Long term property rental in France

Finding a property in France can be a real challenge if you are
sat in front of your computer back in the UK.

Letting a property could be a solution allowing you to spend
time searching the area and seeing what it has to offer.

However, people who have yet to sell their UK house will have
different demands than those who have sold up and are ready to
live in France.

Someone with a house in the UK may only be able to get a week or
two away from work in one go, so it's vital you are well
prepared.

Renting a holiday home out of season would naturally allow you
to see an area when it is quiet and often when the weather is at
its worst.

Many property owners would be delighted to have someone rent for
a short time in February or March, just check the heating is
sufficient.

But before you head across make sure you have the address
details for estate agents close by and try and plan out your
viewings.

It may also be worth dropping in on some French website message
boards to see if someone has a place available.

Or you may find someone willing to meet up with you for an hour
when you are in France to give you some pointers.

So if you can find the time to get away from work there could
still be time to hunt down a property this spring.

But what about those people who have sold their house or let it
for six months or more?

One of the major problems when searching the internet for
property to let is that your searches are often mixed up with
holiday lettings, so you need some patience.

If you use Google enter key words such as 'homes to rent' and
areas and if you want to target French possibilities then 'to
let' is 'louer' and the word used for 'lettings' is 'locations'.

The cheapest way to rent a place is to contact the landlord
directly but for this you will need to have access to local
newspapers and possibly village shop windows.

Remember, many of the larger local newspapers will have online
versions that you will be able to search, again type the title
into Google.

Estate agents will very likely have some property to let and
again you may find a holiday home that the owner is tired of
cleaning every week and may let long term.

You also need to take into account your notice period for
leaving the property. If it is three months and you are well on
your way to buying a property you could well lose your deposit
if you leave early.

If you can time your departure with your purchase that would be
perfect.

There is a real advantage from being in an area longer term
before buying as it gives you an idea of the facilities, local
schools and you can visit the Mairie.