Allez-Français Direct

New launch in January 2010 – for special properties, in selected areas of France. A no cost service to vendors, at attractive rates for buyers, utilising our existing highly regarded website http://www.allez-francais.com/. Since our launch at the end of 2001, the name Allez-Français has been associated with quality property in the Poitou Charentes region of France. We currently have around 300 properties for sale, and specialise in properties at the middle to higher end of the market. Throughout this period we have been asked by potential clients whether we have property for sale in other areas, and until very recently the answer has always been “no”. We believe that we have identified a place in the market for our business, whereby we advertise and market quality property outside the Poitou Charentes for people who are trying to sell privately.

This is often a dilemma for people about to put their property on the market. Many fear that the relatively high agency fees in France may put people off and discourage them from buying via an agent. Agency fees in France are typically between 5 – 7.5% in France and that does add a significant cost, but bear in mind it is the buyer who pays the fees and they are already conditioned to paying this sum and the same again on Notaire’s fees. As a private vendor you will be viewed suspiciously as to how you arrived at your asking price. Are you being wildly optimistic and hoping for the lottery win! Selling your own house also costs money. Private advertisements are not cheap; websites cost time and money to set-up. Don’t expect a newly designed website to suddenly generate lots of traffic it doesn’t work like that. You will also receive many calls and viewings from people who are frankly ‘time-wasters’, who are just window shopping and re-living “a Place in the Sun” in their own minds.

As your agent, we would present the property professionally via our website and the French property media (at our cost – not yours). We would use photographs and a descriptive supplied by yourselves – all optimized for website exposure, and edited to our exacting standards.

Peter Elias (Agent Commercial)
http://www.allez-francais.com/

Party time

On Christmas Eve we went to a party in a neighbouring village, hosted by some friends (they became friends after buying a house through us in 2003). Their house is now for sale again, since their family circumstances have changed, and they are forced to sell their beautiful home.

Also at the gathering were no less than 5 or 6 other couples who had also purchased via Allez-Francais over the years. It was a real joy to hear them all relate their stories and discover how happy they are in rural France. Every single one said that it was the best decision that they had made, and there were absolutely no regrets.

These clients still look forward to and enjoy our quarterly newsletter (see http://www.allez-francais.com/newsletter.php?q=4&y=2009)

The common element to the feedback that we received was that we were one of the very few agents that actually bothered to really listen to their requirements when they were looking and that we had a fabulous range of properties across all prices. It was really rewarding to hear this and they have all recommended our company to friends considering a move across the Channel.
I hope that you had a Joyeux Noël and wish you Bonne Année for 2010!

Peter Elias (Agent Commercial)

http://www.allez-francais.com/ or E-mail:allez-francais@wanadoo.fr

Client testimonial

Why use our agency and not one of the "big-boys" ? Here is what a recent client has to say –

We have been searching for a home abroad for a number of years now and during that time have searched many web sites and dealt with a number of agencies in both France and Spain. I must say that we found your web site to be very user friendly, very informative and most importantly accurate in both the pictorial & worded descriptions. We were certainly not disappointed with any of the properties we viewed during our brief visit. Being based so far away meant that our time was very limited and therefore the process needed to be both very efficient and accurate, as we did not have anytime to waste. The initial viewings were all of properties that met with our criteria and the house we decided to purchase not only met but also exceeded our expectation.

After our unfortunate experience in the Spanish property market it was vital to us that we dealt with a professional organisation who would help and guide us through the various legal and administrative requirements associated with the purchase of a house in France. The team at Allez-Français again exceeded our expectation is this respect and your help and guidance in taking us through the purchasing, mortgage application & insurance process is very much appreciated. I cannot stress how apprehensive we were about this whole process after our disasters in Spain , however it was very reassuring knowing we were in professional and caring "hands". Again we thank you and your team for helping us achieve our dream. We now look forward to the day we finally leave behind the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong and take up residence in our beautiful home in France.

The end of the year is fast approaching, and this is often a time of currency volatility. Sterling is still strapped to very narrow trading ranges as a small amount of positive data and reassurance from the Bank of England that Britain has weathered the recession better than expected, hasn’t proven enough to support the ailing Pound. The massive level of UK government debt remains the fly in the ointment here.

As usual at this time of year, I would suggest this is the period to think about placing automated market orders to try to capture any spikes or troughs in exchange rates. The two weeks over the Christmas period are some of the most unpredictable and profitable in the whole year for those who use their market orders correctly and your dedicated Allez-Français currency dealer will be happy to discuss the options with you.

E-mail: allez-francais@wanadoo.fr

Completing a French property purchase

One of the most important things to get right when you buy a French property, apart from your currency, (more on that later), is the structure for the ownership, taking into account the French Inheritance laws.

I have sat in with clients on 3 separate occassions this week at their final “Acte de Vente”, and in each case their individual scenario has been very different. Children by previous relationships and unmarried couples make for various permutations, and it is so incredibly important to get the way in which you buy the property correct.

Failure to do so, could result in children by a previous relationship owning a house jointly with a step-parent, or Inheritance tax being paid at 60%. This is why we accompany clients to the Notaire’s office for the final signature – to ensure that the best outcome is achieved. Having a very competent, English speaking Notaire is a very useful asset.

Turning to the currency matter, we have saved clients literally thousands of £s this week by using a dedicated currency dealer, rather that a High Street bank. The rates offered are significantly better, and with no charges. Full details available upon request.

E-mail: allez-francais@wanadoo.fr
Website http://www.allez-francais.com/

Bargain hunting

Bargain hunting


With the property market fairly quiet, there are always some great opportunities to snap up a bargain.

Being in the best position to negotiate a good sale, i.e. with cash in your pocket, or even better your £s already exchanged into Euros, puts you a step ahead of the competition.

There are quite a number of very large price reductions now on our website, and this provides the astute buyer with a fantastic chance to buy a French property at a significant discount. See our website http://www.allez-francais.com/ or telephone or e-mail for the latest bargains ....
Peter Elias (Agent Commercial), La Moinerie, 79500 Paizay le Tort, Deux-Sèvres, FRANCE

Tel: 00 33 (0)5 49 27 01 22 Mob: 00 33 (0)6 62 28 02 25

E-mail: allez-francais@wanadoo.fr

Renewable energy, & mortgage lenders

A week ago we were driving back from the Algarve, passing through Portugal and Spain en-route back to the Poitou Charentes. What was immediately evident was the extent of the efforts that have gone into providing renewable energy sources in those 2 countries.

Wind farms appear on many horizons as you make the drive. Whether you like them or hate them, they do appear to lie idle for an awful lot of the time, either because there is too much wind, or conversely, because there is not enough. However, given that they have a projected life span of 20 years, and they take 15 years to break even, we remain to be convinced about their value.

What was noticeable on this journey, was an increase in the number of solar powered projects. Sitting in football sized fields, the panels are low level and unobtrusive, quite a difference to the modern éolien (wind mill), that stands 140 meters high and is visible for many miles. In fact, you almost miss the solar fields because they are so discreet.

It is therefore a bit of a puzzle why this region of France has opted to invest in so many wind farms, (34 parks planned for our department alone), with a complete absence of solar energy except for small individual installations. It is acknowledged that we enjoy well over 2,200 hours of sun per annum, and the area is the 2nd sunniest in France, the decision to opt for wind power baffles me. Enough on this subject for the moment – now for another moan ...

Mortgages - I often arrange mortgages for clients and have previously had good experiences with all French lenders. This year, we have been facing one problem after another with one particular lender.

Earlier in the year, they were keen to promote their Equity release mortgage, which is a relatively new product here in France. I consequently submitted a number of cases to the lender, and found that each case was rejected by the office that we dealt with, as the rules had apparently changed retrospecively. We subsequently found that the same clients were able to arrange these loans via another branch of the bank, despite assurances to ourselves that this could not be done.

Recently, I have had 2 on-going sales where the buyers wanted to take advantage of low French interest rates and finance their purchases via a mortgage. Both cases stood up very well on income and valuation, and both were approved in principle quite quickly. However, the bank’s underwriters started to request information that had already been provided several weeks earlier in both cases. As a consequence, both loans were significantly delayed, although finally approved. The annoying thing was that the completion for both sales had to be rescheduled, to great inconvienience to all parties, and causing a significant amount of stress. No apology has been received to any of the parties, and we feel that this reflects upon our business, as it is us that have made the recommendation to use the lender. We have to seriously question whether we could ever recommend this lender again. (I am quite happy to name and shame the lender to any interested parties).

http://www.allez-francais.com/

E-mail: allez-francais@wanadoo.fr

Chateaux for sale

There is always a great choice of exceptional properties for sale in France, but perhaps the best value for money is within the Chateau or Manoir category.

The styles very tremendously, from glamourous homely estates, to enormous palaces, and of course, fortified castles.

If you are looking for something extra special don't hesitate to contact us, we will certainly have something extra special for you.

Peter Elias (Agent Commercial), La Moinerie, 79500 Paizay le Tort, Deux-Sèvres

Website http://www.allez-francais.com/

E-mail: allez-francais@wanadoo.fr