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While Peter Clayton and his wife wait impatiently for the big day when they can stay for the first time at their restored `Normandy Gem', Peter passes on some useful hints to other would-be property purchasers. As he says, they might as well learn from his many mistakes . . .
Like it or not, from a very selfish French home buyer's point of view, there is a strong case for Britain to convert to the euro.
Under the current regime, a would-be purchaser should choose his time to pay for his property very carefully. The reason for this is clear. During the past six months the exchange rate has varied from around 1.42 to 1.52 euros per pound.
Therefore, bought at the lower rate, a 110,000 euro French property would have cost approximately £77,500. When the pound was at its strongest against the euro, there would have been a saving to the purchaser of more than £5,000 - enough to install a new `fosse septique' and a new bathroom and still have change for a couple of bottles of decent claret!
Timing is imperative to ensure best value for money, so as you get close to taking possession of your little piece of France, keep a keen eye on exchange rates.
Rather than relying on your High Street bank, the best euro-for-pound deals usually come from specialist currency dealers who can also advise on the most advantageous time to part with your hard-earned cash. Normally they will also arrange a free electronic transfer of funds to a bank account of your choice in France. (Personally, I was more than pleased with the service provided by Caxton FX in London).
Buying a property in Normandy, or anywhere else in France, will mean a series of ferry trips; initially to view property with estate agents, and then to sign legal documents, appoint local artisans to do any building or renovation work, and take odd bits of furniture and other possessions to leave there.
If at all possible, embark upon such trips well away from school holidays, otherwise the ferry companies will think it's their birthday.
In November last year I did a 24-hour trip with a car to Cherbourg for a little over £40 return. Exactly the same trip during the peak summer season this year cost almost £400.
As a French property owner you qualify for preferential treatment by some ferry operators. For instance, both Brittany Ferries and P&O operate a Home Owner discount scheme which, for a modest annual subscription, entitles members and their guests up to a third off scheduled fares, together with other valuable discounts and perks. In one trip the joining fee can easily be recouped.
Don't be tempted to buy a house close to a provincial airport just because a low-cost airline currently flies there. Odds are that the airline will "re-evaluate the route's viability" after a few months and stop the service, leaving you with an expensive alternative, invariably involving a change of aircraft in Paris.
And don't take it for granted that just because you have bought a property close to one of the traditional French ports you will always be able to get there easily. Things can change...as a topical example, at the end of September P&O announced they were stopping their ferry services to Cherbourg, Caen and Le Havre. Not good for the Normandy tourist industry and certainly not good for those of us who already own properties near to one of those ports.
Taking furniture and other bulky items to your French holiday home can be a costly affair. Firstly, with many companies, hiring a van to drive abroad is at least twice as expensive as UK use. So shop around, and make sure the total cost includes insurance and breakdown cover while in France. (For me, Thrifty Van Hire in Old Trafford was by far the most economical and co-operative). And once you've got your van, the ferry companies will try to charge you for a commercial vehicle, so it pays (literally) to argue the point that you are solely transporting personal items for personal use.
As a white-van-driver, you are bound to be stopped and searched at customs. To save time, prepare a complete inventory of contents to present to the officer in charge, and, if you value your continued freedom, don't joke about having asylum seekers in the back.
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