Our Story
The internet search engine primarily selects Dutch and Belgian agents who are focusing on people like us in search for a (second) home. French Immo's seem to be reluctant.

We manage to arrange a series of appointments for house viewing with Dutch-speaking agents: one on Morvan, the other in Bourbonnais, the northern part of Auvergne. The French agents did not respond to our emails. We book a nice hotel in the area, pack our  digital camera as well as the video camera and we start our journey.

In Bourbonnais.
After an excellent night in a fully renovated hotel we head for the agency. Our Dutch host arrives just before us. She works from this office and took the decision to more to France a few years ago.

Everything has been prepared. Based on the profile we sent, she has selected four objects that we will be visiting in the morning. After a short explanation we are on our way. Cameras stand-by! 

Our profile.

We are looking for a small farm with a fair piece of land, 1500m² minimum. A good roof, water, electricity and a sceptic tank are required. We intend to use our holidays to do a complete renovation. Also we do not want to spend more than € 100.000 on the purchase. 		  

France is a large country. Narrow down your search to a particular region or selection of regions. Climate, landscape, access and travelling distance may be important aspects. Then also select on type of house (urban or rural) and price category. If you don't do that you will have a hard time making your choice. Even within a relatively small area you may spend hours travelling between the houses that you want to visit.
The first visits
We have never visited a French house so we actually do not know what to expect.

After a short trip we suddenly leave the road and are facing four house. Although, the fourth should be called a ruin...

To our relief it is not the house that we find on our information sheet!

We recognize the old farm on the picture and at first sight it is a very nice building. At the same time we hear what you cannot read in the sheet: the sound of the nearby national road. It is at less than 100 meters and even at 10AM there is quite some traffic.


We enter the house and the fences are opened. The electricity is working and we get a little shock. Not because of the electricity but of the sight. How could anybody ever live here!
Apparently somebody did, because the kitchen table is still covered!

  

We go back into the car. The next house is also situated at a road, but this time in a small village. We see a beautiful barn on a large surface, but the house is more important.

 

After our first experience we expect to be prepared...

But what we see is hard to describe. Our impression is that the previous inhabitant recently left the house - horizontally and involuntarily. We are the first to enter the house after this event - the slippers and the chamber pot are still under the bed.

I do not want to live here, my wife stammers! We rush to the car, afraid of what may come next.
Actually the third house is not that bad. Probably we already adapted our standards! But again we wonder how anybody could ever have lived here. According to our host the house has been empty for less than three months. The bed is still there. In the same area the water supply and heater are located. The house is beautifully situated and the sun is shedding its light.   

The fourth object is another farm, located at a road. We immediately close the door after opening it because hundreds of flies are welcoming us. We have seen enough!

 

Our tour ends at noon on the parking in front of the agency. We are ready for a strong coffee!

Somewhat revived by the coffee our host explains the problem with many house sales. In the case that the parents die, their children inherit the house. They often live far from the house and the low revenue does not motivate them to put some energy in cleaning up the parental house.
Our host is convinced that this little effort would pay pack easily. She sometimes has to stop herself from doing some cleaning, but if she would do this there is always the risk that another colleague would benefit. Many houses are for same at multiple agencies and only the one who sells the house, gains money!

An Immobilier can even sell a house that is not in his portfolio. The owner does not care who he has to pay. He is only concerned that his house gets sold and only pays the selling agent!

This is also why the agencies are reluctant to advertise on the internet. It took our host quite some time to convince the owner to open up the website. He preferred to hide his portfolio and just advertise in his shop window!

We have to leave because we have a next appointment in Morvan.