Life is better in Brittany and Normandy

The French had their own version of the UK's Doctor Beeching. In fact I think our much maligned doctor's French counterpart was probably his inspiration. For, in the early part of the 20th Century (rather than the 60s) when it became obvious that road transport was supplanting railways as the better means of shipping goods and travelling deep into the hinterland Railways were rationalised and roads began to take their place... Knowing the French and their striving toward maximum efficiency they probably combined it with reparation of the roads after World War 2 too  (but that's another blog) ... So, there was a great pruning of branch lines which quickly gave way to the redundancy of many lines and, of course stations. Stations became houses or town and village museums, business premises and the like and the lines were stripped of their hardware to become leisure facilities. It's a process that, although almost complete, is still going on and being improved.  Of

I'm sure most parties out there, interested in picking up a second property etc., know all about the state of economies and stuff and why therefore you can pick up extreme bargains in Northern France (other parts of France are available) . But, just in case...we are at the confluence of some pretty important triggers right now. The UK economy is taking a few people by surprise and really looking up. Those at the top of government will say that they knew it would work this way - to the disbelief and annoyance of those in opposition. It makes the General Election harder to win when unemployment goes down and exports go up and the currency is performing well on the world stage. Things get even better when those across the water are experiencing their worst performance figures, biggest unemployment and their worst currency performance (against sterling) for more than a decade... You also have to set this off against the downward trend of property prices and only the slow likelihood

Searching for a house in another country, especially such an accessible one as France where the bargains in Normandy and Brittany are abundant (other French regions are available)  is probably the most invigorating non-Olympic event you can get involved in! But, whilst enjoying the undoubted excitement of the viewing and choosing process, you may be forgiven for not having given excess thought on what until that point could be regarded as the 'boring' bits... The Funding (mortgage etc., - if required)  and the essential Foreign Currency Exchange process. Admittedly it's something best considered BEFORE you have been seriously smitten and before the agent has seen the whites of your eyes... but these elements form an essential part of the buying process and it would be wise to have your financial ducks in a row before committing to probably one of the most important decisions in your adult life.... Don't do a 'Dave'! David B (the names have been changed to pr

New Year? It gives you that feeling...what I used to describe as 'best handwriting first day of term! Stride out and realise the ambition that you feel you've been neglecting...too long. Well, the first thing that strikes me about the beginning of 2015 is that the Exchange rate - Pound to Euro - is the best that it has been for six years! That in itself is amazing. I always find it hard to appreciate quite what celestial elements have to align to bring these changes about but, off the cuff, I get the drift that when the UK property market is up and the domestic market in France is down... the UK economy is doing well and the French economy is in the doldrums... employment figures are rosier in the UK and at the worst they have ever been in France... Then that means that there has never been a better time to buy something in France  (not a used car salesman's ploy... honest). Politicians are always taking a pasting from their electorate, it goes with the territor