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Niche France 'remains strong'

Jaimie Kanwar

One particular niche market in France is booming at the moment, argues one company...

According to French property specialist VEF, the market for character stone homes in France is in a good position at present. Founder and managing director of the firm Trisha Mason explained:  “Certain parts of the French market have difficulties at present, such as the off-plan sector which is suffering from oversupply”.

However, she noted that the niche market for old stone homes is still doing well: “The market for character stone properties remains strong due to the fact there is, obviously, a finite supply of these properties."

John Richards, chief executive of Hammerson's, added: “French properties are on average a 1/3 cheaper than the UK, and historically growth in France has been steady. This is in sharp contrast to the UK where we often see sharp fluctuations in property prices.

”France's property market is robust and if you are looking for a holiday home in Provence, a family home in rural Limousin or an investment, the evidence is growing that France is the place to buy and now is a good time”.