Properties
Advice
Search
About
Contact
We will be in touch to discuss our requirements
The South of France is referred to as “le midi” by the French and is generally the most popular tourist region in France. The region consists of the French Mediterranean coastline and its borders to Spain and Italy. While the South of France is most famous for the Côte d’Azur region, there is more to Le Midi than just the jet-set resort towns. There are idyllic Bohemian islands and hilltop medieval towns housing their own Michelin-starred restaurants, creating their own charm. Whether you are looking for a day that starts and ends with a glass of rosé at a celeb-filled beach club, or prefer a more secluded seaside or hilltop escape, the South of France has something for everyone.
The Côte d’Azur or the French Riviera, is stretched along the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France, which stretches from Toulon, Lavandou or Saint-Tropez in the west to Menton at the France-Italy border in the east. Along the Côte d’Azur, you can admire the vivid blue Mediterranean Sea, that is accessible via that numerous coves, islands and golden sandy beaches. The Côte d’Azur is also filled with world-class events all year round, such as the Cannes Film Festival, Monaco Gran Prix and the Nice Jazz Festival.
Having a property in the South of France gives you a year-round holiday destination. Whether you’re planning on spending half the year here or a couple of weeks, knowing that you’re guaranteed a getaway to the sun is being a bonus.
The South of France’s delightful climate offers you the opportunity to rent out your property to others. The South of France benefits from both longer-term monthly rentals and short-term holiday rentals. If you choose your property carefully, you could potentially make rental yields of around 6-9%, in addition to the VAT rebate programme that you should be eligible to!
Investing in a property in South of France is also a great longer-term investment due to the stability of the French property market, making it a safe investment. Thanks to French mortgages having a fixed rate, the property market hasn’t seen any drop-offs. Even during the pandemic, the market remained resilient, with prices growing by 5.8% across France in 2020, according to Notaires de France.
When purchasing a French property with a French mortgage, there are many benefits. The number one benefit being that French banks can offer a fixed repayment rate for the entire duration of your mortgage at very competitive rates, unlike British banks who tend to offer fixed terms of 10 years or less. The French banks like to use this system, as the financial system and property market both benefit from stability and security. The fixed rates allow French property investors from outside of the Euro zone to minimise their risks in relation to the foreign exchange rates, but also in many cases the interest payable on the mortgage can be nullified by any income received from a property that is being used as a rental.
The Côte d’Azur has a Mediterranean climate with sunny, hot, dry summers and mild winters. In August there are highs of 30oC in Toulon, and in January there are lows of 6oC; days of frost here are very rare. On average, the region has less rainfall than Paris per annum, with Paris receiving 803 mm over 111 rainy days and Toulon receiving 650 mm over 61 rainy days.
When travelling to the South of France, there are numerous airports along the coastline, which will minimise your driving time once you have landed. If you are travelling to the west side of the Le Midi then Perpignan and Montpellier Airport are the ideal airports to fly to, but it if you’re travelling to the east, then flying to Nice Côte d’Azur or Marseille Provence Airport would minimise your driving time.
