Anyone sold a house in France

[Wallywobbles]

The French property market is not like the UK and I know that but we have had zero visits through our agent. And she is good I believe. She says that the market is buoyant up to 200k€.

It's been our family home for the last 22 years, 5/6 bed house with separate granny flat and 2 Gite's with web site etc, 2 hectares of land, nice gardens, big barn in Normandy. 10 mins from the motorway, 30 mins from the beach. I think the price is cheap at 316,500€. Is the market really that dismal here or is our pricing all wrong?

I just thought that someone would see it and love it like I did all those years ago. I'm afraid I'm being desperately naive.

Also we've basically moved out. Left the minimum of furniture, no pictures etc. Would it be better to completely empty it?

We've repainted in neutral colours and re carpeted upstairs. What can I do to help things along? The agent doesn't seem to be doing much in terms of international clients but has exclusivity until the end of July. I'm allowed to advertise myself but not at a lower price. Where should I advertise?

Are lives are rather on hold until it sells so I'm very keen to at least have visitors to it.

Not in the same area as you but here everyone puts their house on «Le Boin Coin».
Your price sounds very reasonable to me but we are in a fairly expensive area.

I don't think it is best to completely empty as a bit of furniture helps people imagine how they would use a room and how big it is.

Good luck!

The main rooms are big and master bedroom 8x7m kind of size. 4 other bedrooms, but mezzanine rooms so more like kids rooms.

DH is just finishing the carpeting.

It's on le boncoin but nothing international as far as I can see from the weekly stats. People are looking at the description but not visiting.

Can you put a link so we can look at the pics and see if there's anything obviously off putting? (nosy)

Can you advertise it yourself on Rightmove Overseas?

It was a few years ago but I sold my grandparents' apartment in the South of France. I didn't bother using an agent, just word of mouth.
I found a lot of French people wanted a bargain and when I kept to the market price they lost interest. In the end I sold to a relative- I knocked 5000 E off as he was such a godsend!

I think the problem is the french don't want old/big properties. Where I live there are many idling on the market for ages whilst new little boxes spring up alongside the roads.

The expats, like the Brits, who do like the older houses, seem to prefer a bit of a project and expect to pick it up dirt cheap.

Then of course the legal/agency fees seem to be extortionate and that puts people off again. Hence Le Bon Coin which only seems.to be known by the French. You need to find some good overseas advertisers I think. Greenacres? Rightmove? Capifrance seem very competent at shifting the bigger more salubrious places.

I also think a completely empty place can be off-putting so best to keep some furniture there. Other than that I have nothing to suggest! Good luck. We have 2 large old done up houses here which I imagine will never sell.

We are in the south where things might be different but here the French buy through word of mouth and they much prefer to build a small bungalow than to renovate an old house. Estate agents are close to useless and they don't really use the internet.

I would imagine you need to access the international community but with Brexit a lot of brits may be putting of a move so aim more for Germans, Dutch etc.

I'd also put the furniture back in and stage it to give people an idea of how they would live in it. Are the gates busy and bringing in an income? If yes you might want to highlight that.

Thanks. The Gîtes bring in around 18k€ a year so not far off a salary.

It has beds etc in it currently but we have really stripped out all the furniture we need in the house we moved into. We currently use it a couple of days a week, but all the paintings etc have gone.

The kitchen is still fully functioning. I think I need to do new photos probably though.

Here it is but side on rather than the front.

www.normandie-fnaim.com/annonce/905404_21394/vente-maison-moyon/

It looks lovely, OP. Hope you get some viewers soon. How long have you been on the market? The pics look really nice - nothing that would put anyone off, as far as I can see. I have no idea what prices are like in Moyon - do you think it's competitively priced compared to others for sale in teh local area?

It's a bit unique in terms of what's on offer so pricings difficult. Been on since the last week of April, but the 2 viewings have come from people who know me. It's very well placed and backs onto the local equestrian centres land. The village has more on offer than most towns too. Depressing lack of interest.