If you are looking for an investment in France - perhaps combined with personal use as a holiday home - them we've got some recommendations for you..

The new launch of French Property Secrets contains our view of the French market with hot recommendations for 2003.

In addition, French Property Secrets contains loads of up to date and investor driven advice about lettings, buying, selling and make a return on your investment in France.

Our advice is distilled from experts in the field - people who've done it (both the right way and sometimes the wrong way!)

For instance, there are some very important differences between the UK market and the French market...

... and one of the most important is that a poorly located property simply won't let out and won't resell either!

That means that buying the right property - is even more important in France (and Spain too for that matter) than it is in the UK - where with effort, poorly located property can be let or sold!

An example of this might be a French property that suffers from persistent flooding!

You might not realise this when you view the property, and if it's in the warm South of France, it might be the last thing you'd ask! But, flooding - and water in general - is a major consideration for all French properties!

So, as you already know, getting the insider knowledge is crucial to your property success! And France is a very different country - and that means you really do need to learn about property from the French point of view!

But, the first question to ask is - is France a great opportunity? And, the answer to that is an emphatic YES!

** Why is France such a great opportunity?

The opportunity in France is driven by many things, not least of which are the food and the lifestyle, the magnificent countryside, the beaches, and to the south of the Loire Valley particularly, the weather.

Add to that breathing space! France is about twice the size in land area as the UK but has only a slightly larger population.

Finally, there is the abundance of bargain properties. It is still possible, in fact in many areas relatively easy, to purchase properties well below the equivalent price in the UK. With the ease of financing these properties, this makes buying a second home in France a realistic proposition for many people.

Buying property in France has become an option for so many people. It’s no longer just for the 'rich'.

Back in the early 1980s air travel was limited and expensive, and most of the middle class retirees depended on road transport.

With regular ferry services sailing across the channel, and plenty of time in which to make the journey, this wasn’t a problem.

However, the result was that the property market in France was not very strong, and property prices were much lower than they are now. Apart from the astute, very few people saw purchasing a property in France as being an investment at that time.

** Now things are changing

Until the mid-1990s, the bulk of the French property buyers came from Italy, Germany and Holland. However, in the late 1990s British buyers became more prevalent, taking advantage of the strong pound.

Things have changed dramatically over the last 15 years. According to the French Tourist Office more than 500,000 Britons now own French property. It is estimated that 60,000 Britons purchased property in France in 2001 alone!

Many now live there full-time and have France as their main residence; still more have holiday homes. A sizeable minority have bought property as an investment.

Interestingly, it is estimated that something like 60% of all enquiries at the French Property Exhibition at Olympia in March this year (2002) were from people interested in making a permanent move to France, with only 40% looking for a holiday home.

There has been a change in the typical purchaser. Apart from the rich and the middle class retirees it was mainly skilled crafts people who were able to use their skills abroad to make a living that were able to have a fresh start. The typical buyer is now much younger, typically in their 30s or 40s.

Today’s purchaser is more likely to be a professional who can use technology and communications to retain their job in the UK, but while working from home in France.

Because of the big increase in the number of buyers, bargain properties in many areas are now harder to find than they were. Even just a few years ago, with a budget of £50,000, you’d have had plenty of choice. Now, in some areas, that will buy you nothing. For example, if you are interested in the Dordogne, you probably need to be budgeting at least £100,000 to have any realistic chance of a renovated house.

However, having said that, there are a number of areas where it is still possible to find great investment opportunities on the back of a strenghtening market

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