Are we mad to consider buying a property in France as a holiday home? Any advice?
Realistically we will probably only be there for 5 or 6 weeks of the year plus the odd long weekend. Add a few weeks for use by adult children/other family members it's still probably only 2 months at best. This is however where we plan to retire in 5-6 years so we really like the idea making a home and life there before we make the big jump across.
Are we better off giving it to an agency to rent out during peak season - it could cover running costs but more importantly mean it's not empty for months on end and someone is looking after it. No mortgage needed but I know annual running costs can be steep plus of course there's fees & tax to pay so any income would be a big plus.
Anyone done this and love it or regret it? We know the area we want to be in (Charente) and type of property (detached village house) so itching to start looking but also don't want to blindly rush in and make a costly mistake.