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 British couple Susie and Peter Cole bought a property off-plan in the Languedoc in 2002. Five years later, still in love with the region, they are having another brand new home built.
We decided to look for a property in France in 2000, hoping to buy before the prices went up too high, and I started by doing lots of research online.
We picked up information about buying an apartment off-plan at the Vive La France property exhibition in London in January 2001. We went home full of ideas, had many discussions over the next few weeks and decided that as our long-term aim was to retire to France, we should buy in the south. I found two companies online, and after being sent information, we took a week’s holiday to research the areas and visit the developments.
We headed first to Aix en Provence, where an agent took us to a development in Fréjus. We took one look at the site and decided it was not for us. It overlooked the local cemetery (!) and the apartments were really for people just looking for investment, rather than a holiday or permanent home. We were taken to another development, but this one was very near a noisy road, and we decided that the Cote d’Azur was not for us - far too busy in the high season, too many traffic jams.
Visiting new build developments in the Languedoc
Our next appointment was in the Gard département, in the wonderful town of Uzès, which we adored - but when we viewed the development, we found that there was only a three-bedroom property left, which wouldn’t be big enough for us all.
 Our next port of call was a development where construction had just started, in the pretty town of Pézenas. We met the agent, looked at a mock-up, and chose to see the plot for the only four-bedroom house. At the site, we could just see the foundations of some of the houses, and where the swimming pool would be. The view and the position of the four-bed villa were just right, and we’d be able to have a private garden at the rear: it was perfect.
We went away to think about what we’d seen, visited another development, and after mulling it over carefully, decided that Pézenas was just right for us: we had another quick look at the site, and talked it over with the agent. Although the house had four double bedrooms, there was only one loo; we insisted on having another added, so we gave up a small space in one of the rooms instead.
Then we swallowed very hard, signed the promesse de vente (initial sales agreement), shook hands, and walked quickly to the nearest bar for a restorative drink!
A small hiccup
 We encountered one small problem when we tried to get a mortgage: the first bank we approached said yes, yes, yes! but then failed to do any of the paperwork or return our calls, so we went to Abbey National - fortunately, the developer and agent were very patient. We travelled to Languedoc once more in September 2001 to sign the final papers with the notaire and an interpreter.
We had already been sent all the paperwork in England, where we had taken legal advice from a qualified French notaire based in Surrey, called Lilianne Levasseur-Hills: it was money well spent, and we would happily recommend her services. Although the entire transaction was conducted in French, the notaire spoke slowly enough for us to understand most of what was being explained, and the interpreter was there to explain anything that was not quite clear.
The house was due for completion in December 2001; we eventually picked up the key on January 28, 2002. We were shown round by the developer’s representative, we inspected everything, and when we were satisfied, we handed over the cheque which we had been sent by the bank - and that was that.
We bought our Languedoc home through UK-based new build specialist agent A Place In France (www.aplaceinfrance.co.uk), who were incredibly helpful, and always there to hold our hands and check on progress. It really was very straightforward. We bought the house primarily as our holiday home, and we try to get down at least every two months.
A new Languedoc home, made to measure
Having owned our French home for over five years, we’ve decided that we’d like to spend much longer in France. Over the next five years we want to wind down, work-wise, with the aim of spending much of our retirement in the Languedoc. Our current new build home in Pézenas is part of a development that is popular with overseas owners, who use their properties as second homes and let them out to other holidaymakers. As we plan to spend longer periods of time in France, we are keen to really integrate more with the local French community, so our plan is to build our very own place, to our exact specification: yes, we’re on the off-plan trail again!
Once again, I’ve done a lot of research online, and we’ve found a 1000 square metre plot of land with great views, on which we can have our own house built. The location is perfect – it’s on the outskirts of the village of Roujan, less than ten minutes’ drive from Pézenas, with everything you could need (bars, restaurant, butcher, mini supermarket, a doctor) in the village itself.
 A Place in France (www.aplaceinfrance.co.uk) put us in touch with a builder and we’ve been discussing plans for a house with five bedrooms, three bathrooms, and sitting/dining room leading onto a kitchen which can be either enclosed or what the French call cuisine américaine – ie. open plan - the choice is ours. The building company has already inspected the plot and checked for any problems, and we have been to see a similar-style house that they completed last year, which was most impressive.
Fingers crossed…
We are now waiting for the paperwork relating to the sale of the plot to be drawn up, and we plan to return to the Languedoc in September 2007 to sign the sales contract for the land, and an agreement with the constructeur who will be building our house: if everything goes to plan, we should be the proud owners of a brand new home by late 2008 or early 2009!
We’re incredibly excited about the whole project, and are in the process of arranging the mortgage so that by September, all the funding will be in place. We’ll be selling our current house on the Coteau de Molière, so we’ll be putting our first French home on the market as soon as the land purchase goes through.
Owning a new build home in the Languedoc has been fantastic, and the more often we visit, the more we love the area and feel at home there, so we’re both looking forward to spending longer in the south of France, and having more friends to stay in our second new build Languedoc property.
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