Where to buy a beautiful house in France for less than £100,000
The French property market has been in a slump. The pound is at its highest level against the euro for two years. Could it be the ideal time to bag a French bargain?
After two years of steep property price falls, the downward cycle is showing signs of levelling out, according to the Notaires de France, the official source of data.
With the cost of an average UK home soon to hit £300,000, anyone looking to spend just a third of that will marvel at the choice of tempting options across the Channel. Around a third of property searches on French-property.com are for properties less than £100,000 (€121,000).
Look to central-south-west of France, in the historic regions of Aquitaine, Limousin and Poitou-Charentes, says Ingram Monk, of the website. “Many of the properties require full renovation, but it is still possible to find something in the £80,000-£100,000 range that needs less or even no work.”
The most searched-for locations on Rightmove from September to November 2024 were Dordogne, Normandy, Brittany, Languedoc-Roussillion and Poitou-Charentes; these are all places prized for their affordability. Here’s proof that you don’t necessarily need to buy a crumbling house in the middle of nowhere with a budget of £100,000.
Lower Normandy/Mayenne
Access is always a consideration for British buyers in France, so demand for property in Mayenne and Lower Normandy always stays strong as it ticks the boxes of affordable, delightful and easy to get to.
“Small villages such as St-Denis-de-Gastines offer a vibrant village life and the chance for owners to become part of a community,” says Amanda Fellows of Leggett Immobilier.
Situated midway between the iconic landmarks of Le Mont St Michel and Le Mans, this is a great area to attract holiday rental guests too. Not too much further are the D-Day beaches and Bayeux.
Avoid the pricey coastal locations by driving 40 to 60 minutes inland and you won’t be too far from the ferry ports of St Malo and Caen.
A small, habitable village property or a larger rural renovation can still be found for below €50,000, but be prepared to spend the same again on renovation. For €116,600 you can expect to get a two-/three-bedroom property with a garden, perhaps with separate gite.
Northern Charente
Rivalling the Dordogne for the most popular patch of south-west France for British residents, the Poitou-Charentes still offers good value for money and a great climate.
The northern Charente, where it borders the department of Deux-Sèvres (another area on the up for its affordability), is a great base from which to drive to the Atlantic coast and historic cities like Angouleme, Niort, Saintes, La Rochelle and Cognac. It is around four hours’ drive from the nearest ferry ports, and it is also easily reached by several airports.
Ruffec is a pretty market town, surrounded by forests and fields of sunflowers; the typical Charentaise honey-coloured stone houses have sky-blue shutters. You can get the train from there to Angouleme and then the TGV to Paris.
“Ruffec has all the amenities you need like supermarkets and a hospital, and there is plenty to do in the area like walking and cycling,” says James Rolt of agent Beaux Villages. “Day trips to the Atlantic coast are possible at less than two hours’ drive.”
You can find fixer-uppers for less than €80,000, but €95,000 to €105,000 will get you or a two/three-bedroom property with a garden close to a village.
The agent has a four-bedroom property for sale that is ready renovated, with barns at €72,500, while there is a three-bedroom property with river views at €93,500 through French-property.com.
Central Brittany
Brittany is a sunnier version of Cornwall, with properties a fraction of the price. It’s very easy to travel around the region on its road network so look to central Brittany as a great base from which to explore, says Lisa Greene of Leggett Immobilier.
“Choosing a location such as Évran or Combourg will make it easy to hop off the ferry at St Malo and be in your French home quickly. It’s wonderfully rural – and there’s Rennes when you fancy a day in the Breton capital,” she says.
Another option is Guingamp, a charming market town within easy reach of the beautiful coastal areas of the Bay of Saint-Brieuc and the Granite Rose Coast.
Affordable villages nearby include Saint-Gilles-Pligeaux, where there’s a pretty two-bedroom cottage for sale through Leggett at €129,165. For under £100,000 you can expect to find a two/three-bedroom house in need of more work.
Haute-Vienne, Limousin
Much of the Limousin region in south-central France is sparsely populated but the key is finding parts that are more accessible, like the Haute-Vienne department.
The award-winning medieval market town of Bellac has become a hotspot with bargain hunters with its artisan shops, restaurants and festivals. According to the last census, 310 Britons owned a home there – making up a tenth of the town.
Nearby there are walks along the River Vincou or boating on the lake of Saint-Pardoux, and it’s a 40-minute drive to Limoges. For around €85,000 to €90,000 you can find a two-bedroom detached property with an acre of garden 15 minutes from Bellac, says Chris Summers, of Beaux Villages. The agent also has a renovation project on the market for €41,000.
Elsewhere in Haute-Vienne is a pretty two-bed blue shuttered cottage for €64,990 (via Leggett) or a cute little village house for €56,000 (Beaux Villages).
Pézenas, Occitanie
The Pézenas area, in the heart of Occitanie (Languedoc-Roussillon), remains high in demand, not least because of its 300 days of sunshine per year, but also because of its great communication links and fabulous beaches within easy reach. It is without the cachet of Provence, so its prices are far more modest.
Surrounding the market town of Pézenas are a selection of villages rich in history; some, such as Saint-Pons de-Mauchiens, date back to the early Middle Ages, says Simon Kerridge of Languedoc Property Finders.
“For sale now at €125,000 is a very pretty, two-bedroom village house in lovely condition with a roof terrace; or one that needs updating just sold for €99,000,” he says. There’s also a two-bedroom stone village house needing work for €120,000, through Leggett.
Northern Dordogne
The Dordogne remains top of most people’s list, but don’t assume that its popularity means you are priced out. Look to the Perigord-Limousin regional natural park for a taste of la France profonde.
There’s the beautiful town of Brantôme, canoeing on the River Dronne, and it’s all around 40 minutes from Limoges airport. “The lifestyle is very rural, laid-back, with lots of outdoor living and peace and quiet,” says Helen Dawson of agent Beaux Villages.
“Piégut-Pluviers is a good base: it’s famous for its ancient Wednesday market selling organic produce, but is also a very welcoming town with everything you need and lots of different nationalities living there.”
You will pay around €95,000 for a two-bedroom renovated village property with garden; currently for sale is a two-bedroom cottage for €120,000 through Leggett.
Mazamet, Tarn
For dramatic beauty in southern France, great outdoor pursuits and the Unesco walled city of Carcassonne within easy reach, look to the area around Mazamet, a town which once handled all of the world’s sheepskins and where Napoleon’s uniforms were made. The result was a lot of rich merchants with grand houses.
At the foot of the Montagne Noire and surrounded by lakes and medieval villages, the area is a wonderland for cycling, trail running and all outdoor pursuits.
The three weekly markets in Mazamet create a lovely buzz – the summer farmers’ market invites you to feast with the locals. Access is via Toulouse airport (90 minutes) or Carcassonne airport (45 minutes) but it’s only three hours to skiing in the Pyrenees or less than two hours to the beaches of the Mediterranean.
“You can still find great bargains in the town’s old warehouses and those classic grand merchants’ homes,” says Sonja Marks-Terrey, of Leggett Immobilier. The agent is selling a three-bedroom village house for €62,000.
