You could be paid to move to France…and 7 other things to discover in the 30th anniversary issue of French Property News

Join us for our 30th birthday celebrations and find out why Peter Mayle used to eavesdrop on tourists in our June edition, out now!

1. Council chiefs in an area of northern France are actually paying people to move there! Turn to page 11 to find out how you could be given a ‘golden hello’ to move to a lovely patch of Picardy.

2. Writer Peter Mayle used to sit in his local café and eavesdrop on tourists to Provence. If you’d heard his bestseller A Year in Provence had ruined the beautiful Luberon regional park, prepare to be pleasantly surprised on page 26.

3. One château in the Loire has a tower for every season of the year, a turret for every month, a spiral staircase for every fortnight, a fireplace for every week and 365 windows, one for each day of the year. See Château de Challain-la-Potherie and other stunning country piles as a prestige property specialist looks back on some of the many châteaux she has sold ove the past 30 years, on page 30.

4. Ever wondered why the Mona Lisa ended up in the Louvre and not a museum in Leonardo da Vinci’s native Italy? It’s because in 1516, the painter moved to Amboise in the Loire valley to become King François I’s premier painter, engineer and architect. He travelled by mule across the Alps, bringing his most iconic paintings with him, as you can learn on page 38.

5. French Property News started out in 1989 as a tabloid newspaper posted to 6,000 people, leading on stories about the new Eurotunnel and the introduction of the Brittany Ferries’ Property Owners’ Club (now Voyager Club). Meet loyal readers and expert contributors and find out which other institutions are celebrating landmark birthdays this year, on page 42.

6. Yes, you ‘Cannes’ buy a place on the glamorous Riviera! We reveal some great locations for budget-conscious buyers close to the major Mediterranean hotspots on page 52.

7. A typical farmhouse renovation (using artisans), including new roof, new joinery and new insulation will cost around €1,750-€2,150m2, according to an architect quoted in our renovation feature. Avoid the pitfalls of doing up your French property with the top tips on page 70.

8. When buying a period property in France, the notaire should have asked the vendor to provide proof of when any open fires or wood-burning stoves were last swept. Only when you have paid your first taxe d’habitation bill by cheque or bank transfer can you set up a direct debit for future instalments. Get more great tips like this in part two of our dummy’s guide to property ownership on page 74.

On this month’s cover: An idyllic four-bedroom house in Charente for sale with Charente Immobilier

If you want to read and learn more about buying property in France you can buy the June 2019 issue of French Property News here.

Or, you can take out our great subscription offer and get the magazine delivered to your door every month!