Book Review - The French Property Buyer's Guide

The French Property Buyer's Guide claims to be - and I quote - "the indispensable guide to finding and buying your place in France". That's quite a boast, so does it live up to it? Can it demystify the French house buying process?You could say that I'm exactly the sort of person that the book is aimed at, an English-speaker in France. Although it's some years since we bought our French home I remember the difficulties we had so I thought it would be interesting to see how someone else approached it and the suggestions they made.It seems that although time has passed, many of the challenges remain. There weren't the number of websites when we bought, but most of the other difficulties people face seem exactly the same today as they did back then.I'm sure the author wouldn't thank me for giving away some of his little secrets in this article but it's clear that he's spent considerable time in France and "gone through the mill".Interestingly, and quite usefully I think, the book
starts with what he calls a small "tour of France" covering the various regions. As he rightly points out, France is quite a big place so it's unlikely that many of us have had the opportunity to visit all of it. I haven't, and I live here!The "tour" gives a little glimpse of each area. It's perfectly honest in saying just that and of course it would be impossible to offer any detail in a couple of dozen pages. What it does do is provide a taste so if, for example, you don't like mountains there's little point you going to parts of the Rhone Alps. If you don't like forests then Les Landes won't be for you.From there the book moves on to the actual process of buying a French property - whether for investment, as a holiday retreat or a permanent move. It suggests places to start your search and some things to watch out for. How to arrange to view and the problems you might find. It delves in some detail into the actual process of making an offer and what you're letting yourse
lf in for and follows this with the actual purchase and what to do after you've been successful.Finally there's a section on exchange rates which is of vital importance if you're outside the "Euro-zone" countries. There's a page with some useful websites and at the end a visit report which you can print out to use on your actual viewing trip.Author Jeff Seems has a friendly writing style that makes you feel like you're discussing things with a friend. Although he covers many of the aspects of buying a house in France in all necessary detail it never seems like you're wading through masses of complicated technicalities. Where needed he might use a French term but it's only to illustrate or entertain, not to confuse or intimidate.The French Property Buyer's Guide should never be the only source you look at if you're considering buying a property in France - I know the author would agree. However, it does contain a huge amount of very useful information, is easy to understand a
nd is excellent value for money. I would definitely recommended a copy before you embark on a trip to buy property in France.

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