Why not buy a place in France right away?

With house prices being so much cheaper in France than in the UK it is tempting to pile in and buy a place straight away. This temptation is getting harder to resist due to the inevitable rise in property prices in France due to the influx of 'cashed up' Brits, certainly in the more popular locations.

So, why should I rent a property in France? you may be asking.

So many factors aren't immediately apparent when considering buying a home in France and it's easy to fall foul of the end of house hunter holiday panic buying. People have bought the place of their dreams only to find out too late the money required to refurbish it is over their budget. Other aspects not immediately apparent when caught up in the excitement of a beautiful, rural property purchase are the 45 minute drive to reach a town starts to lose it's appeal especially when you forget something off your list, after all it's not like nipping out to Sainsburys.

The worry of being so remote if the unthinkable happened and you were to suffer an accident is something many people won't consider possibly until the first heavy snowfall cuts them off with no power, no phone and a 10 mile walk to get to the nearest house. Well at least the oil fired heating will still work in the event of a power cut wont it? .... Not without a generator to run the fuel pump it won't.....

For some people this may be part of the adventure but for others it can creep up and slap them in the face when they least need it or it may just be a constant worry nagging in the back of their mind, what if? What if?

How important is it to know you're buying a place where you want to live that is everything you really want and expect?

Rent a French property long term before you buy, try it out and know for sure you want to buy a place in France and that you want to buy a place that is where it is.