alittlebitfrench Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 So we are thinking of moving…..again. Like we do every year. Just another mainstream no frills part of France. So we are looking at property in our chosen area to match what we have here. We would get another rag tad two up two down. But in the Dordogne for far less budget…we could get this. https://www.leboncoin.fr/offre/ventes_immobilieres/2325573198 So what am I I missing ? Why is the Dordogne so cheap ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 I saw that house on the market. I think its been on the market for a while. I actually think it is overpriced. However, if you have a budget of 500,000€ you should be able to find something quite nice in the Dordogne. I don't know why prices are lower here than many other areas of France. We did a good bit of research on different regions of France before we bought here (in the Dordogne) and yes, it seem you can get more for your money here. There were a few other regions that had similar prices, but the weather was a drawback and the areas didn't seem as attractive. Be careful here regarding medical care. We found it almost impossible to find doctors/dentists/GYN's that will accept new patients. I still haven't found a GYN within a 1.5 hour drive that is taking new patients. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitfrench Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 (edited) 29 minutes ago, Lori said: still haven't found a GYN within a 1.5 hour drive that is taking new patients. Blimey…that is not good. Here…….for OH…its a five minute walk. I mean that seriously. GP…is a 10 minute walk for everyone else. I guess that is the disparity. Healthcare ! Along with work, schooling and the rest of life. That house I linked is worth a good million + ++ where we live. London…..10 million I reckon. Edited January 22 by alittlebitfrench Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Yes, the house we bought here in the Dordogne would have sold for a MINIMUM of 500,000€ in the Vaucluse (where we were initial looking in 2021/2022). Once we finish all the work here, it would sell for a minimum of 700,000€ in the Vaucluse. Can't address the work or schooling issue, but no one complains about either here so far. Most complain about having TOO much work. There seems to be a lot of extra-curricular activities for school kids. I see all the info in our weekly/monthly/quarterly newsletters. Husband is amazed that there is a very good tennis club within 3 kms of the house (we live in a fairly rural area) with indoor and outdoor courts. Plus the other neighboring towns have very active tennis clubs. So, he signs up for endless tennis tournaments all around the area, all year round. I thought you weren't going to stay in France? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitfrench Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 2 minutes ago, Lori said: I thought you weren't going to stay in France? That is a fifteen year project. We have time to kill. I like moving about. You only live twice Mr Bond. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noisette Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 I’ll try to be tactful....just a few differences that have struck me since living in neighbouring Lot et Garonne. Firstly, the roads. It’s so noticeable that the roads are maintained to a higher standard in surrounding départements. Probably something to do with Dordogne being a huge dept? Then general scenery. Most of it is quite a ’natural/sauvage’ landscape compared to the neat cultivation of vines or arable crops elsewhere. Lots of wild forest. That’s not a criticism...each to their own 🙂 Maybe the fact that the tourist season is short, so many attractions and activities are crammed into two months in summer? Not a problem if you live in a big, culturally active place like Perigueux or even Bergerac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 No need to be tactful, Noisette. I don't think that Dordogne, as a whole, is particualarly cheap. As you have said, it is a huge département and there are 4 distinct parts, ie Périgord Vert, Périgord Blanc, Périgord Pourpre and Périgord Noir. Each section is quite different as are property prices. I would guess that the Purple and Black, being more touristic and being associated with more famous people (writers and so on) would be the dearest for housing. I think ALBF's example is precisely the type of house that no self-respecting Dordognais would want to buy. Too big, too isolated (says so on the advert) with no neighbours. Looks to be in the middle of nowhere. It's the sort of property that need repairs and maintenance all year round and, unless you have inherited it, you would not necessarily want a place like that to live in. Possibly, it's in one of the less desirable areas with little in the way of employment. I also think you are not actually correct to say the landscape is "natural/sauvage". The Dordogne is officially the bread basket of France. The farmers near us reckon on 3 harvests every year. We have lots of cultivation, the countryside, seen from an aerial perspective, is a patchwork of fields, verdant or gold depending on the season. No it's départements like the Gers that the French see as "rude". It's true that the holiday season is short, that is because tourism is only big in certain areas, around Sarlat, Issigeac, the more picturesque in terms of lots of honey-coloured stone buildings. It reminds the Brits of the Cotswolds. I have walked there many a year but it's not my type of landcape. As far as tourism goes, I read that the Dordogne has only had its first ever 4-star hotel opened last year! Look around a bit and you'd find that the landscape is varied, wonderful if you are a walker, lots of hills to climb and lots of magnificent views to be had. Alas, not a lot of employment, not many big manufacturers or anything too glitzy. It's not for everybody but those of us who live here are content enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noisette Posted January 25 Share Posted January 25 I don't doubt for a minute that you're content (I'm glad you are)....the incoming Brit figures speak for themselves. I don't ramble but I do drive a lot, anything up to 200kms a day in all directions, on minor roads, to visit friends. Apart from the vineyards, my overall impression remains that there are vast areas of untamed forest and friche in Dordogne. But that's most likely because Lot et Garonne is tiny in comparison and most of it is cultivated, whether arable, sylviculture, orchards or vines 🙂 Do you happen to know anything about the veracity or otherwise of the stories concerning the role played by the Dordogne Resistance (or maybe the opposite, and it's collaborative activities) and it's subsequent impact on the département in post-war years? We were told that the Dordogne was a severely impoverished département as a result of being 'punished' for those activities, and that it's only relatively recently that it's managed to shake off that legacy. I've no idea how true that is.....Ashamed to say that I won't be digging into archives to find out, either. I prefer to leave the past behind. But I do wonder if that might be a reason for a difference in property prices. Of course, it could just be something simple like slight differences in climate. Hence the steeper prices the further south you go. The Gers might be considered 'rude' but it's certainly not cheap 😂 Whatever the reasons, France is so beautiful and diverse that there's something for everyone, even ALBF 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Indeed, there was a lot of resistance and the older folk wtih long memories know all about that. There are any number of roads named after resistance fighters. However I don't know much about any subsequent impact that might have had. I should speak to OH because he attended several meetings of a local history society. I think house prices have shot up but that's only my impression. There WERE a lot of Brits rushing back to the UK after Brexit but nonetheless, there are not many small properties for sale in the villages around me. I spent several month just after the pandemic looking to downsize but properties were few and prices not any that I would willingly pay. Not much in the way of vines in my area. In the past, dating back to Louis 14, wine from the next village to mine was highly priced in the court. But hectares and hectares were devastated by phylloxera and that just leaves us with green hills and valleys. We are "très valloné"🙂so you do need to be reasonably fit to do a typical longish rando. The Bergérac area is not called Périgord Pourpre for nothing if not their wines so the vineyards are to be found there and, of course, truffles in the Périgord Noir. Then we have Limousin right next door and département 16 where there are truly tracts of uncultivated areas that stretch as far as here to eternity! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noisette Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 With regards to desirable properties, certainly just over the border in Périgord pourpre, there seems to be a healthy market for châteaux amongst Brit buyers. Something to do with UK TV, perhaps 😁 Another factor in buying big, old properties is the never-ending idea that you can earn a living (or at least supplement your income) by running gîtes. Hasn't ALBF gone quiet? 🤣 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitfrench Posted January 29 Author Share Posted January 29 (edited) On 27/01/2024 at 08:19, Noisette said: Hasn't ALBF gone quiet? 🤣 ALBF has been out and about discovering France. Not like you Lots that stay in one place and call yourself French 😀🤪 Seen some very nice places and played in the snow. Had some very nice French food that did not invove a duck. Got stuck by the farmers in Grenoble for two hours. Which was fine as we were all in good mood. Kinda of found a new potential place to live. Edited January 29 by alittlebitfrench Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lehaut Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 20 hours ago, alittlebitfrench said: ALBF has been out and about discovering France. Not like you Lots that stay in one place and call yourself French 😀🤪 Tut tut at this scandalous generalisation, we have just got back from walking in the snow in Chamonix! Really liked the feel of Grenoble when we stayed there a couple of years ago, surrounded by the mountains, but gather the weather is pretty dire a lot of the time it certainly changes very quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitfrench Posted January 30 Author Share Posted January 30 8 minutes ago, Lehaut said: Tut tut at this scandalous generalisation, we have just got back from walking in the snow in Chamonix! Really liked the feel of Grenoble when we stayed there a couple of years ago, surrounded by the mountains, but gather the weather is pretty dire a lot of the time it certainly changes very quickly. It was a play on words. Nosette is from the ‘Lots’. read it again. 😀 Anyway yeah, looking for change. We were looking at Voiron. Which is a nice little town between Grenoble and Lyon. I an worried about the heat in the summer. Spent two days in Alpe d Huez to see some snow. Returned back to Tours pretty much on RN..due to the protests. 9 hours drive. It was knackering. Charmonix is nice…went there years ago. I bet the glacier is gone now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betise Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 3 hours ago, alittlebitfrench said: It was a play on words. Nosette is from the ‘Lots’. read it again. 😀 Anyway yeah, looking for change. We were looking at Voiron. Which is a nice little town between Grenoble and Lyon. I an worried about the heat in the summer. Spent two days in Alpe d Huez to see some snow. Returned back to Tours pretty much on RN..due to the protests. 9 hours drive. It was knackering. Charmonix is nice…went there years ago. I bet the glacier is gone now. Yes, my brother lives on a farm 30 minutes from Voiron, a very nice area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 3 hours ago, Lehaut said: Tut tut at this scandalous generalisation, we have just got back from walking in the snow in Chamonix! Really liked the feel of Grenoble when we stayed there a couple of years ago, surrounded by the mountains, but gather the weather is pretty dire a lot of the time it certainly changes very quickly. I think that it is in a 'bowl' so suffers from heat in the Summer, and is cold and damp in the Winter. It is also subject to atmospheric pollution. https://www.linternaute.com/voyage/climat/grenoble/ville-38185 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betise Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 Agree Norman, Grenoble itself is probably not the best choice to live, but within 45 minutes there are plenty of more acceptable villages and towns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitfrench Posted January 30 Author Share Posted January 30 3 hours ago, betise said: Yes, my brother lives on a farm 30 minutes from Voiron, a very nice area. Yeah..I was very much taken with the town. It has everything you need in life. OH went to school there when she was younger. First time I have been there. Just worried about the heat in the summer. Other than that, Im good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noisette Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 (edited) 8 hours ago, alittlebitfrench said: It was a play on words. Nosette is from the ‘Lots’. read it again. 😀 Anyway yeah, looking for change. We were looking at Voiron. Which is a nice little town between Grenoble and Lyon. Noisette is from Lot et Garonne. It's not the same as the Lot 😛 I know Voiron! We stopped off there many years ago on our way down to the south coast. Lovely little town..... In fact, we always planned to live somewhere over to the east, anywhere between Dijon and Gap, but hey ho...best laid plans and all that 😁 As for not getting around France much, I've just got back from Guadeloupe so nana na na na heehee ETA: The glacier is still there in Chamonix, but it's shrinking fast. Edited January 30 by Noisette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitfrench Posted January 30 Author Share Posted January 30 1 hour ago, Noisette said: As for not getting around France much, I've just got back from Guadeloupe so nana na na na heehee I can’t beat that 🤢 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noisette Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 It's not that special, TBH. It rained for 11 days out of 14 (just warm showers, mind) and the western coast of Basse Terre is very windy. Fine if you like being sandblasted 😆. The food is.... erm..... repetitive. Parking is horrendous and there's only one main road to get around the island. The plusses are that it's Francophone, everything is very French (obviously), beautiful scenery and vegetation, cheap rum and lovely people. Oh and going on a plane again after too many years without being airborne 🤩 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 " It rained for 11 days out of 14" The couple who run my favourite restaurant have just got back from a fortnight on Île Maurice. After working very hard for two years without a break, plus all the extra work over Christmas and New Year they were rewarded by the Hurricane, and confined to their hotel room for two of the days, with the airport out of action, not😰 sure when they would able to get back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noisette Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 Yes, Norman, when you look at the météos for these holiday destinations, they're not all they're cracked up to be. La Réunion is the same, if not worse. Cyclones, hurricanes, wet seasons etc etc. None of them can hold a candle to Goa or Kerala in January. I hope your restaurateurs manage a better holiday next year! Funds permitting, I'm off back to Goa. Apparently it's been rather overrun by young Russians and Israelis, which won't have done much for the ambiance, but at least the good weather's 99% guaranteed 🙂 It's a shame it's anglophone but nowhere's perfect... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitfrench Posted January 31 Author Share Posted January 31 (edited) 42 minutes ago, Noisette said: , I'm off back to Goa. Apparently it's been rather overrun by young Russians and Israelis, which won't have done much for the ambiance, but at least the good weather's 99% guaranteed 🙂 When I was in Alpe du huez last weekend….everyone said (folks in shops and ski instructors and all the rest) the resort is now 60 % Brazilain and Argentilian. In terms of clientele. I kid you not. Then it is the British and then the French. Did not see that one coming. The ambiance was loud and not fitting for a French ski resort. Stuff that for a game of soldiers. Edited January 31 by alittlebitfrench 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alittlebitfrench Posted January 31 Author Share Posted January 31 (edited) France has just become one gigantic tourist theme park. There is little French about France anymore. Edited January 31 by alittlebitfrench Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menthe Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 Oh ALBF STOP being so over dramatic and exaggerating every remark you make. OF COURSE, France is NOT one gigantic tourist theme park! That is just plain silly. They said that about Wales decades and decades ago but no one who actually lived there thought that. Same here, it's so NOT a theme park where I live. How you love all these ridiculous generalisations you make. Grow up, do...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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