Buying a home in France is something which millions of British people aspire to and many achieve with very little stress. The key to a successful purchase is thorough preparation, an understanding of how the French buying process works, research into the area which appeals and getting help with the legal side.

Susie and Mike had spent many happy holidays in the Languedoc area of France and had long nurtured the idea of buying a holiday home there one day.  With their children grown up and living their own lives, they decided to put their plan into practice and rented a holiday home for a couple of months in the Herault department, just a few minutes from the Mediterranean coast.

They had a clear idea of what they wanted: a small village house, away from the main road with a terrace or courtyard. They were happy to put their own stamp on it but were unwilling to undertake any major renovation. Susie spoke good French, Mike had what you might call schoolboy French and they set about making friends in the village, talking to everyone who would talk to them and after just a week or two, they had become very friendly with an Englishman, Richard, who had moved to their village some 10 years earlier with his wife.

They say it is so often who you know and not what you know and in this case, their new friend proved to be invaluable to them in their property search. He knew of a small house in a cul de sac which was being sold by an Italian man who had moved back to Italy. Although it was on several agents’ lists, they had a personal introduction to the vendor and therefore were perfectly entitled to put in an offer privately.

The asking price was €160,000 and Richard advised them to offer €130,000 since they were cash buyers and the property had lain empty for some months. They were thrilled when this was accepted and found the buying process simple, straightforward and secure.

Not wishing to leave anything to chance however, they employed the services of a bilingual solicitor to help them correctly word the Compromis de vente and the sale went through without a hitch. They had done their homework in regard to currency exchange and used the services of Smart Currency Exchange for the entire purchase.

Here is what Susie has to say about their experience: “We knew the area we were buying in reasonably well but we felt it wise to have a lengthy stay there before committing to buy. We looked at various properties but the one which really ticked all our boxes we found through our friend Richard who had the advantage of knowing the commune we were looking in very well, having lived there for 10 years. Our wish list was not difficult, we thought, and he found just the property we had been looking for a stone’s throw from the village bar but in a quiet road.

“Although we both speak some French, we felt happier employing a bilingual solicitor to see us through the legal side. We had read stories of people coming a cropper through inadequate wording of the Compromis de vente and didn’t want to come unstuck. When it came to currency, we were absolutely thrilled with Smart Currency Exchange, who not only offered us the very best rate for our property purchase, but were always available on the telephone, giving clear and courteous advice.

“I think the most important things to bear in mind when getting started to buy a home in France are to do proper research, know what you are looking for and then take advice from someone who knows. In our case, we were lucky to meet Richard but in general we found the French in the Languedoc area to be extremely friendly and well used to us Brits wanting to come and live down there. Finally, we would definitely use Smart again. We saved almost £5,000 on the transaction when we compared the rate we would have been offered by our bank - enough to buy our little left-hand drive car!”

Getting started to buy a home in France can and should be an enjoyable experience. Taking time to think about what you really want and following a few simple rules to safeguard your hard earned money should stand you in good stead to follow through and achieve your own French dream.