Category: Areas In The Var

A New Year resolution – moving south !

31/1/2019

How many gaze through their office windows dreaming of sunshine and the sea ?
In France the answer is 59% of the population dream of moving according to a Yougov study last November.
The largest number, 24% of those wanting to move, want to settle in the PACA region in the South East of France on the Mediterranean shore, between Nice and Marseille. The next most popular area is the South West Mediterranean shore with 20% interested by the Occitanie/Montpellier region, then followed by other regions to the west on the Atlantic shore.
The same study mentioned the highest proportion of those dreaming of a move, 71%, are women under 40 living currently living in the Paris region.

City or country under the sun - the Lifestyle choice is yours
There is a wide choice of areas across the Var and Alpes Maritimes that will certainly meet your preference. Inland in the Var you will find Provence and village lifestyle, yet still within close reach of the sea. By the coast near Nice and Cannes you will benefit from a livelier urban lifestyle.
As TF1, the French TV channel highlighted in their news program today, new residents arriving in the Var have resulted in a net population increase of 9000 people per year, and in fact the reporter who made the documentary was leaving her job today to do precisely that !
Are you next ?

Making that New year resolution happen – #movingsouth
Don't miss out on free help and advice. If your first point of call may be friends or relations living in the area, you may find their advice too subjective.
That is why a professional property finder who advises buyers, knows the area and is able to listen to buyer's needs should be your first point of call. This is precisely what we do at Smartfinder Home as we will always offer you our advice whether you use our search service or not.
For useful tips you can also check out our website for the best areas, largest property portals, market prices, and many other topics on our blog, or contact us via our search form or directly on the phone.
Our passion at Smartfinder Home is to help people realize their dream move !

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Heritage News for 2019

31/12/2018

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Cotignac 500
A special event in the Var this year will be "Cotignac 500" that marks 500 years since since the first apparition that set Cotignac on the map in the 16th century as a Christian pilgrimage site . What is unique about Cotignac is the focus on the family and children, that no doubt from the apparition itself, where the infant Jesus appeared in the arms of the St Mary.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims come each year, and for them a series of events will run throughout 2019 culminating in the Jubilee week mid August. For more information you can check this page: http://frejustoulon.fr/page/cotignac-500/

Other heritage news
- The Collegiale church in the centre of Lorgues has been re-opened after 8 years of renovation work that has consolidated and brightened the building both inside and oustide.

- You can admire the gardens of the remarkable landscape gardener, Dominique Lafourcade, who after the Chateau de Berne, has renovated the Domaine d'Orves:
www.architecture-lafourcade.com/ and www.domainedorves.fr/

- The Sainte Baume site near St Maximin has received an award as "Foret d'exception", and the path leading up to the grotto of St Mary Magdalene has the most stunning view of Provence.

Smartfinder Home wishes you a Happy New Year 2019, and that you may realize your projects !

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Do you really know the Var ?

31/8/2015

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You may have come down on holidays or live here, but it is surprising how little visitors and residents actually know of the Var. We tend to stick to the 2-3 towns and beaches we know best, and when we want to change we get into a plane to another country.

Yet other areas off the beaten track in the Var can reserve a few surprises. For anyone who has gone towards Fort Bregancon, the presidential summer retreat, you can find beaches that are almost deserted with fine sand, crystal clear water and that match the best beaches in Corsica and Indian ocean islands.

Check this link from French tourism, and if it is not too late, come again in September in the mid-season when the sea is warm and the living is easy and explore new beaches:
http://www.visitvar.fr/welcome-to-provence-cote-azur/seaside-destination/beach

Then another area not everyone has seen are the Gorges de Verdon, the biggest and deepest gorge in Europe. You can easily take well marked footpaths starting from the Lake St Croix and follow the side of the river from the bottom of the Gorge. The lake is always refreshing in the summer, at 500m altitude. You can swim on beaches there, take sailing dinghies or just relax in the shade the Mediterranean pines.
For more details check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verdon_Gorge .

Then of course are the Provencal villages you should not miss out on. Aups with the truffle market, Lorgues with its large colourful market on Tuesday’s and Tourtour, called “the village in the sky” with views extending 100km in the distance.
Check pictures here: http://www.visitvar.fr/provence-cote-azur/le-var/haut-var-verdon

With the regular breeze you get in the Var that keeps the sky in deep blue shade most of the summer, it makes hot summer temperatures bearable if you are not besides a watering hole. That is why you don’t find much air conditioning, as locals use natural cool air of the morning to keep houses fresh and then close their shutters the rest of the day.

Could this be accessible to you all the year round ?

Well that is up to you. We will always be pleased to advise and help if you want to settle here.

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THE VAR IN ALL SEASONS - WHY COME TO THE VAR ?

30/12/2014

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Is the Var still an attractive destination ?

In terms of tourism in France, the Var comes second to Paris with 9 million visitors in 2012, of which over a million were foreign visitors.

When the French tourist office ran a survey with British visitors in 2012, to find out what attracts them to the Var, the answers were:

Sun and the climate
Relaxed lifestyle and “savoir vivre”
Charm of resorts, villages and markets
Sea, the Mediterranean
Gastronomy and wine
Provence Countryside

To the above list, when exchanging with residents who come to the Var, you could also add these reasons, when compared to other potential destinations like the Caribbean:

Ease of travel for reaching France due to the choice of airports and low cost air travel
Cultural activities
Close to skiing in the winter
Lower cost of living and housing, especially when compared to the UK, Switzerland and towns like Oslo or Moscow.
Excellent health care
Security and low crime
Positive demographics
Stable long term investment environment at the heart of the EU

Another reason for some who have moved to the Var is simply moving closer to friends or relatives already living in the region. For more information on the Var, check www.visitvar.fr

What is weather like over the year ?

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Moving to the var, 9 steps from dream to reality

9/10/2014

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The rightmove buyers guide is excellent in describing how to go from the initial dream of a move to France to actually doing it. The steps are well explained and valid for any non-French resident, and I recommend you download the guide here. For your benefit, I have summarized the steps:

Exploratory stage for clarifying those initial thoughts into a realistic project:
1. Examine why you want to move and write what you expect to gain from moving.
2. Research the location and type of house you would like with the help of the Internet.
3. Work out what budget you can afford, and if you are prepared to rent the property.

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A New Year resolution – moving south !

Heritage News for 2019

Do you really know the Var ?

THE VAR IN ALL SEASONS - WHY COME TO THE VAR ?

Moving to the var, 9 steps from dream to reality

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