| The average high
temperature during December and January in Montpellier was
12°C
with 43 bright, clear days out of 62
|
Bienvenue !
Firstly, I would like to wish you a very Happy New Year and a
prosperous 2008.
Secondly, welcome to the very first edition of our regular
newsletter, where our aim is to inform you about a wide range of topics
that you will find useful and interesting. |
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New flights to the area
Beziers airport has signed a deal with
Ryanair
and will start providing direct flights to the UK from May 2008, flying
into Bristol.
This opens up the area even further making your property search easier
and allowing you to make full use of your holiday house or visits back
to, or by, family and friends in the UK. This also makes it even easier
to come to the
Languedoc-Roussillon, especially to the
Pezenas,
Béziers
and Narbonne areas whereas before this new airport opened, the closest
were located in
Montpellier,
Perpignan or
Carcassonne.
There is easy access to the South of France with flights from London,
Birmingham, Bournemouth, Dublin, Liverpool, East Midlands, Glasgow,
Shannon and Manchester airports into Toulouse, Carcassonne, Montpellier, Marseille, Gerona, Nîmes, Perpignan and now Beziers. Together with the
TGV, the
Euro Tunnel and the excellent motorway system in France, it couldn’t be
easier to escape to the sun; and with an average of 300 days of sunshine
a year, making this the sunniest area in France, how can you go wrong? |
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New aquarium in Montpellier
A fantastic new aquarium has opened in Montpellier called Mare
Nostrum in the Place Odysseum.
With an entrance fee of just 12.50€ one is promised a breathtaking
array of underwater delights. There are 24 tanks replicating a
particular ecosystem for 300 different species.
Apparently you should take your time to look around so should allow
about one and a half hours for the visit. Something to do on one of
those rare rainy days. Have fun ! |
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Health care
There has been much in the papers recently at the sudden
retrospective withdrawal of state health care provision for British
expatriates who have retired early in France, which has caused much
concern and despair for many. However, the latest position is somewhat
clearer since this issue was raised with the European Parliament and the
British Embassy.
The Health Ministry has published its new guidelines and confirms
that a healthcare ban will not now be retrospective, so if you are an
early retiree ex-pat, resident in France and already in the French
healthcare system (on or before 30th November 2008) you can remain in
it. Also, if you have been resident in France for five years
continuously or already at normal retirement age you should not
experience any problems.
However all newcomers who are not working, do not have an E106 or
E121 must get private health insurance. The new rules affect ‘inactive’
foreigners so if you work part-time or are self-employed you would
normally be eligible for state healthcare benefits. Part-time work would
be defined as a minimum of 60 hours per month (and you should have been
resident in France for a minimum of three months).
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House prices continue to rise in Languedoc
Despite the cooling property market in the UK and France alike, one
area that continues to attract investors and expatriates (whose
purchasing power is higher than the French – often twice more) is the
Languedoc-Roussillon. 6 out of 10 foreigners buyer property in France
are the Brits.
After a sudden rise in house prices during 2001-2004, reaching 15.5%
growth, property prices have now settled to an average growth of 11.4%
in Languedoc compared to 6.2% in Provence, which is higher than most
other regions of France. Although prices here continue to rise, many
investment opportunities remain and buyers are finding that this area
offers them much more value for their money than nearby Provence and
other Mediterranean regions. The market is still strong and with the
popularity of the region still riding high, there is no sign of demand
weakening.
Much of this can be attributed to its warmer southern climate (the
Languedoc is the sunniest area of France), and the multitude of low
budget airlines and airports than serve the region and provide efficient
links to the UK. The region has much to offer with its beaches,
mountains, countryside, history and culture.
A high number of people look for a property within an hour of an
airport, so the new low-cost flights from the UK into nearby Béziers in
May this year will no doubt increase the area’s growing popularity and
push up prices further. Of the Languedoc cities, Béziers tops the list
with an amazing 38% growth (the highest in France). |
| How to …? |
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Get planning permission
So, you are now the proud owner of a property in France and you want
to renovate it and/or make some structural changes. How do you go about
getting permission?
You will need to get a permis de construire, which is a building
permit, from the Mairie. Planning permission is granted when a project
conforms to local and national regulations. You need this if you plan to
change the existing structure, for example convert a loft or garage into
a bedroom or if you want to modify the exterior, such as putting in a
new window or changing the existing ones. There are various exemptions
to small works and temporary installations but you should find out from
your Mairie if you qualify. You will need an architect if the living
space exceeds 170 m².
You will need four copies of the building permit form, available from
your Mairie. You must include a map drawn to scale showing the
property’s location and a three dimensional scale drawing showing
‘before’ and ‘after’ of each side of the building. You will need to
provide photos too.
You can submit it personally or by registered post and it usually
takes two months to process and is valid for two years.
Our Tip: Always, always pop into the local Mairie before you sign a
Compromis (or before your seven days of reflection are up) if you want
to do any major renovations to find out, in principal, if they will be
allowed. You will find the staff willing to assist and advise as best
they can. Alternatively, add in a ‘clause suspensive’ into the Compromis
that states the sale will only complete on successfully obtaining the
relevant planning permission.
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| Here is a selection of Featured
Properties |
 |
Delightful terraced
character house with exposed stone walls, in a Languedoc
hamlet
260 000€ |
 |
Modern villa in a village in the greater
Montpellier area, Languedoc Roussillon, with pool on 800m² of
grounds
352 000€ |
 |
Maison de Maître in Languedoc Roussillon Narbonne area,
heart of village with courtyard
470 000€ |
 |
Very charming
character house from the 19th, 3 bedrooms, lovely garden
with pool, quiet
485 000€ |
 |
Pretty Languedoc style villa in Béziers area with
panoramic view over countryside, pool
598 000€ |
 |
Maison de Maître in centre village in
Languedoc, Carcassonne area with pool, workshop, garage on 575m² of
planted grounds
695 000€ |
 |
Maison de Maître with outbuildings 350m² in
Languedoc Roussillon, Béziers hinterland, pool on 3000m² of French
park
864 000€ |
|
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Restaurant Review
Le Petit Montmartre
(2, Place Madeleine, Béziers Tel: 04 67 28 56 54).
This small and friendly restaurant offers a set price menu with a
choice of two courses for 18€ or three courses for 24€, with half a
dozen or so choices for each course. The menu is changed seasonally and
the desserts are to die for. They have a good cellar too and David/
Jonathan, your charming host, will gladly select a wine for you if you
are unfamiliar with those on his list. All very reasonably priced and a
relaxing and enjoyable gourmet experience.
During the summer months the restaurant tends to spill out onto the
square where you can eat under the stars nestling beside the lovely
stone church. If you time your visit right, there are often buskers and
musicians who will serenade you while you eat your delicious meal.
Parking is easily available in the underground car part at the Place
Madeleine. |
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New Golf course near Pezenas
For golf lovers, you will be pleased to hear that
Languedoc-Rousillon
currently has 14 major golf clubs with a magnificent new 18-hole golf
course, designed by Raymond Hearn, in the pipeline.
Just outside the village of Montagnac, 10 mins from Pezenas, Chateau
Lavagnac sits in 450 acres of vineyards, olive groves and pine trees.
This will be developed into a luxury 4 star+ hotel and spa complex with
a brand new conference centre. The golf clubhouse will be located in the
17th century bergerie nearby. New houses of between two and six bedrooms
with pools will be built within the vineyards, offering views to the
Espinouse Mountains and south to the Mediterranean Sea. Purchase of the
new build homes will be on both a 'leaseback' and freehold basis,
offering both flexibility and a guaranteed return on investment. |
À Bientôt
We do hope you found this letter useful and thank you for taking the
time to read it. Any comments or suggestions would be gratefully
received so please feel free to call us on
+33 (0) 4 67 36 36 80
or by email on
ab@ab-real-estate.com
Finally, do not hesitate to
contact us with your queries and we will be delighted to assist you
in any way that we can.
With best wishes
Annelise Bosshard
Managing Director
AB Real Estate
www.ab-real-estate.com |
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