In the January issue of French Property News I offer a few tips on how to sell your French property in what is currently a slow market - up to 20% fewer sales than in 2011. My main advice is not to be panicked into reducing the asking price, as all the evidence shows that this does not guarantee a sale. Much depends on the type of property and its location, with the sale and purchase of second homes (which represent 70% of the housing stock in ly locality) particularly difficult. As a discretionary purchase, buying a second home is generally not what people do in times of crisis and the general uncertainty about the new fiscal and social policies of the French socialist government.
Good marketing tactics include choosing the right type of agent - if your property is likely to appeal to British buyers, then use an agency that is exoperienced in this market. Sales details should be written in English, with good photographs of the property and its location. You can also market the property yourself using the many websites addressed to international buyers.
The good news is that in line with the rest of Europe, France has an aging population, with large numbers (30%) coming up to retirement in the next few years - those born in the 1950s onwards when France was at its most prosperous and who enjoyed 30 years of job security during the post-war reconstruction boom.. Many are already home owners and have the necessary ressources to move south in their retirement. They could be just what is needed to revive a flagging property market.
Good marketing tactics include choosing the right type of agent - if your property is likely to appeal to British buyers, then use an agency that is exoperienced in this market. Sales details should be written in English, with good photographs of the property and its location. You can also market the property yourself using the many websites addressed to international buyers.
The good news is that in line with the rest of Europe, France has an aging population, with large numbers (30%) coming up to retirement in the next few years - those born in the 1950s onwards when France was at its most prosperous and who enjoyed 30 years of job security during the post-war reconstruction boom.. Many are already home owners and have the necessary ressources to move south in their retirement. They could be just what is needed to revive a flagging property market.