Britons with second homes in French towns and cities will see their council tax rates rise by hundreds of euros a year after President Hollande’s government yesterday rounded on “wealthy foreigners” in a desperate attempt to raise money.

The move is designed to generate €150 million for local councils, and will hit anyone who has a second home in 28 cities and suburbs, including Paris and Nice.

No one with a second home in rural France will be affected.

 Holiday Homes for sale like this one (GTY01287) will not be affected.

The so-called weekend tax has been sold by President Hollande as a measure to address France’s housing crisis by claiming that it will encourage property owners to rent out their second homes. However, in truth, the levy is a means of raising new revenue for hard-up local councils from a group of people, many of whom do not have the vote.

The Socialist cabinet has recently been forced to slash state subsidies for local councils to try to meet calls from Brussels to cut the French budget deficit. At the end of last month, President Hollande was rattled by a threat from Brussels that it would reject his budget because it did not reduce the deficit significantly. The government then was forced to announce a €3.7 billion cut in subsidies for next year’s budget.

However, the tax has caused fierce controversy amid signs that the government was itself split over the measure. Under the plan disclosed by Michel Sapin, the finance minister, urban councils will be authorised to levy a tax equivalent to 20 per cent of the residency tax paid by all households for anyone with a second home in one of the prescribed 28 town areas.

This will add €90 to the rates on an average flat in Paris — which are among the lowest in France — but €200 to €300 in some of the capital’s suburbs and in other cities. All households pay at least one type of council tax — a residency tax, paid by everyone, and an owner tax, paid only by those who own their property.

French press reports suggested that tourist destinations popular with the British, such as Annecy in the Alps, or Bordeaux in the southwest could also be hit by the tax.

Most of the 200,000 Britons with holiday homes in France will escape the tax rise since their properties are in rural areas. However, 10,000 Britons own second homes on the French Riviera, some urban areas of which, such as Nice, will be included by the new tax. Many Britons have also invested in property in cities such as Lyon and Toulouse.

Rural houses like this (CLS00397) will not be affected.

Cle France are French Estate agents with agents across France in most regions and with over 8000 houses for sale in all price brackets and in all styles to suit everyone. This bi-lingual service will help you find the right property for you with the minimum of fuss.

NO HIDDEN FEES: The price you pay is the same as anyone walking through the door of our agency in France, same as the price paid by the French buyer.

All quoted prices are INCLUSIVE OF AGENCY FEES (FAI): with Notaire's fees to be added (these average 7% to 8%).

OUR AGENTS: are all registered and insured in France, they are holders of the 'carte professionnelle'as required by French law.

So when you buy through Clé France: you have the benefit of a bi-lingual support team & can be confident that you are paying no more than the standard commission rates you would pay anyway.

CONTACT US: to discuss your search for property in France, or indeed for any further information you may require on French property sales.

This article originally appeared in The Times on Wednesday 5th November 2014.

Blog submitted by: David at The French Property Network - Cle France.

Dear David & Sharon,

Sorry for the delay in writing, the month since returning from our new abode has been hectic.

Anyhow, first we must say many thanks for your sterling help in the purchase of our Plemet, Cotes d'Armor house; you were vital as the liaison with the folk on the ground & without you I sense we could still be in limbo!

Having said that, your agents were very good and fine in face to face situations. He was at the house when we arrived & arranged for SAUR to come the following day. Incredibly we had a knock on the door later the same day & a SAUR engineer who happened to be in the area saved us from the indignity of having to rely on the public loos. Who says the French don't work!

It's taken two & a half years of looking to find the right house for us, both visiting the area, perusing probably 500 agent's offerings and viewing over 30. Admittedly our meagre budget limited our choice though it also gave an insight into other Brits' lost dreams & grandiose schemes: 'An exciting renovation project' etc.

Maggie had her heart set on a village house (we are both dedicated townies) in stone with a French double front door & wooden shuttered windows. Well we ended up with a shop front but with a very attractive old stone rear overlooking our garden. Compromise. We can always change the front later.

Being in the town centre we have the advantage of mains drainage, a short walk to the shops, bank, PO, bars, 1st class restaurant and importantly we have friendly neighbours & thus few worries about security. Already we've made a friend of the old chap across the road who was born & raised in our house & has lived in Plemet, let alone just Brittany, all his life. Although he speaks no English & our minimal French doesn't translate to his Breton ear we get along fine & he is now keeper of our keys & garden tender. It's amazing what a bottle of Scotch will do!

We also have a friend in our account manager at Credit Mutuel de Bretagne for whom nothing seems to be too much trouble bank related or not. No need to waste time & money trying to get through to Britline.

Incidentally if you recall there was a bit of a problem with setting up an EDF account. We found that there was absolutely no point in doing it over the phone (I ran up a bill on our land line for £14 to no avail) but the website is fairly idiot proof & allows you to add information over a long period so you can save & return on another day if you don't have all the information you need. There is also a leisurely period of explanatory & help emails after set up.

Well, what have we learned about holiday home owning so far? First unless you have the furniture & fittings already, buy the house with everything in it because hunting the overpriced brocantes & vente depots will take forever & the alternative is an IKEA job lot!

Good French furniture & sundries are available online in GB at a fraction of the French prices.

This brings me to observation two. If a 4x4 has always been on your (secret) wish list holiday home owning is the ideal excuse. Carting furniture, rugs, tools, materials etc. is just what they're designed for.  Equally for taking unwanted stuff to the decheterie (recycling site). We've found ours to be a very friendly place & very civilised.

Well thanks again, I will give you a call if I may because I would like your advice on getting a translation of the works we need to have done for our builder's devis. 

Best wishes, Martin & Maggie.

Well that has got to be the most comprehensive feedback of all time eh! We wish Martin & Maggie many many years of happy times at their delightful house in Plemet, Cotes d'Armor in Brittany. Martin offers some great advice and some very good insights, thanks you Martin & Maggie and best of luck for the future, keep in touch.

If you really want to learn French, you need to know a few French expressions...

Si tu veux vraiment apprendre le Français, il faut connaître quelques expressions Françaises!

Bored with your everyday use of the French language? Are you looking to add un peu de variété (a little variety) to your daily discourse?

Have you had a chance to apply some of the French idioms we saw in previous posts? In parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 ( Check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 and Part 6 ) we covered a variety of expressions, many of which can be used in everyday language in one way or another. It may take a little time to become familiar with them, but you’re bound to find a few that stick out and that you might want to insert into your conversations with other French speakers.

 Photo by Tim Morgan on Flickr

If you haven’t found any aphorisms in the previous posts that appeal to you or that you deem useful, here are a few may that may suit your fancy.

Check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5 for a bevy of witty little French idioms you might have missed.

This is the final instalment in our series on French expressions. When writing the posts for this series, we wanted to help readers inject a little humor into their conversations with native French speakers. The purpose was to amuse, surprise and even impress your listener.

If you usually converse with people who are just learning French, you might not get the same results. In the end, these are simply to help you appreciate the breadth of the French language and to familiarise yourself with witty sayings you might not hear very often. 

**Phrase in parentheses is the literal translation, or as close to it as possible.**

Raconter des salades (Telling salads) – Telling lies.

Fier comme Artaban (Proud like Artaban) – Being very proud, even arrogant.

Avoir des fourmis (Having ants) – Feeling antsy/restless, wanting to move.

Avoir du sang de navet (Having the blood of a turnip) – Lacking courage.

Presser quelqu’un comme un citron (Squeezing someone like a lemon) – To exploit another person.

La fin des haricots (The end of beans) – To feel hopeless.

Dormir comme un sabot (Sleep like a shoe/clog) – To be in a deep sleep, similar to the expression “Sleeping like a log.”

Tuer le temps (Killing time) – Distracting oneself to avoid boredom, like the English expression “Killing time.”

C’est une huile (It’s an oil) – To be a person of high stature/influence.

Partir les pieds devant (To leave with feet in front) – To die/pass away.

Jamais deux sans trois (Never two without three) – Similar to the English expressions “Third time’s a charm” or “When it rains, it pours.”

Aller au charbon (Going to the coal) – To do all the work/to make a living.

Pas folle, la guêpe! (Not crazy, the wasp!) – He/she is smart/cunning.

Se serrer la ceinture (To tighten one’s belt) – To cut back/make do.

Ramener sa fraise (To bring back one’s strawberry) – To have a pretentious attitude.

Blog submitted by: David at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.

A Meal for All Seasons :

La Soupe à l’Oignon (Onion Soup)

Bienvenue mes amis! (Welcome my friends!) Aujourd’hui nous allons apprendre à préparer un plat bien Français: la soupe à l’oignon (Today we will be learning how to prepare a typical French dish: onion soup).

Tradition has dictated that French onion soup be served avec du fromage râpé (with grated cheese) and croutons. Although onion soups date back du temps des Romains (to Roman times), the French take on onion soup dates back to le 18ème siècle (the 18th century). The soup is made from bouillon de bœuf (beef broth) to which you add des oignons caramélisés (caramelized onions) and du Gruyère râpé (grated Gruyère) topped with une tranche de pain grillé (a slice of toasted bread) called a “crouton”.

 Image by Sea-Turtle on Flickr

There are a number of variations of French onion soup but the core elements remain the same: broth, cheese and bread. Below is a simple and quick recette (recipe) that will introduce you to this typical French dish. Although it lacks meat, this soup is still hearty and is often served as an entrée (appetizer) before le plat principal (the main dish).

Ingredients:

2 ½ large yellow onions cut into thin slices

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. flour

¼ tsp. sugar

3 ½ cups of beef broth

½ cup of grated Gruyère (can be substituted for another kind of Swiss cheese if Gruyère is difficult to find)

¼ cup of sherry, brandy, vermouth or white wine

Toasted French bread cut into slices

Directions:

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add onions, reduce heat and let cook for 15 minutes. Remove cover. Increase heat to medium, add sugar and let cook until onions are caramelized. Add flour and stir for one minute. Add broth and spirit/wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Top with bread and Gruyère.

Dégustez en famille ou avec des amis! Vive la cuisine Française et bon appétit!

Enjoy with family or friends! Long live French cuisine and enjoy your meal!

A little about Cle France...

We are, no doubt like yourselves, ardent Francophiles.

We have spent many many years living and working in this beautiful country. Selling French property and arranging everything else connected with buying a property in France. During that time we have worked in the French Property Market with notaries and agencies alike, using our language skills to enable people like you to find their own dream home in France.

Our level of expertise and experience mean we can give you the independent advice you need on the various regions of France, and also on the culture and lifestyle. Over time we have built up a large and professional network of Cle France Estate Agents across the many regions of France.

Our office in England means that we are conveniently placed for our buyers to contact us and plan their visit to France, and our agents and colleagues in France look forward to welcoming you and showing you their selection of properties for sale.

You may be ready to make that move now, or you might still be at the beginning of the decision making process. We are always happy to have an informal chat on the phone, or by e-mail, to enable you to make an informed decision about your plans.

Blog submitted by: Alex at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.

Hello to you,

Sorry but we could not make contact before now as the gite internet server was 'down', just to update on our property search, your agent showed us around the properties in Langonnet and we were very pleased with the sympathetic renovation of the gite but the position of the main house in relation to the road (we have a dog and two cats) was such that we would not have been able to secure our dog around the main house. Please give the agent our thanks, she was most professional and helpful, we only wish we could have proceeded with a sale. 

The second agent was very charming and helpful, we were running late and she accommodated our lateness.

Sharon, we must say we have been most impressed by your level of contact, most helpful at all times and we are sorry that on this occasion we have not been able to proceed through to a purchase. Sharon, we feel that you have gone above and beyond our expectations for which we thank you most sincerely.

Everyone has done their utmost to provide information and help us.

Please give both agents our thanks for their assistance and also, if possible pass on our thanks to the vendors for allowing us to have the viewings. 

Finally, we found a property which suits our requirements and have made an offer which has been accepted.

Regards,  

Tom and Margaret.

There is certainly a lot to choose from in rural Brittany espeically in Morbihan and Cotes d'Armor, making sure your veiewing trip is productive is one of the many things we do for you.