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With the UK falling ever deeper into recession; rising fuel costs - rising food costs - rising crime rates and lower standards of education - who right now is not considering moving to greener pastures?

Well many people have already done so and not regretted their decision - those who have moved to France that is. France is many things to many people but ask anyone who has sold up and set up home in France and you will find a common thread - the lifestyle, the lower cost of living and the family oriented way of life. Security. Safety. Lifestyle.

France is quite simply a family-friendly country. And if you are looking to get out of the rat race and offer your family a much higher standard of living - a much safer standard of living - then there is no better place to consider than France.

One of the best and most secure ways to combine family life and earning a good living in France is by buying a business where you only have to walk downstairs from your bedroom to get to your office. No sitting in traffic, no commuting - your clients come to you - you are your own boss !

The property pictured here represents your way to a new life altogether. It is a 12 room hotel/restaurant nestled right amongst the leafy vineyards of French Catalonia - if you want peace, security of living and a completely safe environment for you and your family to live in then this is certainly the place for you.  The hotel/restaurant will be your bread and butter - your home will be a large five bedroom family villa attached to the hotel. Like I said - no sitting in traffic or commuting to work.

Front View of property.

For the potential hotel-owner it enjoys high occupancy throughout the tourist season and is well represented on several high profile booking systems as well as being a very popular stopping point for tourists on the main route between Paris and Spain. Plenty of drive-by stopovers will also complement your income. But you dictate your working hours here - you can simply close the doors and have the place to yourself whenever you feel ‘enough is enough’. That is what life is all about here - just ask the local’s !’

Or maybe you have decided you have worked hard enough and just want a great place to live with the family; enjoy the local food and wine, this is Languedoc-Roussillion of course! Get involved with the close-knit and friendly local community and live the life your family deserve. This property can also be an ideal grand-size family residence. Bring the Grandparents with you where they will benefit from the healthy climate, warm summers, excellent healthcare providers and a culture where the senior generation are respected and highly valued.

The unique aspect of this region is that your have your ‘foot’ in Spain as well as France both at the same time - you are 30 minutes by car from the Spanish border and the towns of La Jonquera and Figueres; and just 20 minutes drive from the beautiful beaches of the stunning Mediterranean. Yet at the same time you have the monumental sight of Mt Canigou just within view of the property and the winter snow resorts just a 50 min drive away. This is French Catalonia - with it’s own mix of culture, cuisine and history.

There are local village schools which provide a warm welcome, excellent education and where families actively take a role in the ongoing interests of their children’s schooling. Teachers who care for each child on an individual basis.  Like school used to be. Village fete’s, music festivals, cultural events and, of course, the annual grape harvest. 

Twenty minutes away is the city of Perpignan where there are numerous Lycee’s offering your teenagers higher education as well as the University of Perpignan.

There are streams and gorges within minutes nearby to fish and swim in - all fresh, clean mountain water. Quiet lanes to walk in the evenings, miles and miles of vineyards to explore - stark and bare in the winter,  a brilliant and leafy green from Spring right through to Autumn. The local baker will deliver your bread, buy your cheese from the local cheesemaker. Pick your own cherries, pomegranates and olives - buy a piece of vineyard and make your own wine!

This property has it’s own fresh water supply on site via a spring which was discovered by the Romans who camped here on this spot 2000 years ago - no need to pay water rates. Your neighbours are the Cathar Castles and the centuries old vineyards and their owners who have been tending these vines for generations.

Just think about it. A fantastic business opportunity with the added bonus of quality family life thrown in - or your chance to relocate the family - grandparents and all - to a property with plenty of space which will offer you all privacy, security and a much more favourable standard of living. One which you deserve…once which your family deserves.

Try buying this kind of life anywhere else these days; don’t pass it by. The grass can definitely be greener…

Asking Price: Euros 740,000 (approx £587,000)

Contact e-mail

Popularity: 17% [?]

They all say it is a buyers market right now…but just try organising the finance to actually buy that property you have your heart set on. 

It is becoming almost impossible to say the least.

I would hate to be a first time home buyer right now as mortgage lenders have drastically altered their lending criteria and as a result young house hunters are finding that they are relying more frequently on the Bank of Mum and Dad more often. As more and more young people depend on their parents to provide them with board and lodging well into their thirties it just gives you a clear idea on just how difficult it is to get your foot on the property ladder these days.

Then again, the sellers are in the same boat…most people need a mortgage these days to buy a house and many lenders just are not lending. So many properties are languishing on the for sale market.

Popularity: 12% [?]

One of the best things about setting up home once you are either newly married, out on your own from under Mum and Dad’s influence or simply having bought your very first house is the process of actually building your own house on your own piece of land.

Nothing compares to it. Seeing your Home Plans grow from start to finish; from that time you select your ‘bit of earth’ to the time you buy it, own it and then start deciding what form your House Plans will take. Maybe you have known what you have wanted for a long time…or maybe you are open to suggestion…?

Many people these days are opting for the natural, rustic look - this is very popular and a trend which will never go out of fashion. Using all natural materials and an environmentally friendly theme Log home plans are becoming the choice of many a house builder - both young and…well, everything after.

That dream home of yours is not just in your dreams anymore.

Popularity: 15% [?]