Country Information : France
 France is a six sided shape located in Western Europe, the landmass is the size of Texas. It is one of the world’s most significant countries and has a great influence on world industrial power. France is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra and Spain. In the north it is linked to the UK by the Channel Tunnel which runs underneath the English Channel, and in the South the pebbled beaches extend in to the Mediterranean Sea.
France has a wide variety of landscapes, from coastal plains in the north and west to the mountain ranges of the Alps and Pyrenees in the south-east and south-west respectively. Mont Blanc is the highest point in Western Europe and stands at over 15000 ft. It has extensive river systems such as the Loire, the Rhone, the Garonne and the Seine.
Blessed with its vineyards which produce some of the world’s best wines, France has a great reputation for its art, great museums, outstanding food and culture and style. Paris is France’s capital city and is one of the worlds leading tourist destination’s and has a population of over eleven million people.
France ’s climate is diverse and you will often see the weather forecast dividing the country in two with clouds to the North of the Loire Valley and sunshine to the south.
Areas such as Languedoc and the Cote D’Azur are popular in the summer months while the Alps and Pyrenees are a magnet for ski enthusiasts in the winter, with areas such as the world famous Val d’isere resort. Brittany and Normandy in the North are popular weekend retreats with the channel crossing only taking around 70 minutes.
France is the 2 nd most popular place for the British buying overseas properties, the charm of converting an old church, farmhouse or country cottage has been the major attraction, couple this with the ever increasing routes from low cost airlines, and a long weekend away is a feasible option. New developments are becoming more and more popular with the leaseback option, which allows the investor to have a set percentage of the property value given back to them for so many set years, in effect providing a secure source towards the mortgage payment as well as accruing capital appreciation (if the property value rises).
In 2006 the average house price increased by 11%, while over the past nine years prices have doubled with the most significant rises being in the last three years. In Europe France has been one of the most vibrant countries with price rises and some of the newly developed areas have seen much greater rises than that of 11%. In the northern areas buyers can still pick up a 2 bed country cottage in need of full renovation for anywhere upwards of £20k, while a newly developed 1 bed apartment on the Cote D’Azur can cost from £80k . Mortgage rates are significantly lower in France than in the UK with rates starting from around 3%, combine this with a leaseback option of between 4% and 8% or a managed rental income of between 5% and 10%, France is a very desirable place to own an overseas property.
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