January and February are not typical times for property searches in France. It can get very cold, it often snows right across the country and such inclement weather doesn’t inspire home buyers to get out and take a look at what’s on offer. However, it can be a great time to look for several reasons:
Less competition from other buyers means you might be able to put in a cheeky offer and get it accepted.
You see the property you’re interested in at its worst. Instead of everything looking lovely against a blue sky in the summer, you see it when it’s cold, damp and miserable. If you still like it then, you’ll love it when it’s sunny
Estate agents will be willing and able to give you more of their time to find the ideal property as they are not so busy.
Even though it’s not traditionally a time when buyers search, the new year is often when people reflect on their lives and make a decision to change including selling their property. They may contact an estate agent with a view to finding out what they need to do to get their home looking its most saleable before it goes on the books. If you know the area where you want to buy, contact agents and tell them what you’re interested in and they may be able to tip you off. You may have room for negotiation on the price if the sellers don't have to spend money on titivating the property.
All these things happened to me.
I wasn’t specifically looking to buy a home in France but I went on a day trip from London to Pas de Calais on a cold, wet day in February in search of French wine and food.
A bored estate agent in a rural French town lured me in for a cup of hot coffee. He asked me what my hypothetical budget would be, laughed when I told but spent time looking for properties that met my very small figure!
A house had come up just two days before and it wasn’t even on the books yet. I went
and I made a very cheeky offer that had the seller and the agent taking a cut (in France the buyer pays the agent’s fees).