Are property sales on the up in France ?

[krusty]

I see there is a job vacancy in

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/2073525/ShowPost.aspx

In a French estate agency , is this a sign that sales are on the up ?

[Judie]

Not up in my agency

[Will]

I understand that enquiries and requests for viewings are up, and there are still plenty of requests to take on houses for sale.

However with a rise in enquiries there is a corresponding rise in time wasters. Even serious clients have such a vast choice of houses available with the agencies that are still in business, plus a growing trend towards private sales, so few viewings translate into actual sales.

The job advertised looks to be more on the admin side than sales, which bears out the above. I'm rather surprised to see an agency taking on a salaried employee of this nature, but notice that it's a 12-month contract. "Assisting in the recruitment and ongoing support of our national network

of estate agents" indicates that it could be one of those agencies that feeds sales leads to self-employed commission-only sub agents.

Edit: Mrs W posted her much more concise reply while I was looking at the ad - she should know.

[Polly]

Definietly NOT in Lot & surrounding depts, v little movement in sales and achieved prices are NOT getting any higher

[suein56]

[quote user="Judie"]Not up in my agency [/quote]

Lots of sales recently where I live. But then we are beside the sea and, although the prices have fallen considerably over the last 3 years, they seem to have stabilised now.

Sue

[krusty]

Wishful thinking on my part.

Plus I had read on another forum that houses priced up to 150k are in demand ?

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Around me, apparently the lower end of the market is on the increase sales wise.

Good news for me then.

[Kitty]

I'm buying something, even though the pound-euro rate is not good news  - does that count as the market moving again?

[krusty]

[quote user="Cathy"]I'm buying something, even though the pound-euro rate is not good news  - does that count as the market moving again?

[/quote]

Yes it does ...........do you want to buy mine ?[Www]

[Will]

The greatest interest where we are still seems to be in low-priced restoration projects. Judie has several - including a house that was being lived in up to recently, with attached barn, for 25K€.

[suein56]

[quote user="Will"]Judie has several - including a house that was being lived in up to recently, with attached barn, for 25K€.

[/quote]

Crikey that won't even buy you a garage round here. There are a couple for sale today with Bénéat-Chauvel, one normal-sized garage at 27500€ and one 40m2 for 37800€.

Sue

[Will]

It may be a house and barn, but it's definitely a restoration project. Even the agency particulars describe the main downstairs room as a 'kitchen of sorts with a fireplace'.[:D]

But you could still live in it while working on the rest - it has water and electricity, though no septic tank. It's here if you are interested - it has 1600m2 and the pictures show a second, more derelict, outbuilding..

[suein56]

Well this one says it will have 125m2 of habitation after renovation. But it is only 100m from the beach*, hence the price.

*Doesn't say which beach though and we have loads within a 6km radius, and some are definitely more peaceful than others, especially during the school holidays.

Sue

[Will]

People blame the English for driving up prices in Normandy.

Who is responsible for those ridiculous prices in 56? The Japanese? [:D] The masons? [;-)]

[suein56]

[quote user="Will"]People blame the English for driving up prices in Normandy.

Who is responsible for those ridiculous prices in 56? The Japanese? [:D] The masons? [;-)][/quote]

Errr - the French? ;)

Sue

[Lancashire Lass]

I was speaking to a notaire in Charente Maritime yesterday about the housing market and was told that nothing over 300,000 euros is selling! New or nearly new builds are generally put on the market for more than they are worth and owners are very disillusioned as no-one wants to buy them for anywhere near the asking prices! Trouble is the sellers are trying to recoup the money they spent in having them built! Apparently the best sellers are old houses that have been fully renovated to a high standard.

[Quillan]

Strange how it changes round the country. Anything around the €500k mark sells quickly here if its any good as most of it is 'tat' and you wonder how they have the nerve to ask so much. At the other end of the scale things are so desperate that they are going to auction. There's two in our village with a starting price of around €25k and the last one to sell which was 4 bed with a barn attached on the river with a small patio went for €75k although it started at €125k. Forget about the English as its the French buying the high end properties round here.

[mint]

Can only go on what I personally have come across as I'm not one of these aware people who keeps tabs on what's going on around them.

Friends on the Forum would know that I have been house-hunting for a while and now I am getting "serious" (thanks to goading from JJ, but that's another story).

Certainly, we were just on the point of signing the compromis when the seller pulled out without giving a reason.  Can only assume he's had a better offer.

Also, went to see a house in dept 16 a couple of days ago.  It'd just come on the market and the owner has already had a number of viewings lined up.

Then, around us, I do see a fair few "vendu" signs.  Swallows and summers come to mind but, on the other hand, there are deffo signs of activity.

It is, of course, spring, the exchange rate has improved for Brits (don't know about other nationalities), the sun is shining, the French countryside is looking enchanting and thoughts of moving spring up like the grass on my lawn.

Me, I'm in an optimistic mood:  I'm viewing a house tomorrow, yeah![:D]

[tonyinfrance]

We looked at houses in Mayenne / Gorron last week - up to Euro150k seems to be moving quite well (several we'd planned to look at had just gone) but the real bargains lie in the Euro 200k+ segment.  Nothing moving at all and some amazing bargains to be had.

Good news for buyers but we saw several would-be vendors in a pretty bad way.... 

[mint]

As you say, tif, many vendors are "in a pretty bad way" and I do feel very sorry for them.

I have seen lots of prices, particularly in the Dordogne, being greatly reduced, one or two reduced by as much as 50%.  All those living in the Dordogne don't jump on me, please.  I am only stating what I have seen with my own eyes and been told by immos.

Of course, like other regions in France, the Dordogne is a vast area and also, like elsewhere, there are some areas that are perceived to be more desirable than others.

The other interesting thing I have noted is that some properties have been up for sale for months if not years and their prices haven't come down at all.  Could this be why they are still on the market?

It's just so hard with property prices in France, more so than in the UK.  It's difficult to make price comparisons as many properties are unique and it's not possible to say well a house on the same street that is identical to this one sold for x amount, therefore this one should go for more or less the same amount.

I also get the feeling, and Judie will correct me if I am wrong, that sometimes it's the owners dictating what price they want rather than an agent putting on a valuation of the property (more like what they do in the UK).

Unless this were the case, I don't see how, for example a rundown building needing extensive renovation is sometimes the same asking price as one that has been all done out and ready to live in.  Of course, as far as possible, I am talking about the same region and near neighbourhood. 

 

[Judie]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

It's just so hard with property prices in France, more so than in the UK.  It's difficult to make price comparisons as many properties are unique and it's not possible to say well a house on the same street that is identical to this one sold for x amount, therefore this one should go for more or less the same amount.

I also get the feeling, and Judie will correct me if I am wrong, that sometimes it's the owners dictating what price they want rather than an agent putting on a valuation of the property (more like what they do in the UK).

Unless this were the case, I don't see how, for example a rundown building needing extensive renovation is sometimes the same asking price as one that has been all done out and ready to live in.  Of course, as far as possible, I am talking about the same region and near neighbourhood. 

 

[/quote]

Estimating in rural areas is a very inexact science, but experience gained over 10 years helps.

Sellers are sometimes the bane of my life, (although I love them really)and as you say, may dictate their price despite my best efforts. It's galling to see them put the property up for a ridiculous price and then sit there for a couple of years before dropping the price to my figure, somewhat begrudgingly.

I once had a property when the market was better placed for sellers where a sale hadn't ensued in 5 years and so they put the price up!!!!

[mint]

Well, Judie, I have never been one of those who say that agents earn obscenely large fees that they have not deserved, etc.

That't not to say that there AREN'T agents out there who sell houses despite their best efforts not to do so.  I mean some of their photos, descriptions and response rate are dire.  And, you will no doubt know a few of those yourself, being in the same line of work.

However, what I was going to come round to saying is that sometimes an agent can really work on your behalf whether you are buying or selling.  I personally feel that an agent will often talk some sense into a buyer and advise them to be more realistic with their price, bearing in mind the market conditions, the client's ability to effect purchase, etc. etc.

Perhaps I keep harking back a bit to the house we "lost":  I am convinced that if an agent had been involved, the deal would have been signed and sealed and the seller couldn't have so readily "changed his mind".

What I have now learned from that experience is that I will not bend over backwards in future in letting a seller determine his own pace.  I'd push a bit harder.

Sometimes I think the OH and I are to blame for these things because we are just not inclined by nature to pressure people or even be rightfully assertive with them.  An agent, being professional and knowing how to close a sale, would just go ahead and get the job done and that, after all, is what we pay him or her for. 

[just john]

[quote user="sweet 17"] What I have now learned from that experience is that I will not bend over backwards in future in letting a seller determine his own pace.  I'd push a bit harder. [/quote]

Go Girl Go![:)]

Trouble is there are too many people with houses on the market who aren't really interested in selling at all, one I spoke to recently said that he'd only put it on the market for a punt ''after all it doesn't cost anything''. Unfortunately they just get in the way of real valuations and real sellers and that is the only real excuse for HIPS in the UK, at least it weeds some out and puts a time frame on the period it can be on the market before the owner is forced to pay again.

[mint]

JJ says:  Go Girl Go!

I say:  Oui, je m'en vais................[:D]