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People with a second home in France should check their insurance policy
Cover can be reduced or voided for homes left empty for significant periods of time
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Photos: four historic French châteaux on sale for under €1 million
Grand abandoned properties are looking for new owners
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Tips for keeping your home cool during heatwaves in France
France’s ecological transition agency has issued some tips that are also eco-friendly
French silence now means ‘non’, not ‘oui'
The principle of tacit planning acceptance from authorities has been overturned in the case of mountain pasture chalets or summer buildings. Four months of silence now indicates refusal rather than approval.

A new decree states that applications for such mountain properties, which are popular with holidaymakers, that are filed after February 1 must be formally approved within four months – otherwise they must be considered rejected. This is the opposite of other planning rules.