French property market 'open' to Brits

The French Property Exhibition was held last Friday at Olympia 2 in London, with French home buyers looking for holiday homes, permanent residences and investment property in attendance.

Free seminars, legal and financial advisors and property exhibitors were on hand at the event to allow people to make an informed decision as to a move to the continent.

Herve Blatry, the French avocat for Stanley Tee LLP, stated that many people may be attracted by the idea of relocation due to the ease in travel between the UK and France, such as through cross-channel ferries between Dover and Calais.

Mr Blatry continued: "There are many reasons: people love the culture, the food and the weather, but other advantages are that France has a safe legal system and it is relatively easy to obtain a mortgage at a competitive interest rate."

One of the exhibitors at the event, Maison Tradition, highlighted that the credit crunch had not hit France as hard due to stricter lending rules, as well as it being the most-visited country in the world, in part due to the ease of ferry travel.