France Property Search: How to find your ideal property location in France

When searching for property in France that old, number-one rule of “Location, Location, Location” should never be forgotten. Even when “following your dream” you still need to be practical to make sure you pick a property on the right side of the tracks.

It’s not always possible to do a tour of France, so here are my best ways to find an ideally located property in France using the internet.

First and most important: list your lifestyle needs – what must your new French property be convenient to and what must it be far away from? This will be your reality check later when you’re being seduced by a property’s ‘stunning views’ or a ‘magnificent farmhouse kitchen’ or the suave estate agent. This list will stop you from making big mistakes.

Be precise. Don’t list: near a school, an airport, a grocery shop and a golf course, if you actually mean: a school within walking distance, an international airport within an hour’s drive, a grocery shop with a big enough selection to keep three fussy kids happy and a golf course we can afford. Prioritise the list.

Next, use the internet to discover town names and areas that suit your lifestyle needs first. With you’re lifestyle needs identified, you’ll be able to perform more effective searches on the property websites later and save a lot of time by only focussing on properties that are in locations that match your lifestyle.

Spark up your favourite search engine and tape your lifestyle list to the side of your screen. Get a cup of tea or a glass of your favourite French wine because good research takes time – it will pay off in the long run.

You goal is to match your lifestyle needs list. Try searching for “schools within walking distance in southwest France” or “affordable golf courses central France”. Search with the words you have written down on your lifestyle list. Remember, you’re still looking for location information. Don’t be sidetracked by lovely French property photos.

Once you’ve started to identify regions that might be suitable, you’ll start to learn the names of major towns in the area. Pull up a Google map, zoom in and note the names of surrounding villages, suburbs, etc. then try searching for specific information on those. You’ll be surprised how much you find. There are a lot of good places to live in France.

Don’t be afraid of French information websites. Even if you can’t read any French at all there are still words and data lists – you don’t need to be a linguist to work out what’s being said. Using French phrases or words in your search can also help you to avoid the more flowery “travel-log” descriptions on English websites. Use your French-English dictionary and practice your language skills as well.

A good source of local info is the ‘Mairie’ (town hall) in practically every town or village. Most of them have websites, so if you think Blagnac, near Toulouse, is a contender, just search for “Blagnac Mairie” or “Toulouse Mairie”. These sites often have current information on schools, cultural and sports activities, population, new road systems, market days, photos, crime rates, etc.

Try searching for “France forum” or “ expatriate sites France” to read what people who live there already are talking about and pose questions to them. Angloinfo.com or Totalfrance.com for example cover most regions of France. They have forums, classified ads, etc. in English.

Now that you’ve identified suitable locations, use English-speaking sites to start your property search. But don’t forget the French sites for even more property choice. There are over a million properties for sale or rent in France and most are not advertised on English-speaking sites. You should never let language difficulties limit the properties available to you.

Search for French based property sites using those town names and the new French words you’ve learned. For example, “town name + immobilier” will give you the real estate agents specialising in the area, or simply search for a house for sale with “maison à vendre Toulouse”. You’ll find more properties and be able to compare prices.

So where are we? Make a list of your lifestyle needs first. Use internet search to identify locations that match those needs. Then start searching for your new property in France using both English and French based websites for maximum choice. In that way, you’ll save a lot of time, money and frustration, avoid mistakes and enjoy your ideally located French property much faster.

Hope this helps,
Ronaldo