Many guests who stay with us in Villa Roquette are thinking seriously about buying property here in Languedoc.

It is easy to see why, the climate is wonderful and the quality of life is very good.

I am building a new property website to help sort the “wheat from the chaff” in the area around Montblanc and all seven communities in the Pays du Thongue which are; Abeilhan, Alignan du vent, Coulobres, Montblanc, Puissalicon, Tourbes and Valros. These are among some of the most beautiful villages in France and have a history going back thousands of years.

But how does a visitor find the right property? Staying with us for two weeks, or even longer, will only give time to see a handful or houses, being enticed hither and thither by local estate agents all fighting to sell the same properties.

The Internet is the starting point now for most people looking , but the descriptions are vague and optimistic, the photos are often misleading and nowhere will any problems, defects or legal wrangles be stated.

The fact is that most properties, certainly the interesting, bargain or special ones, will never get to being advertised on the Internet. Those that are are often overpriced based on the naive assumption that overseas buyers will pay more for the older properties.

Often overseas buyers can see the potential of a classic stone property where local families prefer new homes on tailored housing plans. But there is one good reason for this.

The older properties cost a great deal more to refurbish and renovate and usually need a lot of work doing – rewiring, plumbing, roofing, insulation heationg etc etc. This can often (usually in my experience) cost more, perhaps several times more, than the purchase price.

I am only going to offer for sale properties I know to be good value and/or which will match the wishes of the buyer.

I am also offering everyone a new service, to study and appraise any property, not just the ones I will be offering. This study is in four parts.

1 – A photographic study of the property and the local area – warts and all – with comments based on my many years of experience renovating old local houses.

2 – An full objective report of the actual condition of the property, room by room, covering defects, potential problems and comments indicating remedial actions, costs and solutions.

3 – A subjective report based on my personal opinion of the property related to my understanding of what the customer is looking for – this takes into account the use, is it an investment, permanent home, plans to rent etc

4 – A follow up if more information is needed, talks to the local authorities regarding certification, services to be connected, rights of way and advice for any clauses needed for the contractual terms etc.

I am only making a modest charge for this work of 230 euro (including all costs and taxes).

I can also act for a buyer and negotiate with owners or other agents for them meet with the Notaire and go through the purchase completion to save a buyer flying to France for the formalities – charges depend on time taken but any fee would be agreed in advance.

I am correctly and legally registered in France for this type of work and have many years of experience dealing with real estate business locally (the good guys and the real rascals)

Thinking of buying property in Languedoc – Contact me