• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

GA PDM

  • Home
  • Property Management Services
    • Drawing Services – Planning Application
    • Register Property
    • Property Check
    • Emergency Check
  • Property Maintenance Services
  • Garden Services
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • English
  • Français

French Property Purchase; Swimming-pool maintenance; Charente Holiday Let;

May 16, 2019 by Laurie Sedgebeer

Charente Holiday Home Purchase or French Summer Holiday Time?

Holiday home rental return and property management cannot happen until you have acquired your Charente holiday let.  So, is summer time the right time to French property hunt?

The French holiday let or La Charente second home purchase sector experiences a wealth of people during the summer season.  From buy-to-let investors looking for a low purchase high yielding gîte during the mid and high seasons to second home purchasers wishing to develop an old French property as a long-term personal investment, the French property sector becomes a competitive marketplace.  

French Property – Market Competition

Naturally, competition for French buy-to-let property does not only come from the UK holiday property hunters, but also from French city dwellers and other European countries which border onto France together with non-European countries.  Strong demand in desirable locations may push prices higher during the summer period as property agents and private sellers seek to secure the best price possible for their sale.

If you are considering a French property purchase during the summer holidays, then try to carry out some initial French property research prior to the high summer season.  It may be advantages to go direct to a seller than through an estate agent in order to negotiate a favourable purchase price.  Search on the Internet for ‘biens a vendre’ in your desired French location which will reveal many properties of which you may not be aware.  Whilst property hunting in France, look for the traditional private seller sign – a capital ‘A’ joined to the side of a capital ‘V’ meaning ‘A Vendre’ – For Sale – and showing a telephone number.  If you are in our service area and you do not feel that your French is good enough to speak to your prospective seller, then contact us.  

If you decide to use a French immobilier – an estate agent – through whom you find your ‘Coup de Coeur’ buy-to-let gîte, then try to re-negotiate the agent’s commission or suggest that the commission is shared with your seller.  It has not been uncommon to find sellers paying agents’ commission instead of the purchaser.

Undertaking a property survey and appointing a surveyor may appear unusual in France.  However, it is prudent to appoint a surveyor to ensure that your property purchase is free from costly defects which may transpire into a loss on your property investment.  As most surveyors would agree, the best time to view a property is in the cold wet rainy weather when the extent of a property’s problems may become apparent.

Discovering old French properties for sale and being struck with ‘Coup de Coeur’ whilst on holiday against the background of fine French wine, a never-ending selection of French cheese and a sense of ‘La Vie en Rose’ may quickly turn to a French property nightmare.  Therefore, be prepared to reject a property if it is economically beyond budget or requires costly repairs or maintenance – another French gîte purchase awaits.

Happy French property hunting!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Charente Gite Management, Charente Holiday Home Management, French Property Management; French Holiday Let Management; French Property Maintenance Services; Gardening Services Charente;, French Property Purchase; Swimming-pool maintenance; Charente Holiday Let;

March 6, 2019 by Laurie Sedgebeer

French Property Holiday Home but non-Resident Charente Gîte Owner?

Being a non-Resident French holiday home and gîte owner in the Charente may be profitable not only in high season, but throughout the year.  However, to yield the rentable income from your French holiday home, it is necessary to exercise regular property maintenance and to carry out repairs. Naturally, undertaking property maintenance and repair to your French home holiday may become challenging if you are non-Resident in France.  Moreover, in recent years, due to the changing climate, the Charente region has experienced strong winds and regular storms during the winter months which require regular property checks to ensure that property damage has not occurred which may be detrimental to your gîte rental income.  If you have a property manager, then it would be prudent to request weekly property check visits with video footage and a property check report sent to you for peace of mind.  In addition, winter wet weather tends to create a smell of dampness, if holiday home properties have been sealed by shutters and are not regularly aired. Therefore, a weekly visit from your property manager would also ensure that your French home holiday is opened up once a week.  

As a holiday let owner, you are probably already aware of the importance of planning ahead for the holiday season.  If you do not have the latest photographs of your French holiday home for marketing, then ask your property manager to attend the property on a bright sunny day for a photo-shoot in order that the photographs may be uploaded in good time to the gîte booking websites. 

Another important annual maintenance task to carry out in early March will be your French holiday home garden.  Any camellias and magnolia grandiflora in the garden will require a Sequestrene plant feed to prevent the yellowing of leaves which may not be attractive to potential guests seeking a gîte rental.

Although the winter weather may seem to give the impression that the high season is months away, the month of March is a busy month for the French holiday home let market.  

Do not get left behind – contact your property manager today with a list of to do tasks!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Charente French holiday home; Charente French gites; French property check; French property maintenance; French garden services;, French Property Management; French Holiday Let Management; French Property Maintenance Services; Gardening Services Charente;, French Property Purchase; Swimming-pool maintenance; Charente Holiday Let;, Property Maintenance Services Charente France

January 9, 2019 by Laurie Sedgebeer

Buying French Property? Learning French or Learning France?

Buying a property in France?  

So, following your dream French property purchase, what is the most important investment you should next contemplate?  Learning French and, more importantly, learning the French system. 

French Taxation – Working from Home

Language and cross-cultural communication may be important factors to consider. However, the ownership of French property entails responsibilities and liabilities which may bring you into a complex French administrative and legislative system demanding slightly more than general French linguistic ability.  If the purchase of your gîte is for holiday let or to operate as a chambre d’hôte, therefore, a return on your investment, then the payment of French tax will be an important consideration. Additionally, if you aim is to live in France and to work from home, then you may be liable for annual Cotisation Foncière des Entreprises (CFE) as the use of your property will also be regarded as a form of business premises.  French taxation is one of the complex systems to which you and your property purchase may become exposed depending on your aims.

Fosse Sceptic

Should your French property purchase be that of a quiet, quaint, countryside gîte with the installation of a fosse sceptic, then it will be important that your property complies with the frequently changing current standards. If you are in the process of your French property purchase and the fosse sceptic has not be updated to current standards, then you may wish to negotiate a discount on the sale price with the vendor. A fosse sceptic may cost 20,000 Euros or more, therefore, it may be worthwhile to renegotiate the sale price in light of a new fosse sceptic installation.

Property Maintenance and Renovation – Tax Credits

On the other hand, if your French property purchase is to be your home, then you may benefit from tax reductions on energy-saving improvements.  The installation of new energy-saving windows, doors and shutters may attract tax credits in the renovation and maintenance of an older French property. Therefore, it may be worthwhile understanding the French taxation system and establishing the type of tax credits available for your property and when to carry out energy-saving works. 

Before proceeding with your French property purchase, if it has a swimming-pool or extension, then ensure that the installations have approved planning and that they comply with planning requirements.  And, it goes without saying, . . .

Always seek professional legal advice before signing any papers, no matter how strong the ‘Coup de Coeur’ may be!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: French Property Management; French Holiday Let Management; French Property Maintenance Services; Gardening Services Charente;, French Property Purchase; Swimming-pool maintenance; Charente Holiday Let;

Primary Sidebar

Currency Convertor

WOOCS v.1.3.4.1
March 2021
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  
« Mar    

Recent Posts

  • Location and Your French Holiday Home-Let
  • A Happy and Property Prosperous 2020
  • Your French Holiday Home Garden . . . or is it the beast?
  • Charente Holiday Home Purchase or French Summer Holiday Time?
  • French Property Holiday Home but non-Resident Charente Gîte Owner?

Recent Comments

    Archives

    • March 2020
    • January 2020
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • March 2019
    • January 2019
    • October 2018
    • April 2018
    • February 2018
    • December 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017

    Footer

    CONTACT US

    By Telephone
    GA PDM can be contacted by telephone on:
    • UK: +44 (0)20 8133 8896
    • France: +33 (0)5 45 82 55 93 /
    • +33 (0)7 70 76 58 89
    Please note that this is a 24 hour customer service line. For Urgent Enquiries call:
    • UK: +44 (0)20 8133 8896
    • France: +33 (0)5 45 82 55 93 /
    • +33 (0)7 70 76 58 89

    By Post
    You can write to us at:
    GA PDM, 28 Jews Walk, London SE26 6PL UK or at:
    GA PDM, 9 Chenes, La Bedie, 16370 Breville France

    Terms Of Use

    • Complaints & Dispute Resolution Procedure
    • Website Consolidated Terms
    • Legal Notices

    Other Links

    • About Us
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us

    Connect Us

    SEARCH

    Tags

    Charente Garden Services Charente Gite Management Charente Holiday Home Management Emergency property security services Charente France Property French Property Management; French Holiday Let Management; French Property Maintenance Services; Gardening Services Charente; French Property Purchase; Swimming-pool maintenance; Charente Holiday Let; Gardening Services Garden maintenance services Garden management services Charente Garden property design Gite security property check Property Maintenance Services Charente France Property management inspection Property management services Charente France Property Security Check Swimming Pool Maintenance Charente France

    Copyright © 2021 · Executive Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in