View from the Back
Ramblings of a retiree in France
One from the vaults: Property passion
I love a bit of property porn and this is an homage I wrote back in August 2013. One of the many advantages of cycling around the area, though more so in winter than in summer, is that I get to peer over gates and hedges at some of the marvellous Riviera real-estate and will often stop to chat to builders engaged in a sizeable renovation project.
I live in a spot with some truly magnificent property porn. Each time I pass through the airport I pick up a couple of thick, free magazines featuring property for sale on the Cote d’Azur to feed my habit. Many have the “prix nous consulter” tag which means they’re way out of mine and most people’s price range. Remember, if you have to ask the price then you probably can’t afford it. But you can still window shop!
Of course, I can also tell you which properties have been up for sale for what seems like forever. A property is only worth what someone’s willing to pay for it, not what we think it’s worth and therein, according to an estate agent friend of mine who deals in high-end property, lies the crux of the problem. People with houses in great locations thinking their pad is worth a squillion of Euros when he’s advised them it’ll only sell for much less. He puts it on the market for the price they want but spends his efforts on the properties he knows he can sell. Agents earn a fixed percentage commission, generally around 6% – not too shabby – but the market is much less liquid than say in the UK. Again, it’s all about location, location, location. There are certain areas where demand always exceeds supply and have seen no dip in either prices or demand.
Despite perusing these magazines, I rarely find anything that makes my heart beat faster. There’s always something I don’t like about the property: too many bedrooms, blue tiling in the bathroom (my least favourite colour), small kitchens or no sea view. When I do find a property I like enough, I generally don’t like its location.
I have flirted with the thought of building my own but years of watching property programmes, including Grand Designs, has left me wondering whether it would indeed be worth the worry and sacrifice. It has to be one of my favourite property shows, though it’s rare I like the end result. It’s the self-builders who are meant to love the property and whose wishes and desires need to be reflected in the building, not mine.
I would enjoy the planning and preparation process immensely. Obviously, the less you change once building commences the easier it is to stick to one’s budget. Knocking down and starting again is often cheaper than renovating, but not everyone has that option. Spend your money on the basics, try to be as environmentally friendly as possible and borrow from commercial building techniques would be my programme take-aways. That said my favourites tend to be those projects fashioned on minimum budgets where the owners do most of the work themselves, often the first time they’ve attempted such a thing. Throwing money at a project doesn’t necessarily, in my mind, result in a better end result. It’s lavish love, care and attention that tends to result in a fantastic finish.
The world would however be a dull place if we all liked the same things. I often admire buildings but wouldn’t want to live in them. Look at all those fabulous French châteaux on which the Tour de France camera lingers lovingly. They’re beautiful but the upkeep must be enormous, not forgetting all those windows to keep clean! There are lots of beautful buildings down here particularly the overwrought wedding cake style ones which, if properly maintained, are beautiful to gaze at but I’m not sure I’d want to live in one.
Builders have spent the last two years working almost night and day to renovate one such house – or should that be mansion – on a truly magnificent spot on Cap d’ Antibes. The end result, including the garden, is a triumph. The property is most likely listed meaning any alternations inside and out have had to be in keeping with the style of the property. I’ve ridden past it at least once a week during that two-year period and watched with interest its re-development. Whoever owns it has seriously deep pockets and it’s evidently a second, third, fourth……….home as I’ve yet to see it occupied other than by the builders or gardeners.
It’s a Friday, the day on which I typically do my housework and shopping. After my early morning ride, I’ve cleaned the bathrooms, changed the bed linen and towels, closed the guest bedroom door on a mountain of ironing, polished the furniture, tidied the office, prepared dinner for my sister and beloved, and am contemplating cleaning the acres of shiny floors, and acres of not so shiny windows. I’m thinking small could be beautiful couldn’t it?
View from the Back 
Small is definitely beautiful. Can you pretend to buy and go to a home open, that would be great. I agree I would never build my own home,so much responsibility dealing with builders. Enjoy your life as it is, sounds like you have a great life
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Thanks Alison. Sadly, and quite wisely, the agents demand proof that you can afford said property to avoid rubber-neckers.
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Love your post and “property porn” clever with words there!
We built our dream house and it was amazing but you know there is always something you miss. We moved ( just a mile from where we are). It was an amazing process and yet lots of time in the midst of pregnancies. Crazy. When we first moved here we did a remodel on one side of the house and the bedrooms were going to be next. 18 years later, I think “what the heck why would I want to spend my time on that” and I dream of the “Not so Big House”. It’s also a great book. The bad thing is there is construction on both sides of me and I think, :if I have to listen to that, I should be building”. Show me the money and I might turn on a dime.. lol.. Life is priorities and I’m just grateful to have a roof over my head. Thanks Sheree for always transporting us!!!
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My pleasure Cindy and congratulations on building your dream house.
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Thank you Sheree!!! It was quite a beautiful home and my kids still miss it. That might be a story for a blog post.. thanks for making me remember and think about it.
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My pleasure Cindy
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🙏
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Great post! I read with amusement the story of cleaning countless windows in a large house. Yes, I think the house should be comfortable, but not huge.
best regards
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Thank you 😎
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I love tiny homes, and those microapartments they have on YouTube. You could have someone in to clean but that comes with its own set of problems
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I had a marvellous cleaner in London but sadly couldn’t bring her to France with me. Not found anyone here who measures up to Dora.
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I love looking at property but rarely feel like I want to own it, it’s more like looking a beautiful art in a museum for me. We’ve lived in military housing for years and I’ve mentally redesigned each one, but I’ve still no idea what I want from my ‘Forever Home’ or even where I want to be. Van life looks ever more attractive! ( Second go at posting a comment, not sure where the first one went. So if this is a duplicate- apologies!)
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I can understand your comment about mentally redesigning military housing, I understand it’s functional though bland. We have friends in the military. Van life sounds fun and there are so many wonderful places to visit.
PS Only got thr one comment
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Lovely post! I’d love to see the countryside houses in the South of France. One of my dreams is to end up living there one day. Hope you are enjoying exploring 🙂
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I am indeed enjoying exploring, thanks Elizabeth.
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“I would enjoy the planning and preparation process immensely. ” There, Sheree is where you & I differ !
I just finished renos on my bathroom and although I love it now that it’s finished, I hated every step of the planning, choosing and prep that went into it. Too much choice and anxiety!
But that property does look nice. Mayhaps, if you can afford to buy it you can also afford a service to clean it?
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We’d make a great team Sandy! Typically because these houses are not primary residences, there is usually a live-in couple to take care of it, typically gardener and housekeeper.
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Ha! So I could afford TO BE the service! 🙂
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😎
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Yes, I can understand picking up the property mags! Such magnificence! 🌞
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Thanks Lisa
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Haha i had never heard it called property porn before. I do enjoy looking at gorgeous homes and imagining I own it, rather than clean its pool 🙂
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Thanks Liam
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Love the swimming pool.Who does not like palatial life style ?
But we all know life is made simple by minimalistic life style
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😎
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