Welcome from the Allez-Francais team

New - June 2009. Visit the French Property Blog, written by Peter Elias. Click on the following link to see the blog, with commentary on property and finance. http://allez-francais.blogspot.com/  Our latest newsletter has just been published - visit http://www.allez-francais.com/news/newsletter-32.htm

We have everything you need for prospective buyers in France, from Moulins, Maisons Bourgeoise, Logis and Farmhouses to Chateaux. We have a wide range of around 300 French properties for sale in the Poitou-Charentes region of South West France. Working from offices in the Deux-Sevres, allow us to assist you with the purchase of your French property, or second residence, and minimise the pain. Our services include currency exchange, mortgages, and property insurances. "Our website was listed by She magazine as one of the most useful websites for house buyers in France" Download the article from our library page

At Allez-Français we look for innovative ways to keep you moving in the property market. We think that property exchanges are a positive method to overcome current economic delays and speed up the buying / selling process. This facility has been added to our website since the start of the year. In addition, we are looking at guaranteed exchange rates on selected properties.

Summer 2009 - Latest French Property news:

These are undoubtedly difficult market times, but many clients are seeing this as a good opportunity to buy with quite a few vendors being negotiable on price. We will know which properties are negotiable and which are not, so please give us a call to discuss your requirements.

The economic downturn has made currency markets quite interesting, and the £ is now strengthening against the Euro, breaching 1.16 and with the prospect of 1.25 before the end of the year. This is great news for UK buyers who have found prices difficult with the previously weak £. All of our French property prices include agency fees and the only extra is the Notaire's fees and Government taxes. We do not charge anything extra for so called 'hand-holding' unlike some agencies. Please note that our web site is updated on a daily basis with new and sold properties.

We assist our clients with most aspects of the purchase process and have dedicated currency dealers based in the UK to turn your currency into Euros. Currency exchange rates, as mentioned above, are currently quite volatile, so please do use our dedicated dealers to secure the best rates. If you are buying bear in mind that the future is never certain so don't risk a significant move against the £, secure your currency via our brokers as soon as possible. Register with us for your Currency Exchange - don't pay more than you have to for your currency!

Don't forget also that we can assist you with your French property mortgage requirements. If you have an existing mortgage or for people moving to France we have a great choice of schemes available, including interest only schemes at very competitive rates. We work independently, but also with a leading UK broker and with France's No 1 mortgage intermediary to secure the very best rates for you. All support is of course in English.

To make the best use of your stay in the area, we are able to offer a selection of Gîte and B & B establishments, owned by people who have already taken the plunge. We suggest that you spend at least one full day with us (preferably 2), viewing French property. We have an excellent success rate finding property for those who spend quality time with us. Do be prepared to act if you see a suitable French property - a few clients have recently lost out on property as they have delayed a decision, only to be pipped at the post by another buyer.

Do please bear in mind that the process of French property viewing in France is very different to the UK and is by appointment only, and we are often booked up for 7-10 days in advance. If you want to talk through your requirements the best time to phone is between 5 and 6 pm UK time when we are normally available. I will be happy to discuss your requirements in detail either by telephone or e-mail and always respond quickly.

You can use the SKYPE technology, not just to speak to us, but also other friends, family and contacts. Click on the Skype banner and load the software (you may need a headset as well). We can talk to you at no cost concerning your french property requirements. Our Skype name is allez-francais.

Peter Elias is a registered French property Agent Commercial working for local estate agents in France.