Spill the beans on your favourite French property and win a bottle of Champagne!

A beautiful French country house. You may own one, or dream of owning one, or have marvelled at one from afar. We all have a property in mind- maybe a stunning grandiose Maison de Maitre with delicate manicured lawns, spotted in between foliage somewhere on our travels, or a more modest cottage with thatched roof belong to a friend, or our very own proud home…

Here at Sextant we’ve decided to ask you about your favourite French property– preferably in a rural setting (including hamlets and villages) in order to find the most desirable one.
If you’re having difficulty making your mind up, here are several buying factors you may want to take into consideration:

The aesthetic appeal of the property- often first impressions count more than anything else. A property must look charming on the outside and have some sort of appeal even if it needs complete renovation internally. Character can be very important indeed- brightly painted shutters, wisteria creeping up a wall or the colour of the stone may all play in a house’s favour. If this interior requires modernisation or restoring this isn’t usually a problem; people tend to welcome the opportunity to put their own mark on a place.

The surroundings- The setting of a property can often be a make or break deal. A semi-detached house may not offer you the seclusion you crave, or a neighbour’s cow shed or hangar too close by could be a turn off. The most popular properties tend to be well set in their land with neighbours nearby (but not too close!) and amenities a short drive away.

The grounds- good quality and plentiful land is often near the top of a buyer’s priority list. A house in not particularly good condition, but nestled in 10 acres of land with dominant views across a valley may attract far more interest than a property in excellent condition with no more than a few hundred square metres of courtyard. Of course, small but perfectly maintained gardens bursting with flowers, trees, ponds etc. would also be a wonderful addition to any property. Rivers or streams running through or alongside the land would also be a plus.

The interior- as mentioned, the interior does not tend to carry as much weight as the above factors, however stand out period features (stone/wrought iron staircase, monumental fireplace, cathedral ceiling) may be enough to wow.

On our side, we will of course be considering the exterior of the property and its character, the views, the surroundings, the interior and the location. The house can be modern, or old, whatever has attracted your fancy, as long as it is privately-owned and not currently on the market.

Please submit your entry to this email: competition@sextantproperties.com with a photo and a short description indicating why this property should be crowned France’s favourite house, including information on its character, location, panorama and so forth (entries are valid until the 30th November 2010). We will be awarding a worthy prize to the winner sponsored by our partner Moneycorp– our preferred currency specialist- a bottle of Veuve Cliquot Champagne so you can really toast your success!