Accommodation for House Hunters in Poitou Charentes

There are many people who visit this region looking for a property to buy. It has become a popular area for those looking for a holiday home and for those who wish to relocate permanently to France. The area is an easy day’s drive from the Channel ports and is well served by cheap airlines and rail connections. We have had many holiday makers staying in one of our properties who have gone on to buy their own house and they have appreciated the advice we have been able to give them.

It is important to get independent opinions and to have someone who can give you advice on such things as renovation costs, sources for materials and potential pitfalls. If your new house needs work done on it, which local builders, plumbers etc are reliable? Our advice is free and, more importantly, unbiased; we are not an estate agent, anxious for a sale, who may skim over serious concerns.

In many ways renting a holiday house while you hunt for your own property is preferable to staying in a hotel; you get an idea of the type of features that are important to you, whether it is in the location, or in the facilities on offer in the house. You get an insight into the region that you would not otherwise do if you were in a hotel; the importance of not being too far from local shops or schools, the advantage of having restaurants not too far away and the all important transport links.

All too often people buy a property having only visited it a couple of times and not having spent enough time in the immediate area; this can lead to the discovery of negative features when it is too late to rectify them. What looked like an attractive local town may turn out not to have some essential features and ends up with you having to travel large distances on a regular basis once you have moved in. Where is the nearest doctor or dentist or vet? How far is it to the type of shop that you regularly use? If you have family or friends coming to visit, where are the local attractions for children? If you are keen on sport where are the nearest golf courses, tennis courts, riding stables? Everyone’s needs are different and you will only get reliable answers from someone who has lived in the area for some time.

If you decide to rent one of our properties for a house hunting trip we can also help you prepare. We can give advice not only on reliable estate agents to use but also on other ways of locating properties eg via a Notaire or dealing with sellers direct.

The peak holiday season is not always the ideal time to go serious house hunting. For a start some of the agents are closed in August, accommodation is more expensive and you are seeing the properties at the ideal time for the seller – i.e. when they are looking their best! Much better to come out of season when you can see your potential home in a less than perfect light; if you like it then, you have probably found the right place!

We have a range of properties that are suitable for out of season, or even winter rentals. You will see them on our properties page marked as being suitable for all year round rental. Very often people do not think about renting for this sort of trip as there may be only two of you and you feel that it is a little over the top to rent a whole house. We have properties ranging from one bedroom right up to 5 bedrooms, so there will be something for you to choose from.

Some people move out here for two or three months in order to search for a property and, in this case, we can negotiate a very good rental rate, but either way rental rates out of season are much less than during the holiday periods.

If you are thinking about house hunting in the Poitou-Charentes region, get in touch with us and we will be very happy to answer any questions that you may have, and offer suggestions as to which property may suit you best. If you find yourself in comfortable accommodation, with people who are happy to answer any questions that you may have, you are more likely to find the house of your dreams.

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