Rise in ‘home-jackings’ in France: culprits trick way into houses A spate of high-profile cases has drawn attention to the phenomenon over the past year
The five best places to live in France, according to new ranking The ranking used a vast array of data and criteria to sort more than 34,900 towns nationwide
Five French properties with working vineyards for sale from €575,000 We look at picturesque winemaking homes for investment opportunities or for a new livelihood Excess charges for home services in French homes Stricter laws have not put us off homeschooling in France How to fill in new French property form and why it is causing problems
The French tourist cities taking a stand against Airbnb-style lets Second homes are also in the firing line for some, with residents increasingly complaining about empty properties and difficulties in finding affordable local accommodation
Bargain homes: Eight properties for less than €50,000 in France A houseboat, a cottage, a mobile home and a charming country house are all within budget
Storm damage in France: How to manage an insurance claim for your home We offer tips on insurance policies, how to compile evidence for a claim and who to turn to if you prefer to have a professional handle your case
Where do you find the cheapest second homes in France? The largest group of non-French homeowners (all homes) are the British, who own 86,000 second homes in France
Can I travel to France from UK to buy and move into my new main home? A reader with a long-stay visa for France has asked about moving over during Covid restrictions
French tax office begins to use aerial shots to find undeclared pools The measure is also targeting home extensions in nine departments before being used throughout France in 2022
Who still has to pay taxe d’habitation in France and until when? Payments for main homes now relate to income but the tax may have risen for second homes depending on where the property is located
€650,000 of gold found in jam jars in junk-filled French house The latest find is the second set of gold coins the mairie has discovered at the property
Make money by turning your home in France into a film set A production company in the south of France is calling for distinctive traditional, or very modern, properties to add to its filming location database. Owners are paid if their home is used
Brittany: Homebuyers sign contracts accepting country life A new clause in contracts for homebuyers in Morbihan confirms they will accept the sights, sounds and smells of country life Airbnb rules in Paris upheld by European Court of Justice Property in France post-Covid: Outdoor space a priority Solar panels for your house in France? Get them at Ikea
House in France struck by lightning? How to claim Homeowners in France looking to claim on insurance after their home is hit by lightning in a storm may be required to obtain an " attestation de foudroiement" to do so. We explain what this is, and how to get one. France legalises all remote notaire sales signatures France raises taxes on large garden sheds French vet students treat homeless pets in free clinic Homeowners in France warned over €1 insulation offers Paris mayor warns Olympics of Airbnb sponsor ‘risks’
French nun refused retirement home space due to habit A Catholic nun in France has been stopped from taking up her place in a retirement home after she refused to stop wearing her religious habit as a condition for living there.
Famous French countryside cockerel gathers support Maurice, the most famous cockerel in France - who has become a symbol of the struggle between rural and urban living - will be supported by several other cockerels during his trial this Thursday (July 4).
Tallest ever ‘eco’ wooden building opens in France The tallest apartment building ever to be made almost entirely of wood in France has opened in Strasbourg, aiming to show the eco-friendliness of the construction method.
Ranking: Best 50 best towns in France to retire to A list of the best 50 towns to retire to in France has been created, with two coastal Gironde towns coming in first place, followed by Cannes, Arles, and Vannes - and Saint-Malo in 10th place.
France rules sellers must reveal nightmare neighbours House sellers in France who do not let potential buyers know about noisy or problematic neighbours now face cancellation of the sale completely.
Gloves off! World Naked Gardening Day is tomorrow Tomorrow (Saturday May 4) is World Naked Gardening Day, which takes place each year on the first Saturday in May, and invites gardeners to garden nude, in a move to appreciate their own bodies.
France launches €30m plan to reduce resident TGV noise A new €30 million project to reduce the noise of high-speed train lines in France has been launched after residents complained of the negative impact it is having on their lives.
France homeowners warned on forest fire land clearing Homeowners in France are reminded that in some regions and for certain properties, it is a legal requirement to carry out a “brush clearing” of surrounding countryside land, to help prevent forest fires.
Web game with €1.5m French property prize is legal Lawyers acting for the property's owners tell Connexion the €13-to-enter web-based competition to win a large property in southwest France is above board
French couple sell €1.5m property via €13 lottery game A €1.5 million, 450m2 gîte property with a pool is being sold in Périgord (Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine) via an online lottery game that costs just €13 to enter, and which is still open to entries.
More revealed on illegal €57m Provence Château Diter More details have come to light on how the Château Diter - the €57m Côte d’Azur château that French authorities have ordered to be torn down - was able to grow to such an extent in the first place.
Two offers for tiny, run-down Paris flat at €205,000 An apartment in a condition of total disrepair and measuring just 12m2, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, is on sale for €205,000 - and two people have put in an offer.
Pamela Anderson now permanent Marseille resident The residents of Marseille have a new famous neighbour, as former model and actress Pamela Anderson and her footballing partner are said to have moved in permanently.
Nantes house built by onsite 3D printer is world first A house in Nantes is being partially constructed by 3D printer, making it the first of its kind in the world destined to be lived in by real residents, and to be built by a robot actually on location.
French tap water still ‘has too much lead’, says study There are still too-high levels of lead in French tap water, and reducing it should continue to be an urgent public health priority, according to a new report today.
Average cost of French self-built home now €294,000 The average cost of building your own house in France is now €294,000, a significant rise compared to last year, despite the decrease in actual average floor space.
Home Sweet Home - July 2017 We asked readers living in France to tell us what they like most about their home – here Lin and Trev Griffiths speak about their house and garden in Côtes d’Armor
Home Sweet Home - May 2017 We asked readers living in France to tell us what they like most about their home – here Clive and Pamela Mainwaring speak about their house and garden in Lot-et-Garonne
Home Sweet Home - June 2017 We asked readers in France to tell us what they like most about their home – here Julian and Michelle Price speak about their house and garden in Gironde.