How to Spend £100,000 in Brittany

FrenchEntrée.com’s Property Consultant Gaëlle Perreaux answers a reader’s property buying query.

Question

I just inherited £100,000 and I have always dreamt of having a property in France near the sea (either in Brittany or the South of France). Is this going to stay or dream or is it possible?

Answer

In order to answer your question I would need more details such as what do you consider “near” the sea and what kind of property you would be interested in.
Another important I would need to know would be the location of the property in France. Therefore I will give you my point of view on what you could get and where.

If you are thinking about the south of France, Languedoc Roussillon or Provence-Côte-d’Azur and that you want to be within 15min drive of the sea you will soon discover that your options are rather limited.

With some good advice you can still find a nice studio apartment in Nice (which could also be a very nice investment as a rental),the same goes for towns such as Montpellier, Marseille… or smaller places such as Canet-en-Roussillon, where with a bit of searches you could find small 1 bedroom apartments within your budget.

If it is Brittany that you are after, I would advise you to look at the North and West coast which are less expensive and you will get more for your money. On the North coast places around Morlaix or Plougasnou offer great opportunities and if you are happy to do a bit of work on the property you can still get a nice little village house with a bit of a garden. On the West coast, Chateaulin or Douarnenez still offer the same opportunities.

One thing to remember is that the closer to the coast the property is the more desirable it is and therefore the more expensive it is going to be.

If you are thinking of moving permanently to France, ask yourself if it is really necessary for you to be within 15 minutes from the beach, are you going to go to the sea everyday? If the answer if no, you might want to consider places a bit more inland which might offer you better value for money.

If you have a property buying question, please contact Gaelle at [email protected]