Contributor blog post by Jeany Cronk @MirabeauWine  As we know well from having read Peter Mayle’s tale of life and construction in Provence, nothing (apart from buying baguettes and Rosé) is ever easy in this neck of the woods. We do forget that construction is mostly a nightmare, wherever you are …

Contributor blog post by Ashley Tinker: Our version of Peter Mayle’s “A Year in Provence” After two years, the time had come for us to finally settle down and buy a house in beautiful Provence! What we wanted Oh the dream of a Provencal farmhouse… One day… Our minuscule budget dictated our …

Contributor blog post by Vaucluse Dreamer: Today hasn’t been the best of days – we were expecting some trials and tribulations associated with buying a house in France, but I don’t think we ever expected what has happened today! Since we had the offer accepted on the house near Uzes we’ve …

Buying Real Estate in France In London, the conversation during after-work drinks inevitably turns to house hunting frustrations. There is always someone drowning their sorrows after just having been outbid at the last minute. No surprise that the English adopted the satisfyingly resonant Yiddish expression gezumph to name the devastating …

Tip Nº 1 – Viewings and Negotiations House purchase negotiations are a delicate process anywhere in the world. Tempers quickly flare, and communications can break down because of misunderstandings or hurt feelings. When you don’t speak French fluently and don’t know the ins and outs of French customs and the …

Contributor blog post by Aixcentric: The town authorities are in sell-off mode, wishing to divest themselves of buildings that aren’t functional and are costing too much to maintain. First up is the Hotel de Valbelle in rue Mignet which currently houses the sous-prefecture. It’s where you have to go for various …

This article is the continuation of Annie Barker’s story of how La Breche evolved into a holiday rental and inspiring venue for artists and writers. Follow this link if you missed Un Grand Project. The trials and tribulations of buying a house in France have been written about many times …

When we were first shown the ancient former farmhouse near Uzès (in the South of France) we now call home, I rejected it firmly with a resounding ‘No’. We had agreed that we didn’t want a third project in fifteen years: its desolate state, left for months forlornly empty, with dust …

We all know that house hunting is an emotional experience and that the majority of house buying decisions is made on first impressions alone. Most house hunters will say is that a house must “feel right.” There’s nothing wrong with listening to your instinct, as long as you keep in …

Before we moved to France I had read Peter Mayle’s account of his idyllic year in the Luberon region of Provence, and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, when planning our great escape from the grey-skied rat-race that is the City of London we never contemplated moving to the Luberon. Somehow it …