• French Riviera
• French Chateaux
• Algarve, Portugal
• Monaco
• Lake Como, Italy

This area covers the coastline from La Rochelle down south to Rochefort and Royan and inland to Saintes. La Rochelle is a delightful ancient seaside town, most famous for its old harbour and its three outstanding medieval towers, with a wealth of history starting as a small fishing village back in the 10th century. It has thrived as a base for the wine and salt industries and the visitor can spend many hours wandering through the old streets with their bars, restaurants and fascinating architecture. We have many properties for sale in the Charente and Charente Maritime, from under 100,000 euros to over 1,000,000 euros. Further south is the old ex-naval town of Rochefort with its military buildings, including the amazingly long former rope factory, which now houses a superb exhibition on the life of sailors and fishermen. Inland is the Roman town of Saintes. The local villages of the area are mainly built in the local Charentaise style with old churches and attractive bars/restaurants, many examples of which can be found below in our portfolio of superb Charente Maritime property for sale.

In the south is the more modern seaside resort of Royan where the annual marbles contest is staged. Most of the original town was lost in the war, as a result, much of the architecture, including the church of Notre-Dame, is contemporary - as is the town's character. If you are looking for a townhouse or apartment, look no further than our large choice of Charente Maritime property for sale.

The coast offers some excellent sandy beaches and a choice of marinas. Access to the area by air is either via Nantes to the north or Bordeaux to the south. There are good road connections to the ferry ports of St. Malo, Cherbourg and Caen. There are also excellent trains to Paris.

The region is endowed with some of the Atlantic's finest beaches, where watersports are popular and equipment is easy to hire. Boat rides down the Charente offer a delightful change and a visit to a cognac distillery is a must. What better way to enjoy the local lifestyle than from your very own property in the Charente Maritime.

There are also numerous historic and cultural sights to be seen including markets and fairs dating back to the 17th century. Other activities include golf, walking, tennis, fishing trips, casinos and cycling with many marked cycle tracks and bike rental available at several points.

Buying a Property in France

1. Signing the Agreement (Compris)

On finding a property you wish to purchase you will need to negotiate the terms, price and conditions of the sale with the owner.

The next step, once you are in agreement, is to sign the preliminary contract (Compromis de Vente). This is a legal document and after ten days will be binding on both parties. Rules change frequently in France and it is best to consult with your notary about when this period starts. Generally the compris will be signed in France with the Agent.

Variants can be included in the compris, for example an Acte (clause) can be added if the name or names to go on the title deed have not been finalised. If a mortgage will be required to purchase the property, the details for this, including the name of the mortgage company, must be on the compris.

2. Paying the Deposit

Generally the deposit will be 10% of the agreed purchase price. This will normally be paid to the notaire. There are exceptions to this, if the agent holds a carte professionelle, is bonded and fully registered then you may pay them, but do not hand over the deposit to anyone else. If for some reason the purchase does not go through, for example, if you write to the notaire and the agent that you do not wish to go continue with the purchase before the contract is binding (within seven days of signing the compris), then your deposit would be repaid. This would also apply if a condition had not been met, or the mayor or S.A.F.E.R. (a government agency that has the right of first purchase on most rural property that comes onto the market in France) could oblige the purchaser to give way. If you decide after the seven days 'cooling off' period that you do not wish to complete the purchase and pull out of the sale you would lose your deposit. If however the vendor pulls out of the sale then you will receive your deposit back plus the same amount from the vendor.

3. On Completion

Generally it will take around two or three months to complete the purchase.

During this time the balance of the purchase money must be paid into the account of the notaire, this must be done well ahead of the completion date. The notaire will prepare the documents, check that the deed of sale (Acte de Vente) is in order and have the legal title ready to be signed over. It is possible to have someone sign on your behalf if you give them power of attorney. An interpreter may be of use at this point if your French is not very good and many Notaires will suggest (or insist) that an interpreter is with you.