Australians look to swap Sydney for a French chateau

While Brits have long been fans
of buying Property in France , the country is becoming increasingly popular with
residents of another English speaking nation. The Herald Sun reports that interest in French property from
Australians is ‘at an all time high’ as Aussies realise they can snap up a
French chateau for less than the average Sydney home.

Keep reading to learn more about
why people Down Under are turning to property in France.

Australians turning to character property in France

The Herald Sun reports that the strength of the Australian dollar and
the struggling French property market are making ‘fairytale’ French properties
cheaper than simple homes in Australia’s major cities.

Rural French properties are as
much as $160,000 (£103,000) cheaper than Sydney’s median house price of
$562,500 (£362,095). Based on current exchange rates, an ornate, three-storey
15th century chateau in Sologne in rural France that comes with 14 hectares of land,
oak parquetry floors and ornamental ceilings can be bought for $696,000
(£448,035).

For the same price in Sydney you
could buy a three-bedroom house in Carlton, a four-bedroom duplex in
Wentworthville or a three-bedroom apartment in Cronulla. No wonder Australia flights to France are so popular.

Indeed, the newspaper reports that
‘interest in buying in France is at an all-time high’ according to French
property expert Gaelle Perreaux, who said inquiries had grown markedly since
2008.

“The prices of properties in
Australia are so high that people get so much more for their money in
France,” Ms Perreaux said.

Australian buyers are attracted to these historic,
character properties which are often a stone’s throw from a quaint local
village.

“However, buyers need to be aware
that these properties often require a significant amount of maintenance or
refurbishment both initially and on an ongoing basis.”

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