France is a great country to visit, always ranking among the top two or three countries for tourism every year. It could also be a great country to invest in a property, whether a house, a flat, a castle
Whether you are preparing for retirement in France, looking for a place which you can use a few weeks a year or just looking for a property investment, I am sure that you will find something you like during a trip to France.
The main hurdle of the French real estate market is that you have to pay around 8% tax on the value of the property you buy.
The next step is to have this property properly rented and managed at an affordable price while you are away. You want to have access to this service at the same price that French nationals would pay, and you want to be able to compare prices easily.
You should also maybe get some information on how the property market works so you can understand the real estate agent concerns. French law is very protective of tenants for instance and you need to decide early whether you prefer to rent furnished or unfurnished: a furnished lease is much more protective for tenants.
You can also subscribe an insurance to cover the risk of rentals not being paid. The cost of such insurance is around 2% of the rental if the insurance is subscribed through a real estate agent specialised in managing properties.
You should follow certain rules while selecting a tenant as to avoid any discrimination lawsuit. A recent change in regulation is also that you have to publicise the certificate of energy efficiency when looking for tenants.
You can find more information and compare prices for Property Management on Guide Gestion Locative.