HOUSE HUNTING IN THE LANGUEDOC - WHEN TO GO?

Hit the road out of season for a reality check, says Louise Taylor. Buying a home in France is a bit like swotting up for an exam. You have to do your revision, or run the risk of failing miserably. Let's face it, if you were buying a property back home, you'd certainly do plenty of research first, looking at the current market value of property, the cost of any renovation required, the area's amenities and services, transport links and so forth (wouldn't you?). And guess what? Exactly the same applies when buying in France.

Too many people come to France hunting for a home in holiday mode. With its 300-plus days of sunshine per annum, the Languedoc is a prime vacation destination for Brits; demob-happy and high on all that fine wine and fab food, it's easy for holidaymakers to do a little property viewing, and be swayed by the feel-good factor. If you only plan to use your home for a couple of weeks each year in high summer, fair enough, but according to French property agents, the trend has shifted, with a majority of clients now seeking either a permanent pad or a second home to be used on and off, year-round. And this makes the search a tad trickier. A charming stone cottage with rudimentary plumbing, situated a mile up an unmade road could be just the thing for those summer months when all you'll want to do is sunbathe, sip wine, nibble cheese and gaze at the views from the terrace.

However, in the bleak midwinter (yes, winter comes to the south of France, too) that dream home can turn into a little house of horrors. From attractively secluded, it becomes inconveniently isolated. Have you ever tried tripping a mile down a muddy track (or even worse, an icy one) to get a pint of milk and a baguette on a cold, wet November morning? Entertaining a small child in a gloomy, chilly old house as the rain beats down on the leaky roof for the third consecutive day? Taking a shower in a ramshackle bathroom where the water never gets properly hot and you can see your own breath? I could go on, but I won't. You get the picture. And that is why it is wiser to do your house hunting in nippy November or even freezing February rather than glorious, sun-kissed July. If you're smitten by the property when all around is less than rosy, then the chances are you'll love it to bits when spring rolls round. On the other hand, if it strikes you as uncomfortable, unwelcoming and unattractive, the chances are... it is. And you should move on.

About the Author

Louise has lived in France, in the city of Montpellier in the Languedoc-Roussillon for the past 5 years.

Louise writes for a number of French life magazines and was asked to write a number of articles on life and experiences in France by French real estate agents Maison Med (http://www.maisonmed.com), based in the Roman city of Nimes.