Property management in France
Acoastal or mountain setting may be glorious, but views add cost as well as value to the purchase price of desirable properties, and may bring unique problems.
A mountain location doesn't just mean the Alps or the Pyrénées. Many inland areas now popular with British buyers, such as Cantal, are high above sea level and can suffer from long, cold harsh winters. When housebuying in such areas, pay attention to the geography of the local area. Altitude above sea level in Cantal, for example, varies from around 210m to 1,850m, and winter temperatures can be 10°C higher in one village than in another.
Statistics show that since 1964, winters there have generally been less cold, and since 1986 there has been less snow... but villages do still get snowed in, and when bad weather happens, remote houses can be cut off for several days.
Be prepared Take simple precautions to protect your home. Watertight roofs and good shutters and windows are essential. Insulate your attic and make sure you can drain down all outside taps and pipes, and those in unheated barns etc. If you don’t live there year round, drain down water indoors too and leave taps open. If you can, leave heating on frost control. A reliable caretaker to check the house regularly (and after bad weather) is recommended.
If you are going to be there during October to April, be prepared for bad weather. Power may go off and leave you in the cold and dark, so think about candles, torches and a woodburning stove in a room where you can be warm and cosy.
Don't forget to order the wood in the summer, and always keep some ready, dry and cut to length near the house. Snow chains for the car are not a fashion accessory – you may well need them and a shovel too. Keep a stock of tinned food and some long-life milk – you might not be able to get to the shops for several days.
When planning home improvements, think about the seasons and how you will use the property. A swimming pool might be a luxury you will hardly use, whereas sheltered suntraps for bright winter days will give you hours of pleasure. Before planting a new garden, take note of what other people are growing successfully, and think about the seasons – spring arrives later in upland areas.
Seaside living France's coastline is long and varied. On the Med, property owners need to think about insulation to keep their houses cool in the summer, with shady terraces. Water shortages and hosepipe bans can affect pool and garden management.
If you are planning to live there don't, however, make the mistake of assuming you won’t need heating in winter. Damp days, cold winds and frosts do happen. Some areas, notably in the Hérault, are particularly susceptible to flash flooding after storms. Most villages have warning systems in place; don’t ignore the alerts when they are given. Dry stream beds can quickly become rushing torrents, flooding roads and gardens – be careful where you locate your swimming pool.
You may find there are local instructions on brushcutting in spring to make firebreaks. If your property is subject to these, make sure you understand what you have to do and when – ask your mairie if in doubt. Summer bans on BBQs and bonfires are often common and should be respected for everyone's safety.
On the Atlantic coast south of Bordeaux, termites have long been munching house timbers, so when buying a property read the report given to you very carefully before you sign. Exterior woodwork on houses exposed to Atlantic wind and rain can suffer without regular maintenance, so don't neglect it. If leaving your home over the winter, make sure you have truly ‘battened down the hatches’ to minimise storm damage.
If a beachside house is your dream, you will probably be prepared to put up with any amount of hassle to own it. Problems getting plants to grow, salt encrustation, blowing sand and the occasional storm will seem a small price to pay. If these things worry you, maybe a place a little further back from the sea would suit you better.
The letting season for seaside properties can be short, and modern coastal resorts can be dead out of season. The older towns, often set a little inland, are where most people live, with shops and services open all year.
Safe and secure In any holiday location which empties out at the end of the season, be it mountain or sea, theft can be a problem. It's impossible to completely burglar-proof your home, but you can make life more difficult for thieves with good security locks and strong shutter bars.
Get your insurance agent to visit the property, if possible, to advise you. Don't leave items such as skis and bikes in garden sheds: the locks often don't meet the requirements of insurance companies. It also makes sense not to stock your house with expensive desirable consumer goodies. Keep to basic electrical goods; don't leave valuables in the house. Take photos of everything, and keep all purchase receipts.
Mary Hall is a chartered surveyor in south-west France. Tel: 0033 (0)5 65 24 66 46 or email: hall.bureau@neuf.fr