This lovely large villa for sale in Montpellier area is an amazing find, as apart from excellent accommodation, which is vast and bright and is equipped with all modern comforts, it is in a quiet and peaceful location and the beautiful scenery can be enjoyed from most rooms. It is on a large 4200m2 plot which is private and half is constructible which could be sold off to offset cost of property or used for family and friends. It is 17km north east of Montpellier property and so near to the coast and convenient for the airports. - this is well worth viewing

Home Hunts have a wide range of property for sale in Languedoc and all of the South of France

Ginny Groome has been resident in the Languedoc-Roussillon since September 2004, based in the village of Valros, between Pezenas and Beziers. Nicola Christinger met with the lady who quit her demanding sales job in the UK to become manager of the Languedoc region for a luxury property search company in this stunning area. __ Why did you decide to move to France, what brought you here to the Languedoc?__

The kids had grown up and we had a holiday home in Normandy before, we loved France but when my Mum passed away we decided to take the plunge and as the weather is better in the south decided to move to the Languedoc. In England I had a pressurised job as a Sales Manager for a software IT company, 60 hrs per week and very target driven so that helped our decision to come here for a better quality of life.

Did you find it easy to integrate?

Without a doubt, yes I did. Although not fluent in French at the beginning, I have some wonderful neighbours who took us under their wing when we moved here and helped us integrate in the village. I also help out with the English classes at the local primary school which is a voluntary job but very worthwhile.

What has been your toughest moment since moving here?

Two actually - first was missing my children and now grandchildren and secondly finding it a lot more expensive to live here than we originally thought!

Do you have a few memorable places in the Languedoc?

Marseillan will always be memorable as we rented there for five months when we first moved here and were looking to buy a property. It is such a pretty port and the restaurants are wonderful and that is where we started our social and business life by joining clubs and networking. Also, Montpellier, again for similar reasons but we arrived there by car and stayed in a hotel for 3 nights before moving to Marseillan, and was absolutely enthralled by the buildings, the shops and cafes. It has a great atmosphere in the summer if you love people watching!

How did you get involved with HOMEHUNTS?

As I was in sales most of my working life, it was a job I knew I could do and so I worked for a local estate agency based in Fitou and I learned the trade. I was then introduced to the directors of HOMEHUNTS who gave me the opportunity to work for them to help build up the Languedoc region of the company.

What’s the poshest property you have seen?

Oh I have seen loads! There are some really exquisite chateaux steeped in history dotted around the Languedoc, hidden away from prying eyes, but my TomTom always finds them!

Have you seen a drop in activity of people wanting to buy in France?

Contrary to what some people think, now is still a good time to buy French property. As a result of the downturn in property markets, there are good buying opportunities for those in a position to make a decision, and a lot of properties are selling at reduced prices. There is a very good selection of property on the market at the moment, and in many cases prices offer excellent value - sellers know they need to attract buyers with a good price in the current market. __ What do you love about what you do?__

I have always loved a challenge and this job gives me that satisfaction, plus the fact that I love meeting different people, and as we work for the Buyer it gives me the opportunity to get to know people from all walks of lives and from all nationalities - fascinating!

Ginny Groome is the Manager of the Languedoc-Roussillon area of HOMEHUNTS. For more information and a selection of luxury properties throughout this region and southern France please visit the website on www.home-hunts.com or contact ginny@home-hunts.com

If you are thinking of buying a property in France – here are a few valuable tips and advice when planning.

In a recent Property Buyers Survey, there were some very interesting results and feedback from those planning to buy. 80% of respondents still regard France as good value for money and only a minority has been put off buying by the current economic climate, which will probably see an upturn in the near future.

• Prepare yourself for the initial costs. It is not only the price of the property to consider, Depending on your chosen option to purchase there could be fees such as: The deposit, notaire fees, agency fees, Mortgage deposit and arrangement fees.

• Work out your price range. If you need a mortgage to buy your property, you should establish what price range you are looking at and whether you have enough funds for the deposit and legal fees. Also your income must be sufficient to cover the cost of your mortgage

• Finding your ideal property. Think carefully about its location and make a list of important elements. The type of property and its condition is also an important consideration as there are certain types of properties that will not be acceptable for mortgage finance and the property should be classed as “habitable” (meaning structurally sound with basic utilities such as electricity, water and sewerage system) It will be very difficult, if not impossible, to raise a mortgage finance on buildings constructed of wood, stone ‘cabanons’, derelict barns and properties with agricultural land.

.

HOW TO NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM AND KEEP ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LAW

If you own property in south west France and have to pay an annual wealth tax, you may be partly responsible. Many French people blame the influx of Britons buying south west france property for the fact that prices have increased so much that many now fall into the tax bracket.

The wealth tax, or l’impôt de solidarité sur la fortune (ISF), which is paid in June, is imposed on assets worth more than €760,000 (£514,000). If you are resident in France the tax is levied on your worldwide assets. If you own homes in south west france or south west france property, but do not live there, then the tax applies to your French assets only. Note, however, that not only do you become classed as tax resident in France if you spend more than 183 days there in the calendar year, but also immediately on arrival if you are intending to set up home. Wealth tax is assessed by household, so includes the assets of both spouses and any dependent children.

Unmarried couples living in the same home in south west france can be taxed as one household. Almost all assets are subject to wealth tax, although exemptions are made for business assets, antiques and fine art. You are responsible for declaring the sale value of your own assets as at January 1 of the year in question, not the amount which you paid for them. The value of your principal residence is reduced by a 20 per cent exemption and by permitted costs, such as your mortgage. You are also entitled to deduct the amount of any tax bills to be paid, including the wealth tax bill itself.

There are several bands for wealth tax, starting at 0.55 per cent for assets worth between €760,000 and €1.22 million, 0.75 per cent for assets up to €2.42 million, 1 per cent up to €3.8 million, 1.3 per cent up to €7.27 million, 1.65 per cent up to €15.81 million and 1.8 per cent thereafter. A south west france property with taxable assets of £700,000 will pay around £1,000 in wealth tax, while one with taxable assets of £1 million will pay an annual wealth tax bill of around £2,500.

“Above £1 million, the bill begins to rise relatively quickly, and even though avoiding wealth tax is not simple, planning is essential,” says Marjorie Mansfield, associate director at Siddalls, a firm which specialises in advising British people living in France. But there is hope for those faced with a large wealth tax bill — President Nicolas Sarkozy’s new Prime Minister, François Fillon, has prepared a tax and finance Bill that could cap overall individual taxation — including income tax, wealth tax and residential taxes — at 50 per cent. The proposed reduction of 10 per cent would mean significant savings for many asset-rich people, especially if their taxable income liabilities can be kept low.

What British investor could resist Nîmes, the “Rome” of France, a dream place in the sun? Only 5 hours from Waterloo and sandwiched between the Basses-Alpes and the Mediterranean - you will soon be savouring the scents of wild thyme, lavender and the salty coastal air. Situated east of the Camargue and the Cevennes, (where R.L.Stephenson walked with his donkey Modestine), west of the garden of Provence, and north-west of Marseilles, Nîmes is one of France’s most delightful cities.

Nîmes - ‘the city with an accent’ - has a beautiful Roman heritage and is famous as the place where the material denim was invented – although Gênes (Genoa) in Italy also claims this distinction. The asteroid 51 Nemausa is named after the city. Nîmes has plenty to offer Brits who are searching for a homes in south west France – there is a friendly ex-pat community in this, the capital city of the Gard Department (pop.145,000) which is just half-an-hour from Montpellier and convenient for access to both Italy and Spain. Located on the temperate coastal plains of the Languedoc Roussillon region, summer temperatures are frequently in the eighties (30ºC +) and rarely drop to freezing in winter. Nîmes is accessible from the UK by Eurostar to Lille, connecting with the TGV services straight to Nîmes, or by plane with Ryanair flying from Liverpool, London, and East Midlands.

Nîmes is a medium sized city; small enough to have an intimate feel, and large enough to have good amenities; theatres, cinemas, galleries, museums, sports and festivals. Shopping is best in the pedestrianised historic city centre or at the Coupole shopping centre. The star attraction is the Arenes, the best-preserved Roman amphitheatre in Europe, a smaller version of the Colosseum in Rome. It has fantastic views of the surrounding area and hosts displays of gladiators, bullfighting, and pop concerts. The Jardins de la Fontaine, France’s first public garden, conserves the natural spring around which the Romans built their city, on a site sacred to the Gauls. The Maison Carrée, a Roman temple, and the Carré d'Art, a modern art museum, are not far away.

There are many smart restaurants and bars in Nîmes throughout the city centre. Whether for coffee in the daytime, cocktails or late night drinks, there is always atmosphere and a real buzz about the city. The biggest annual event is the Feria de Nîmes, held over Pentecost (Whitsun) weekend, a celebration of Nîmes' greatest tradition: bullfighting. Outside Nîmes, La Gard Department has much to offer, with beaches on the Mediterranean close by, walking in the picturesque Cevennes, skiing at Mont Aigoual, and the charming villages of Provence within easy reach

In terms of property in south west france, Nîmes and the Gard have much to offer. In Nîmes itself, the choices are essentially as in any major city. There are one bedroom apartments from 130 000€, increasing to around 500 000€ and more for a large bourgeois apartment in a sought-after location, such as overlooking the Maison Carrée. Homes in south west france, Nice are to be found in the centre but obviously they are few and far between and so command higher prices, from around 300 000€ for something with a garden within walking distance of the centre. There is some exciting new modern architecture set in the city's famous Roman ruins and some great properties to buy especially on the outskirts where a 3-bedroom house with a garden starts at just over £160,000.

As you go north towards Alès and the Cévennes or west to Le Vigan prices are very good. A village house with an exterior (and there are more of these around than in, say, the Aude) can be found from around 140 000€. Alès offers very good value for money and with the new dual carriageway due for completion late in 2007 it will be only a 20-minute journey to Nîmes, and an hour to the coast.

Another popular town is Uzès, to the north west of Nîmes. A very old and historic market town it is well preserved (part of Cyrano de Bergerac was filmed there), and very beautiful; very much a Sunday trip type of place, it has a distinctly Provençal feel to it. Properties in Uzès itself are quite expensive and many don't have any exterior space, but better value is to be found in the surrounding villages.

It is fair to say that the Gard has been slower to 'boom' than other areas of the Languedoc, but if you are looking for languedoc property for sale with a mixture of Languedoc and Provence, the climate and the pace of life of the south, with the buzz of a cosmopolitan city, then Nîmes could be for you. It's certainly worth a visit! Like the rest of Languedoc property, property for sale in Nîmes has risen in value recently - a South west france property property hotspot .

HOMEHUNTS specialise in finding property for sale in south west france. Home Hunts works with all of the best Languedoc estate agents and specialist real estate agency in south west france. Phillippa Bowman manages our team throughout the Languedoc Roussillon region. Phillippa lives and works in Nimes, and is happy to organise your trip to visit languedoc properties for sale, Beziers properties properties in Nimes, Le Gard or anywhere in Languedoc Roussillon. Please check out our Nimes properties available on http://www.home-hunts.com , or contact us on info@home-hunts.com for more information about our Languedoc property search or property for sale in south west France.