,

It was so good to meet you at Olympia at the weekend and I would like to thank you and your team for all the help and advice you gave me. I am just checking dates and then I'll be calling to make my appointment to view properties in F

Having just returned from the French Property Show in London this weekend we have been heartened to find out how many potential buyers seem to have found solutions to their plans of buying a property in France.

The property market in the Charente is moving quickly, especially in comparison to many of the other areas in the surrounding departments where previous price rises between 2000 and 2006 have made character homes there unaffordable for many UK buyers in this difficult time economically. In fact, yesterday I had to explain to a client that of the 6 properties to visit that she had picked out from our website just 2 weeks before, only 2 of them were still on the market!

I’ve never been so aware of nature before. In England I loved gardening with a passion. I knew my garden and I understood it.

I really appreciate all you hard work for me and these properties look amazing! All your information is really helpful. I have just spoken with Dan this morning and he is going to send me all the appointment times and info.

I think I will book my

Canoeing is one of the main leisure activities in the Dordogne region mainly owing to the fact that we have 26 rivers in the department, including several large and very famous ones, such as the Vezere, Dronne, Isle and of course the Dordogne river itself.

In the Uzès area there are so many wonderful properties and so often clients come out and fall in love with something more expensive than their original budget. This, however, is one of the areas of France where this is not a problem. If you are happy to raise the finance, through Validus Financial Services, of course, then letting your property when you are not using it is becoming exceedingly easy.

I remember well the days, back in the UK, when shopping for wine generally meant a trip to the supermarket or off licence. More often than not, it was a bottle of mediocre and generally overpriced wine shoved hastily in the shopping basket after work or frantically trying out the numerous “wines of the week” or current promotions in order to search for a palatable tipple. It never seemed easy to choose wines and we never had the time. Well, that’s not how we do it anymore…….

Vendée offers real France at realistic prices.

Vendée has over 140 Km of fabulous Atlantic coastline.

Vendée enjoys a micro climate with long, hot summers.
Vendée is steeped in history with chateaux and ancient towns.

Vendée is easily accessible from the UK.

Recent news in Capital, a French magazine specialising in the economy and business has stated that there is ‘Pas de Krach’ in the French property market. There has been a slowing down of the market and a stabilisation of prices or slight fall over most of France, with Paris still showing an increase of 9.4% in the last 12 months!

As another lucrative summer rental season for property owners in Provence draws to an end, they can look forward to much of the same in spring/ summer 2008 or perhaps the half term and Christmas holidays later this year. So why Provence Var?

Dear Trisha,

James and Clare were extremely helpful and enthusiastic. They listened to our requirements and we found the house we were looking for on our first day out.

James' help did not end with the final signing, he has been ready to deal

Uzès and its surrounding area, the Uzège, are blessed in many ways.

As an estate agent who specialises in French property matters when writing in the press, I usually leave politics well alone. But as everyone else seems to be at it, I thought I might have a go.

With lots of family visiting us over the summer, we’re reminded of why we love living in the Charente, with comments such as “the scenery’s gorgeous,” “this area reminds me of how England used to be 30 years ago,” and “everyone’s so friendly,” being a few of their opinions on the area.
At this time of year, with the sun blazing and temperatures soaring, lots of tourists visit the Charente as it’s such a fantastic area to live in and visit. Here are some of the top attractions:

The easy answer is when you live in the Auvergne and the sun shines for the entire week!

Dear James

We got so carried away with appreciating your help, we didn't mention our satisfaction with the VEF service overall. Marie in the London office certainly made things easier for us as she responded so quickly to all our questions and ga

With blue skies, hot sunshine and temperatures reaching 30°C, we are experiencing more of the fantastic Charente micro-climate.

While the French economy is predicted to grow by 0.6% for the 4th quarter of 2008, the UK economy is now heading for recession with a predicted downturn of 0.4%. For the last 12 months we have been helping UK buyers find a way to advance their plans to move to France and luckily several hundreds of our clients are now happily installed in France where there is very little sign of recession and no sign of depression.

I was one. And I’ve witnessed many others. The lure of France comes with the lure of open space, the attraction of chickens, the charm of goats and the delight of home grown vegetables.

With the increase in visitors driven by the new airport at Angoulême, tourism in the Charente is definitely on the way up. This, of course, has led to an increased demand for accommodation in the area with more and more people wanting to stay and see what this beautiful region has to offer.

Recent news in Capital, a French magazine specialising in the economy and business has stated that there is ‘Pas de Krach’ in the French property market. There has been a slowing down of the market and a stabilisation of prices or slight fall over most of France, with Paris still showing an increase of 9.4% in the last 12 months!

Property prices in France are around 60% of what we typically pay in the UK and there are plenty of good buys for those looking for a home and for the savvy investor.

Amongst our vendors here in the Vendée we have the ex Mayor of the small village of Sigournais and what a pleasure it is to deal with him.

Dear Anthony and Gillie

Thank you for the detailed, reliable and friendly comprehensive support you offered me throughout the purchase process.

It was very reassuring to have you available for advice and liaison with local people, such as a bui

With the news of economic meltdown in the UK and the well reported decrease in the exchange rate during the end of 2007 and beginning of 2008, many newspaper articles are reporting a knock-on effect in the French housing market as many British would-be purchasers are now apparently putting off their dream move to France.

Lovers of French property will already know that, in this modern age of internet websites and broadband connections, there is a vast amount of information available for those that choose to seek it.

Dear Dan,

These are our thoughts on our viewing trip to France. On Tuesday and Thursday morning we were taken around a number of properties by other agents. None of which fitted our requirements and mostly the properties were of a lower standard t

The popular town of Pompadour is situated in the western corner of the Corrèze close to the Dordogne borders. A population of approximately 1400; perhaps the most famous resident was Madame de Pompadour, a well known courtesan and the famous mistress of King Louis XV.

Last night as I was enjoying the balmy summer August night and after a lovely evening meal I indulged in a treat of some fine French cheese to finish off the meal.

Welcome to St Yrieix la Perche the largest town in the area and is on the crossroads of the Haute Vienne, Corrèze and Dordogne. It is a gateway town to the Périgord –Limousin Natural Park and is situated on the Richard the Lion Heart trail. The town is steeped in history stretching as far back as Roman times and has a lovely old quarter, with small alleyways and lovely architecture dating back to medieval times.

Lots of preparation goes into the appointment day and hopefully you will not only find your dream property you will also enjoy a stress free day out in your chosen region of France, gather all kinds of extra information that a non English speaking agent would not be able to readily impart and generally feel you are in the capable hands of people who live here, work here and know their area inside out.

Dear James,

A bit belated, but as you know it's been quite a busy few weeks.

We would like to say a huge 'thank you' for your assistance in finding, and
eventually purchasing, our new home in Verteuil.

The kind of help we got from you was w

Twice a year, once at Easter and once in August, the beautiful but quiet town of Barjac springs to life with its internationally acclaimed antiques fair.

Want to know what it’s really like to own a property in France?

Have you got a list of unanswered questions?

Wish you could talk to someone who lives in France full time?

The southern Limousin region is one of beauty with gentle rolling hills, lakes, rivers and forests. Many people liken it to rural England and fall in love with its beauty. The area is mainly a farming region with fruit orchards adorning the hills and the infamous Limousin cows quietly grazing the lush pastureland.

France is the most visited country in the world with over 79 million people visiting last year alone. Whether you like the hot beaches of the French Riviera or skiing in the Alps, France has it all; dramatically changing landscape, beautiful villages and delicious food.

Dear Alan,

We are both really looking forward to Monday (finger's crossed all will be in place) and so it seems the right time to say a big thank you to you for all your assistance, in particular it has been very reassuring to know that you have b

It was recently announced that the coastal Vendée department was the leading department for the production of chicken and duck reared on organic products and the excellent ‘Conseil General’ in the area has announced that the areas set aside for growing organic crops will double in the next 5 years. School and college meals will be largely organically produced by the next school term.

It’s really interesting to hear of and meet the number of people that have used or know people that have used the VEF service over the years. It seems that nearly every time we meet people over here in the Charente, or even when our families chat to people back in the UK, we always seem to find someone who has bought their dream home in France with the help of VEF.

Following on from a news item I wrote recently, I came across an article in the Sunday Times that emphasised the importance of buying a property close to an international airport.

Since living in France, we have made lots of friends, both French and British, and have found that the French hospitality is second to none.

Our 7 year old daughter is mad about horses. This time last year she had never even been near one, but last September she begged for riding lessons (because her friend was doing them too) and we thought she could give it a go.

With the Beijing Olympics now well underway it reminded me that in 4 years time the world’s attention will be well and truly focussed on London. Whilst the French were disappointed that Paris lost out on hosting the 2012 Olympics, people in the Pas de Calais are beginning to realise that the choice of London will present numerous opportunities for their region, probably more in fact than had Paris been given the nod.

From our initial meeting with Tanya at the France Show she understood our requirements completely. Every house we were shown had potential and we never once felt under pressure when we kept on saying “We like it, but” in our search for the elusive dr

This year we have decided to stay at home for our holiday and enjoy our local area in the beautiful Morbihan in Brittany.

Many of our friends and family have taken the opportunity to visit our area and who can blame them given the natural beauty of the fine Vendee coast and the wonderful climate? Lots of people have second homes in the coastal village where we live and they appear year after year to enjoy their holidays here.

Dear Trisha,

We cannot thank you enough for the service that your amazing company provides – we have already recommended you to all our friends!

Regards, Janet P

Having just returned from a week holiday in Charente, I have come to the conclusion that France has got it right. I took the plane from Stansted to Angouleme for just £65 return, rented a car and drove north to Ruffec where I stayed with a French friend of mine.

Last weekend saw the wine festival in Uzès. The whole length of the esplanade was taken up with very professional looking marquees and they were filled with wine producers from all over the local area. Wine tasting was obviously an absolute must and how many there were to taste!

At a time when rising fuel costs are forcing budget airlines to cut flights and close down routes for the winter season, it is reassuring for everyone currently thinking of buying a property in the Charente region of France that, in this area, the reverse is in fact true.

The world-renowned folk festival started in Confolens in the Charente on Wednesday, with performers coming from places such as the Philippines, New Zealand, Argentina and Venezuela to take part.

Nobody is thinking about Christmas just yet, the sun is still hot, the evenings are warm and long but it won’t be long now before the first Christmas trees appear in shopping malls all over the U.K, sparkling a reminder that Christmas is just weeks away, and sending everybody into a shopping frenzy.

Credit crunch? Weakened euro? Non-stop rain in July & August? Increasing violence on Britain’s streets? There’s not a lot of good news in the UK press right now. Why wait for it to get worse?

Amidst no small amount of controversy, the Dalai Lama will be visiting the town of Lodève on the 22 August in order to attend the ceremony for the grand opening of the Buddhist temple Lérab Ling after recent construction. Lerab Ling is the largest Tibetan Buddhist Temple and teaching Centre in Europe, and is an important attraction to the area.

We have always aimed to take away the stress from buying by ensuring that you receive good advice before you visit so that you know you will like the area and that your budget will buy you what you are looking for.

There are some interesting things happening to the French property market here in Haute-Provence. Interesting and surprising!

Dear Trisha,

Purchasing a new home is a stressful experience at the best of times with so many things to think about and so many people to deal with ( seller, mortgage provider, estate agent…). Add to that purchasing a new home in a foreign countr

It is summer and it is festival time in French towns and villages. Music is played in the streets, dance floors are put up in the town squares, bands play and there is always lots of entertainment for the kids. All harmless fun? Think again...

When property hunting in France it’s important to keep your head when making the decision to buy and not just follow your heart or your wallet; especially when you are looking to earn an income.

We have just returned from France having spent our first holiday in the house that VEF helped us to buy. We had a wonderful time and have already become part of the village – we really didn’t want to leave! Already we are trying to work out how many

It has been widely reported over the past week or so that several low cost routes from Stansted are being cut due to the increased cost of operating a service in these times of high oil prices.

As many of our past and present clients will already know, there is regulation in France to ensure swimming pool safety to avoid the risk of drowning.