This is an updated post that I first wrote in May 2016. I have an app that sends me reminders of photos that I took on today’s date but in previous years. In this case, it was a post I wrote whilst we were spending a month in Castelnaudary, looking for a house to purchase.
For those of you are that are more recent readers, I was lucky enough (although lucky is not the most appropriate word in this context) to receive an inheritance which enabled me to fulfil a lifetime dream to purchase a house in France.
These ( rather poor) photos are of the exterior and interior of the estate agent ( or realtor) we used in France. We had a personal recommendation for this agency and I think we were very fortunate to meet someone who was the opposite of the perception of a stereotypical estate agent. Apologies to any estate agents who might be reading this!
The person in question was funny, charming and had gone out of her way to follow our brief. The cynical, amongst you, are probably thinking – that’s her job – and yes, of course it is! Nevertheless, we were delighted with the seven houses she showed us.
This house looked wonderful from the road. This photo is the front garden but there was no back garden. Unfortunately, the interior didn’t quite meet our needs but the main deciding factor was that it was in the middle of nowhere. This might be perfection for some people but I was adamant that I wanted to be part of a French community, not isolated.
The house below was in a village and had lots of land and potential but we would have had to drive everywhere. It was important that we could walk or cycle into the nearest town, Castelnaudary.
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This house was on the outskirts of Castelnaudary, had a pool and the back garden opened on to the Canal du Midi. Both the garden and the house were bigger than we really wanted.
There were other houses that we viewed but I don’t have any photos of them. At least three of them were in the town centre but didn’t have much of a garden.
All though the house viewing process, I was fascinated by the creative vocabulary used to describe aspects of the properties: une atmosphère cosy, style loft industriel, fosse septique, en cathédrale.
And what is it about mezzanines, in France? I have never come across so many houses with a mezzanine level, no matter the age or style of the house. And yes, we have ended up with a mezzanine!
Floor plans – what floor plans?? I’m used to house details with floor plans included.
As with any property purchase, it was a mix of excitement and extreme stress!
If you’ve been following the blog for some time, you will know which house we bought!
I do hope you’ve enjoyed this nostalgic look at buying our house in France.
Fancying France 
Great post 😁
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Thanks!
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I do remember the estate agents and I think if you get a good one you are very lucky! Do love house hunting though but lots of time wasted when there aren’t floor plans and the houses are miles apart!
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Yes, we were lucky, although we still discovered some of the ‘hidden secrets’ of the house after the purchase. House hunting in France was certainly different to the UK but I guess it will always be stressful, wherever you look. Love your latest recipe!! Will comment shortly…
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Loved reading this, June. As an ex-estate agent (late 80s to early 90s) I have to say that it was a job I thoroughly enjoyed. I started as a negotiator and ended up as a senior sales negotiator who did a few valuations and show-arounds too. My favourite part was assembling a portfolio of possible properties against a client brief. It’s both an exciting and stressful time for a house-buyer. It’s a whole different ball game now with Right Move – a real boon to the buyer who loves in a different area to where they want to buy.
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Glad you enjoyed the post. How fabulous that you used to be an estate agent! I’ve often thought that it’s a job that would appeal to me. I love the idea of having a look around other people’s properties and I like to think that I’m a people person. I imagine you would have had some very challenging clients! Yes, the internet has opened up a whole new world to house-buyers. The only issue is that I waste so much time viewing properties online!
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It was a job I loved, June. Unfortunately the housing market crash meant redundancy and then I drifted into a HR role so decided to get qualifications in that. I can still remember a few challenging clients – like the one who removed the kitchen after he had accepted an offer and put in a cheaper one!! On moving day the buyers were understandably furious but couldn’t understand why we couldn’t reduce the price they’d (already) paid. It went to court
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Unbelievable re: kitchen being removed. You’ve probably got other similar stories. Dare I ask what was the result of the court case? My worst experience was when I sold my cottage and later the purchaser accessed my bank account (this was in the 80s). I had to involve the police but I did get my money back.
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Oh goodness, how awful. The vendor had to have the kitchen he had removed reinstated and pay compensation but I can’t recall how much. There was a similar instance with bath taps in another sale, and yet another where all the light switches and bulbs were removed because the vendor thought that the buyer was getting too much of a bargain. I learned early on not to get involved in negotiations over the sale of fixtures and fittings and to let the two parties battle it out amongst themselves.
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I suspect it’s the same here. We had to look at moving last year and some of the places we looked at were definately not what we had specified. It’s always fun house hunting, I think for patience levels. #pocolo
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Yes, I’m sure you’re right, wherever you are buying a house starts off as fun but you end up needing lots of patience! I do waste a lot of time house hunting online! Thanks for commenting #pocolo
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