Clé France

When we are arranging multiple French property viewings for our clients we always advise them to keep enough time in the schedule to 'enjoy' and 'soak up' the area they are visiting, after all it is not just the four walls you are looking to buy it is often the lifestyle and culture you want to buy into as well.

When I am in France visiting agents and discovering new sectors to promote to our ever demanding French property hunting clients, I also like to soak up the atmosphere and it seems I am not alone!

Our Mortgage and Finance Expert, Joe Wroe of International Private Finance - (IPF), also likes to make sure he takes time out to discover the sights, sounds and culture whilst on a business trip and he did just that in Paris recently.

International Private Finance have many years experience in working with our clients when purchasing property overseas, and have an unrivalled knowledge of both the overseas mortgage and buying processes. IPF together with Cle France we will help you achieve your end goal of being a French property owner and not just simply be looking at property for sale in France forever.

Joe took advantage of the 'Paris Insight walks' during his trip to the capital, these walks are more than just walk-by descriptions of buildings. The history of Paris, the legends, and the characters "full of colour" who have haunted Paris in the old days or more recent times will come alive to you as you wander through the avenues of time!

Shakespeare and Company; Quaint little bookstore along the Seine where Hemingway used to write.

Following in the footsteps of Hemingway, Wright, Joyce, Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Picasso, Man Ray, Chagall, Gauguin, Oscar Wilde, Modigliani, Delacroix, Jim Morrison, you will be guided to the homes, cafés, studios, parks, places they associated with and immortalised in their "chef-d'œuvres".

Find out where various episodes of Victor Hugo's novel "Les Miserables" took place; bring to light his Paris of 1830. "Smell the roses" in the Luxembourg gardens and you may come across Hemingway walking up to see Gertrude Stein at her big studio apartment, "where there was a big fireplace warm and confortable, great paintings like in the finest museum…".

You can discover new worlds and atmospheres as you slip discreetly into those mysterious, hidden, romantic courtyards that Paris preserves so beautifully and carefully, it is one of my favourite cities in the world.

A wide range of walks are available, from custom-made to classical tours - 'My Paris walks' are limited to small intimate groups, therefore reservations are strongly recommended, just goolge 'My Paris walks' to find out more.

Ernest Hemingway’s First House in Paris

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast” wrote Hemingway to a friend in 1950, how true that is.

If you are not that lucky and the time has passed, you can still enjoy a delightful memorable experience of this walk.

When I did this walk it was made all the more interesting with the leadership of Pat and John with whom I spent magical hours in the steps of Hemingway. Pat's sweet voice reading extracts from Hemingway's book "A moveable feast" still floats in the Paris air.

Paul Verlaine’s Hotel (Residence – for many years), and another favourite spot of Hemingway’s to sit and write.

In partnership with International Private Finance (IPF) we provide you with a wealth of information such as International mortgage best buy tables and mortgage calculators to help calculate the cost of that beach front villa you’ve had your eye on! Buying guides for every major market will ensure you understand each aspect of buying in France with a French mortgage.

What is more, if you are still researching your overseas property dream we can keep you updated with mortgage product developments, changes in rates and other relevant information through our regular email newsletters .

Quotation Requests

If you wish to take the process a step further, you can submit a quotation request to us on-line or by filling in our form and faxing or emailing it back to us. Once we have received this we will provide you with a detailed, no obligation quote within one working day. Our dedicated consultants will then be on hand to talk through the quote and answer any questions you may have.

Your quote will also confirm all of the costs and charges relevant to the products we have selected, allowing you to make an educated decision with all of the information in front of you, should you wish to proceed with your application.

After requesting us to broker your overseas mortgage, your dedicated mortgage consultant will work with you through every step of the process to ensure it proceeds as smoothly as possible.

Visit the International Private Finance (IFP) website now.

Submit a quotation request using the on-line form.

Hi Sharon,

We particularly liked the house in Correze and saw another property later in the week which we are very interested in. We are keeping our options open so may be back in touch.

We would like to say how pleasant and professional your agent was and how much we enjoyed her company on the day.

Regards, Phil.

You may not find your perfect property on your first viewing trip, so don't fret Phil you have to start somewhere and most people buy on their 2nd or 3rd viewing trip anyway, but Phil may choose to go for a property that gets 8/10 instead of hanging on for 10/10 which is also a sensible option.

Also with thousands of properties for sale in France with Cle France your choice will only get better with time!

Thanks very much David,

Valerie seems to be an excellent recommendation & very efficient.

Best, Martin.

Martin bought with Cle France a few months ago and now our partner service is making sure that anything he needs translating is done quickly, accurately and for a reasonable price. We wish Martin & Maggie many many years of happy times at their delightful house in Plemet, Cotes d'Armor in Brittany.

Thank you very much for your e-mail. I have been most impressed by your efficiency and professionalism.

I have however bought ten properties here in France and already have my money waiting in my French bank account but may indeed think about insuring my property up there!

Thank you once again.

Kind regards,

Victoria.

Cle France does not only help with the property search we take care of our clients right through the entire buying process and beyond. Some clients like Victoria do not need help with currency exchange but everyone must ensure there new property in france is insured and we can, of course help with that too! and everything else from French health insurance, savings and even learning about French culture and history!

France is well known for her food, whether buying to prepare at home, or eating out, bargains are always to be had. When buying fresh produce, nothing is nicer than to wander round a small weekly village markets. They always have oodles of local products, usually bio (organic) which would make any culinary expert drool and it leaves the common or garden cook totally spoilt for choice.

Eating out in France is always a pleasurable experience.

You can still get a five course lunch with a bottle of the proprietor's best red or white for between 10 and 12 euros and every mouthful is a delight. There are traditional (and totally erroneous) views of the French held by many English and the word 'boorish' is usually included in them. On the contrary, visitors to this part of the world will be bowled over by the welcome, charm and politeness of the locals.

It's like returning to an age when people had time to stop and talk to each other, whether they were acquainted or not.

People entering a bar or shop will always say a general bonjour to all present.

The lack of crime leaves the local gendarmes with little else to do but patrol the roads and hassle motorists. Having said that, they don't get much joy there either. The roads in France, certainly in this neck of the woods, are empty in comparison to English ones. Driving becomes a pleasure once more, rather than a chore.

You can drive for miles and not see another car, and traffic jams are just unknown to the local populace. On top of that, the French have this charming habit of flashing their lights to oncoming traffic whenever there's a gendarme lurking in the bushes. The result is that cars chug past bleary-eyed, yawning gendarmes at two or three kilometres per hour under the speed limit.

Lower Normandy, Brittany & Mayenne border region.

This region of northern France is definitely for anyone looking for a stress free holiday home or holiday. Bargains in wine and food are plentiful, the air is clear and clean and it's a place of peace and tranquillity. It's an area full of charm and restfulness with an abundance of the more peaceful hobbies like pony riding, fishing and wandering through enormous forests and it's only a couple of hours south of the port of Caen.

Fraser Blake, 70, author of 'Dear Chips' and 'A Rant Too Far?' grew up in Africa, was at school in Scotland, and worked for the British South Africa Police in Southern Rhodesia. He has taught English in Saudi Arabia and sold and renovated hundreds of properties in Northern France.

In 1998 Fraser was selling houses in the Mayenne department of the Pays de la Loire region and so was the obvious choice, when Cle France was started, to be their first agent on the ground in France. In retirement he writes, blogs, cooks, drinks wine, and hosts to dinner unlimited numbers of ex-pats.

Always on hand with a viewpoint, Fraser is going to share his views on France, the French and the British, and other people who buy in France. Sometimes informative, sometimes funny, painfully true, outrageously opinionated but always entertaining so we hope it adds a slightly different dimension to the usual normality of searching through the fantastic properties for sale on the Cle France website.

If you want more? then follow the links above where you can buy Fraser's published books.