Do we Buy or Rent ? Do you need help managing your property?

Hi. Why not take a look and see what's available. I've bought two houses in SW. The first was love at first sight, and  four years later I still love it, but if I had more experience I might've chosen something a bit different. There are amazing historical homes in my area, and my house is a mere 180 years old. As an American, I found an 180 year old house incredible...until later on when I visited neighbors living in amazing houses dating back to 1500 : )
My little house was inexpensive and livable, with a nice view so it worked out OK.

Then my children, who “couch surfed” in France with family members, needed a place of their own right away, so we impulsively bought a house. There have been a lot of regrets with the second house.  It had a recent remodel and looked great, but in reality it had expensive issues that didn't show up right away.
I guess what I'm saying is if you see a house and fall in love with it you won't mind if it has problems, but impulsive buying just to get into a house here can have pitfalls. And before spending money, perhaps it is better to live in a place for a while and understand exactly what kind of neighborhood you are living in, and see if it feels good to you.
There are some very  beautiful ancient inexpensive homes with a ton of character, but they can have issues (at least that I would never have imagined). And unlike real estate agents in United States, and probably where you are, apparently the agents are not required to give full disclosure to the same degree, so it's definitely buyer beware here.
My agent told me my little house came furnished, I trusted him, but imagine my surprise when I arrived and the essentials had been removed.
And my childrens house...the seller blackmailed us. She wanted extra money or said she would have a yard sale and let people take out light fixtures, cabinets, etc.
It can be a gray area of what actually you are buying.
Good luck to you. It's a worthwhile adventure!

Lovely! Thanks for your reply and advice. This is hardest thing for us right now, we have always dreamed of a move, but thought it not possible until maybe we reach 65! However current experience of working remotely means it can be possible, but transition deadline is meaning it is almost hard to resist just buying somewhere asap but we are trying to find another way so we don't panic and rush into it!  I think we will almost certainly regret it if we don't move now, but you are right we don't want hidden surprises and definitely interested to hear more of peoples moving experience like that you have explained to us, because the more we find out about the more we can try to be certain of before the purchase.

PS To anyone reading this, my husband has 10 years experience in property maintenance!

Better to decide which part of France you want to live in. I lived in Biarritz for many years and it was incredible especially with sea, surf and the Spanish border half an hour's drive away.

Yes it's such an old fashioned idea to wait until you retire to do something adventurous with your life. One of my best friends has been living in France with her husband, both British, for a number of years now. They converted an old barn and she has just become a qualified property agent. And my eldest son who once lived in Biarritz and for the past 20 years in Paris is about to move down to the southwest of France to begin work in property business too.

For myself, I moved to France in 1996 and bought a couple of houses in Biarritz, one required very little renovation and the other which was Coco Chanel's old workshop and part of a castle by the beach required a major investment to make it habitable, and after living there for years sold it very well.

So I would move over there and buy something in your ideal location.

Hello, thank you for your encouraging message. I have visited Biarritz and it was beautiful. To be honest, we have travelled to many places in France and nowhere yet i didn't like. I liked all West Coast from Quiberon to San Sebastian in Spain, Ile d'oleron I love, Biarritz we stayed also further inland in the mountains near there, Camargue, South-West coast. Clermont-Ferrand too.

I have meeting with my work to see if possible next week, I hope they will agree.