Really the first question is to choose between an apartment and a house, town or country, new or old, and whereabouts? Your choice may be guided by what you see yourself doing once you have a property. Is size important? Would you like to be in the town or countryside, near to a golf course, ski slopes, coast? People who suffer from hay fever will not enjoy a country retreat, for example.

Many people only take their holidays, or start their house-hunting at one time of the year. It is important to understand what the climate will be like in other seasons.

There are some obvious advantages to buying new-build, such as the 10-year guarantee for structural soundness, and exemption from stamp duty, but modern homes tend to have smaller rooms and gardens than older ones and the garden will take time to mature. CAFPI are used to sorting out mortgages for new houses, including those bought off-plan. Our banking partners will release mortgage funds in stages, just as they do for French borrowers. You should indicate if you are buying an off-plan property on the CAFPI Application Form.


Older properties may have larger rooms and more character. They offer more scope for the owner’s imagination, through renovation. On the other hand, they may be more expensive to heat and need running repairs. Some fixtures and fittings will be at the end of their life. mortgages arranged through CAFPI can cater for both your immediate cash needs and later renovations. Renovation and Restoration

Think about your must-have features, which it will be difficult to add later: a garden, garage, cave, terrace or balcony, etc nearby cafés and restaurants, access to doctor and dentist.
The most suitable property for you depends on whether you plan for it to be your main (immediately or later), second home, holiday home to be let out occasionally, or a buy-to-let investment.