Find property for sale in the Aude
The best thing to do is decide on the area that you want to look in and start researching.
(a disclaimer - I'm a negotaitrice - I sell real estate in the Aude. Aude France Property is my day job)
Buying a house in France
Buying a house in France is different than buying a house wherever you live now. Not necessarily more difficult, just different. I had read a fair amount about how difficult the actual purchase would be. It wasn't at all. My house hunting diary covers my buying experience.
There are property search companies that try and frighten you into paying extra fees for solicitors and other services. They talk about protecting you from horrible deals. I don't know anyone who has been the victim of any kind of scam or who has had anything happen that a solicitor could have prevented.
Use common sense.
If you don't speak French work with a real estate agent who does. It is worth paying someone to go with you and act as a translator when making an offer and at the Notaire's office when signing the compromis de vente if you buy privately.
If the house is old it may also be worth having a builder look at it before you make an offer so that you have an idea of renovation costs.
I knew that I wanted a house in the Aude, either in the Minervois or the Corbières so I did a lot of internet research before I went to actually look at houses. I had a budget and a good idea of what I could afford. That made it fairly easy. I looked at 7 or 8 houses and ended up buying the first one that I had looked at.
Once you decide that you want to look for a house start doing some internet research. Look at house listings. Remember though, that they aren't always up-to-date. Use them as guidelines.
I decided who I wanted to deal with based on their responses to my requests for more information about specific listings. I arranged an appointment to look at houses from Canada so that I could make the best use of my time in France. This was seven years ago and things haven't changed that much. You'll find that although you've made an appointment with a French immobilier when you arrive there is nothing organized in terms of visiting properties. English real estate agents in France understand that you don't want to spend hours looking at a book of houses and will make appointments to actually show you houses.
House prices in the Aude - establishing your budget
Start by researching information about house and property prices in France. It can be difficult to get the information you need but the effort up front will save you disappointment when you start house hunting.
Over the past few years people in the UK have been bombarded with television shows about property in the Aude and how cheap it is. It was but it isn't anymore. If you send e-mail to real estate agents in the Aude and say that you're looking for a renovated three bedroom house with a garden in a village with all amenities and your budget is 100 000 euros, don't be surprised if you don't get a reply. There is no such thing anymore.
The best thing you can do is start building a relationship with your agent before you go to France. Talk on the phone. Let them get to know you, to know what you like and what you don't like.
Tell them what you're budget is. Be honest, don't fudge. They know what's on the market and what you're likely to get in any given price range.
Conversely, if you know exactly what you have to have, tell them. They can tell you how much it will cost.
Buying a house to renovate in the Aude
Stick to your budget. My budget was for a renovated house. It didn't matter whether I did the renovations of they were already done. Some of the houses I looked at were already renovated, some needed a bit of work and some needed a lot. I had a very clear picture of what I wanted and none of the renovations I saw matched my picture so I ended up buying a house that needed a fair amount of work. Better to do it myself than to have to undo someone else's work and redo it.
Get a builder or an architect to look at the house before you make an offer. They can tell you about the condition of the plumbing and electrical service and roof and also give you an idea of the amount of work involved in any renovation or building project.
If you want to make changes to the house check with the Mairie to see if you need permits and how likely it is that you'll get them. Remember, if a property is within 500 metres of a listed building you have to get permission form the Architect de France to do anything to the outside of the house.
If you do buy a house that needs renovation or major work decide whether you will be in France when it's being done. If you need to renovate from a distance consider hiring someone to manage the project. I didn't. I had to make two extra trips to France to deal with things. It would have cost less to pay someone to ensure things happened on schedule.
Be flexible
Don't panic and buy something that you'll end up not liking. If you don't find exactly what you thought you wanted, look at something else. If you had dreams of a cottage with a garden you probably won't find it here. You will find some nice new built detached houses with gardens.
Think about a flat in Carcassonne or Narbonne if amenities are important.
Visit before you decide anything.
You may find that the beauty of a small village in the Corbieres offsets the need to drive 10 minutes to a shop.
The best thing you can do is come for a vacation before you decide anything. Explore the area and get an idea of the types of property that are available.
Then do your house hunting.
Aude France Property has a series of articles that detail how to find the right property for sale in the Aude.
If you have an Aude real estate site and would like to feature it on this page please contact me.