Finally some good news, the average mortgage rates have fallen to their lowest level in seven months, mainly due to lenders kicking off the New Year with interest rate cuts.

So is this a good time for you to contact our Mortgage and Financial Services Partner, if you are considering a mortgage to help fund a property purchase in France, you may wish to contact them to see if they can help and advise you, best of luck.

You can contact them direct here.

Could mortgage rates drop further in 2024?

A handful of mortgage lenders have announced further rate cuts, due to the predictions that the Bank of England base rate could start to fall in the first half of this year.

Some lenders have mortgage product rates below 4% for the first time since April 2023.

The lowest rate we have seen is now 3.89%.

Our Mortgage Partner is ideal for those of you who live in the UK and already own a property within the UK, dealing with the team at 'HERTS Financial Services' may be a much more attractive option than a French mortgage.

Kind regards,
Alex at Clé France.

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Visas for second home owners one step closer.

Happy New Year and Happy New News...

So, it's the New Year and a bit of good news for second home owners in France, as the French parliament have approved the principle of an ‘automatic visa’ to enable more straightforward and longer stays.

But we aren’t there quite yet. The legislation, which is part of a broader bill on immigration, will now move on to the next stage, to be considered by the ‘Conseil Constitutionnel’. The Conseil has one month to deliberate, so a decision should be due around the 26th January.

Should the decision be favourable, the French Ministry of the Interior will then consult in order to iron out the practicalities of how the law might work.

In essence all UK citizens who own a second home in France would obtain a ‘long-stay visa’ right automatically and without having to make a long-stay visa application. The latter usually involves a long process online and in person, taking paperwork to an office, in order to obtain an official sticker in your passport.

So a small step forward, still some way to go, but perhaps there are now grounds to be a little more optimistic.

Watch this space...

Want to learn more about living in France Post-Brexit?

You can download our guide by clicking the button below.

Kind regards, 
Sharon Evans 
Co-Founder of Cle France.

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Le Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre (New Year’s Eve)

The New Year (le nouvel an) is fast approaching. 

In France, as elsewhere, New Year’s Eve (called le réveillon du jour de l’an) is typically celebrated with friends. It’s common to celebrate the new year with champagne and fireworks. But did you know that, unlike in English, New Year’s Eve also has a different name?

In French, New Year’s Eve is also known as le réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre.

But who was Saint Sylvester?

Saint Sylvester was Pope (Pape) from 314 to 335 AD. Not much is known about his life, although the church grew in power during his tenure, erecting such monuments as Santa Croce in Jerusalem and the old Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

Most of our common knowledge about Saint Sylvester is through unverified (and potentially fictional) stories about his relationship with the Emperor Constantine. One fictitious story stated that, upon administering blessed water, Sylvester cured Constantine of leprosy. Supposedly, it was Sylvester’s miracle that influenced Constantine to convert to Christianity.

The Feast of Saint Sylvester is celebrated around the world on December 31, because this was the day he died in 335. Today, many countries around the world, and not just France, refer to New Year’s Eve as Silvester, or a similar name in tribute of the ancient pope. For example, in Germany, Christian households traditionally celebrate Saint Sylvester’s Day by melting Silvesterblei (Silvester lead) in a spoon and dropping it into cold water, then divining the year ahead based on the shape of the cooled metal. In Switzerland, men dress as Silvesterklaus and ring large bells to welcome in the new year. 

In France, la Saint Sylvestre is celebrated with friends, good food, champagne, and firecrackers or noisemakers. But there is one more tradition that is often reserved for this special day: le baiser sous le gui (kissing under the mistletoe). Unlike in some Anglophone cultures, where kissing under the mistletoe is a Christmas tradition, this ancient ritual is reserved for la Saint-Sylvestre in France. 

Bonne année!

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

I just wanted to post a quick note to wish everyone an enjoyable Christmas.

Your interest and visits to our website are very much appreciated.

Best wishes to you from all of us here at Cle France.

We wish you and your family a 'Joyeux Noel'.

We are open 24/7 on-line so keep enjoying all the beautiful French property for sale and all our information about buying a house in France as usual on the website, but we may take a few days to get back to you if you send in any questions / requests over the Christmas period as we too will be enjoying the festive period with our feet up!

Oh! and we have lots of new agents starting in January adding extra new listings to our portfolio from January onward.

Sharon Evans
Founder of Cle France

Best wishes to everyone from all of us here at Cle France, we wish everyone 'Joyeux Noel et Bonne Année'....

We are open 24/7 on-line so keep enjoying all the beautiful French property for sale and all our information about buying a house in France as usual on the website, but we may take a few days to get back to you if you send in any questions / requests over the Christmas period as we too will be enjoying the festive period with our feet up!

If you’re looking for your dream home in France it is best to keep in touch with our network of agents and experts, please feel free to 'Like Us' or 'Follow Us' on our social media platforms and stay up to date with all the latest property news and competitions.

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Click on any or all of the above to make sure you get up to the minute news on all things to do with French Property and you don't miss that perfect French home you are searching for.

Cle France wish everyone 'Joyeux Noel et Bonne Année'.

For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk