For the first time in three years French real estate agents are reporting increased buying from residents of the UK. This is encouraging news for the French housing market since UK investors are essential to its success. With over half a million properties in France, they are the largest foreign owners of French homes.
But during the recession, foreign investment dried up—down by over sixty percent over the past three years. Why is it bouncing back? Well, one reason is that the UK has finally emerged from the recession. Another is that housing prices and mortgages in France are more affordable than ever. There is also more variety.
In this article we are going to discuss French fixer-uppers. Why buy a home that needs immediate renovation, refurbishment or repair? The most obvious reason is that they are a lot cheaper. Another good reason is that fixing up an old home often is not as difficult or as expensive as it seems.
Where to start? Never waste your entire budget working on one or two rooms. Rather, work with what you have. Instead of spending thousands of pounds replacing the kitchen cabinets, spend ten pounds staining them. Instead of putting in central air, install ceiling fans.
Believe it or not, even some of the larger, more ambitious projects are fairly inexpensive. They just take a lot of work. For example, old homes almost always have hardwood floors hiding beneath dusty old rugs. Removing the rugs and restoring the floor is an easy way to add warmth, beauty and value to your new home.