It takes a lot to put the British off buying a bolthole on the Continent. Not even the twin headwinds of the pandemic and Brexit have deterred some determined sun-seeking buyers over the past year, for whom endless chilly staycations don’t cut the mustard.
There is no doubt some people who had planned to buy in southern Europe have purchased in Cornwall instead in in recent months but that has had the effect of driving up prices in UK coastal hot spots even more, highlighting the affordability of places such as Brittany.
For the Anglo-French estate agency Leggett Immobilier, the biggest areas for British buyers this year have been Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley. Not only can home owners take the ferry or Le Shuttle and drive to these areas of northwest France, removing the hassles of flying, but the pound generally goes a long way. The most typical budget is €100-300,000, but you can get a fabulous six-bedroom maison de maitre with a tower and a wine cave for €455,800
Domestic buyers have made up for the drop in British buyers.
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