The two regions that make up south west France are Aquitaine and Midi-Pyrenees and both are hugely popular with British holiday home seekers looking for property for sale in south west France either as a holiday home, an investment property or a retirement home in the sun.
The appeal of south west France is diverse and ranges from the fact that it enjoys excellent weather, has fantastic food and wine in abundance, is stunningly beautiful, easily accessible and made up of a wide mix of social groups.
Aquitaine is the region of France best known for Bordeaux, Dordogne, Biarritz, French Basque country and the Pyrenees and the most expensive areas for property for sale are Cap Ferret and the Bay of Arcachon, Bordeaux, Biarritz and Bayonne with the Dordogne being the most popular with British home hunters.
Aquitaine is an incredibly wealthy area of France thanks largely to the food and wine the region produces and this translates to high property prices as well. As stated the Dordogne in Aquitaine is especially popular with those Britons seeking properties for sale in south west France - which has been dubbed the ‘alternative south of France’ - and it can be hard to find well priced homes for sale in the Dordogne nowadays.
But step off the beaten track, away from the Dordogne and back from the coast and it is still possible to find affordable properties for sale perhaps in need of some restoration which can make an ideal holiday retreat, second home, investment property or indeed a retirement home in the sun.
If your budget does not restrict you then you can of course look throughout the region for property with Cap Ferret and Biarritz the priciest areas and where the rich and famous like to be seen, own property and holiday!
Midi-Pyrenees has risen in popularity in recent years as more and more people have been priced out of neighbouring regions and have begun to explore this lesser known but stunningly beautiful part of France. Of course an increase in popularity translates to an increase in property prices but so far your money will go far further in this part of south west France than in much of neighbouring Aquitaine for example.
The capital of the Midi-Pyrenees region is Toulouse which is a lively, popular and busy city with good employment and education opportunities and the highest property prices of the region. Most Britons seeking real estate for sale in the Midi-Pyrenees part of south west France prefer Gascony because of its rural charm and essential ‘Frenchness’. The types of property favoured in Gascony are stone built farmhouses set in the rolling and beautiful countryside.
Alternatives for those seeking a French investment property in the Midi-Pyrenees region include ski properties for sale in and around the many popular ski resort towns which can be let out year round as the resorts also attract walkers and climbers in the spring and summer. Alternatively the appeal of Toulouse is so great that there’s strong demand for rental accommodation in the city from professionals, students or holidaymakers and a buyer could buy to let French property for a regular source of income.
