Second-home market in France grows: who is buying and where?

Nearly one in ten properties in France are second homes according to a new study, rising to nearly 20% in some departments.

The highest concentration of second homes is found in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, stated national statistics body Insee in its report published at the end of April. 

Overall, 11% of properties in the region are second homes, compared to 9% nationally; in the Creuse and Charente-Maritime departments, this rises to 19.8% and 18.6% respectively. 

In comparison, only 5% of properties in Deux-Sévres are second-homes. 

46% of the second homes in Nouvelle-Aquitaine are in the coastal areas. These areas represent just 8% of the region. 

Elsewhere, a recent report by property portal Green-acres estimates that the number of non-French people looking to buy a second property in France is up by 33% at the start of 2025. 

Large number of Britons and other foreign buyers 

The study cites that around a third of second home owners in Nouvelle-Aquitaine live within an hour of their property.

However, a large proportion of second-home owners in the area – around 10% – are not French, with Britons, Belgians, Spaniards and Dutch among the highest represented. 

In the Charente department, around 15% of second-home owners are British. In Dordogne and Haute-Vienne, the number is around 10%, and 12% in Deux-Sévres. 

Green-acres saw a 36% increase in Britons and Americans searching for properties in France in 2024, and a 46% increase in Dutch buyers. 

The properties themselves are smaller than main-home counterparts, although 63% are 60m² or larger in size. 

A map showing a departmental breakdown of second home ownership by main country of residence, across areas popular with second home owners, can be found on French media site FranceBleu here.

Read more: Map: see house price changes for your area of France in latest notaire data

Market remains strong for second homes 

Although the property market in general looks set to recover from its post-Covid slump this year, the demand for second homes has remained strong. 

Green-acres saw an 11% increase in requests for second-home viewings in the second half of 2024, compared to a 17% fall across the overall market, adding that 80% of its buyers did not need to borrow to purchase their second home. 

In addition to the south-west, the south-east is also popular with second home purchasers, with Green-acres recording an 18% increase in searches for a property in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. 

In particular, searches in the Alpes-Maritimes and Var increased by 23%.