A competent property acquisition company can provide bilingual staff to help you with the purchase of a property in France. On the buyer's behalf the company can also engage a Notaire who is fluent in English and experienced with purchases made by overseas buyers.

Of course it is great to learn French to enhance your long-term enjoyment of France, but you don’t have to do it immediately.

4. You need to open a bank account in France in order to buy property

To purchase a property you must have an account with a French bank, optimally with a bank that can accept and convert currency from other countries. The account should be a normal checking account so that you can arrange for automatic withdrawals to pay recurring charges like utility bills and mortgage payments.

It is not difficult to open a French bank account. The whole process takes only a few minutes. The account may be opened by presenting proof of identity (generally a passport will do), and signing a few documents, including a signature card.

5. You can get a mortgage in France

If you require a mortgage you can get one from a French bank. A good property acquisition company can suggest qualified lenders who are accustomed to working with foreign buyers.

As French law requires life insurance on the loan so that the lender is paid in case of the borrower's death, older buyers may have to meet certain medical requirements and may have slightly higher payments.

Interest rates are currently around 4-4.5 percent on a fixed-rate loan. This rate includes the cost of life insurance on the loan. For this reason, buyers over the age of 60 will pay a slightly higher rate.

Down payments range from 10 to 50%, but if you are not a French citizen the down payment will generally be at least 20%.