There is no shortage of UK homeowners opting to sell property fast - perhaps to a quick and convenient home cash buyer like Open Property Group - and flock to France, at least according to a top overseas estate agency.
Leggett Immobiliser has said that it saw a 43 per cent rise in the number of properties sold in France during 2014, catering for buyers from 33 different countries. The agency described this diversity as a sure sign of the French property market's international appeal, with both holidays and investment being popular reasons for the purchases.
British buyers ranked top for sales over the last 12 months, beating the number of property purchasers from Belgium, the United States, Australia and the Netherlands.
Leggett Immobiliser's chairman, Trevor Leggett, commented: "British buyers came back to the French market with a bang and our sales pipeline shows that 2015 will see more of the same. We have seen a 43 per cent increase in transaction numbers over the last 12 months, fuelled mainly by confidence levels in the UK and continued low interest rates."
He added that sales had been made throughout France amid a revival in interest from Middle England. While British buyers paid an average purchase price of €269,000 in 2013, Leggett predicted that 2014 would have seen that figure rise to around €300,000, ahead of a further increase in 2015.
The Alps and Cote d'Azur were especially popular locations, said Leggett, who also claimed that well-located properties that are finished to a reasonably good standard were those in the greatest demand, declaring: "We're still selling plenty of renovation projects but there is a definite trend towards just furnish to your own taste style properties."
One thing that hadn't yet impacted on the number of enquiries received by the firm was the upcoming UK general election in May, Leggett stating that "Traditionally buyers of second homes tend to be cautious in the run up to an election but we currently have over twice as many ongoing sales, between exchange and completion, as we did at the start of the year, the bulk of these to buyers from across the channel."
If the overseas property market has caught your eye too, such a resurgence of interest simply gives you all the more reason to join the many British residents looking to set up home in France. Don't worry if you are struggling to find a buyer for your current home on the open market - just contact Open Property Group today to sell your property fast to our committed and capable property professionals.