What does the arrival of the spring season mean for you? Here in the south of France, it feels like a new awakening as everything seems to come to life again after the winter. Suddenly the birds are singing, flowers growing and the vines beginning to show their first shoots.
More properties are being bought and sold in France than ever before. House prices are creeping towards their 2011 peak and cheap mortgages are attracting both French and foreign buyers. We could be entering a new French property boom, suggests data from one of France’s most respected property reports.
Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur (PACA for short) attracts more international buyers than anywhere else in France. Yet prices are far from being the cheapest in France. So why do we love it so? One reason is its appeal to the artist and writer in us all. The very word “Provence” evokes images of bucolic splendour.
Make sure you brush up on France’s everyday traditions before purchasing a pad there. The locals are extremely friendly but they might get offended if you don’t kiss them.
We love experiencing the changing of the seasons in France. They might not be quite as pronounced down here in the south, but they still present different opportunities and are quite beautiful in their own unique way.
Your new home is your pride and joy and you probably want to spend as much time in it as possible. If you truly want to settle in, however, make the effort to head out into your local community and embrace the French lifestyle.
