Property Guides

Penny Osborne

Articles by Penny Osborne

Build your own home in France: architects and planning permission

Those of us who enjoy browsing property websites, either because we’re moving house, or just dreaming of a new life abroad, have often come across the term “architect-designed’ home. This phrase conjures images of swooping ceilings and imaginatively designed kitchen and bathrooms, but what does this term really mean?

Build your own home in France, part 1: buying land

If you’re making a life-changing move to France, maybe you want to make it perfect. And one way to do that could be to build your own house. Think how thrilling that would be. We’ve all imagined it. What we would like, what our priorities would be, what it would be made of and most of all, what the outlook would be, from rolling fields, glittering seas, charming vineyards, to soaring mountain ranges….

Five years to the Paris Olympics

A century after the Olympics were held in the City of Light, Paris will again celebrate sporting excellence by welcoming the Olympic flame in 2024. And this time, it won’t just be sports fans cheering, it will also be property owners.  For those quickly off the blocks, those buying investment property in Paris will be blessed with a golden opportunity to enjoy the games and enjoy a substantial uplift in value.

Green travel to France

There are increasing worries over the effect of flying on global warming, with calls for non-essential flying to be banned by 2025. The Swedes even have a name for this reluctance to take to the skies – flygskam or “flight shame. With many keen to do their bit where possible, what are the alternative modes of green travel to France?

Meet the new neighbours: France’s wildlife (and where to find it)

Almost 60% of us moving to France want to live in the countryside. But if you’re getting close to nature in France, what sort of animals are you likely to encounter? To celebrate International Wildlife Day, we’re taking a look at France’s wildlife, some of the fauna you might find hanging out in the countryside nearby. It includes everything from big cats to salamanders, packs of wolves to the humble red squirrel.

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