The French Dream vs. Reality: What Nobody Tells You Before You Buy

The flurry and excitement of deciding to buy a house in France can sweep you right off your feet—and straight into fantasy land. You picture lavender fields billowing in the sun, charming stone houses full of character, and lazy afternoons at your local café. You’re warmly welcomed, of course—you’ve just invested serious €€€ into a house no one locally would have touched. You're ready to restore it to glory—if not better.

That dream? I get it. I bought into it, too. But here's the bit no one tells you: that version of the dream rarely survives contact with reality.

Those lavender fields? Gorgeous in July. Dead in winter.
The big old stone house? A beauty—but try heating it without crying into your EDF bill.
The local café? Might be open. Might not. Especially if you're tucked away in a tiny village.

And the locals? Most will welcome ‘les anglais’—if you make the effort. Learn the language. Join in. Be humble. And never assume people don’t understand English. They usually do. Especially when you’re complaining about them at the market.

This isn’t a dream-crusher post. It’s a wake-up call. The reality of buying and living in France is a mix of beauty and bureaucracy, charm and chill, magic and… municipal surprises. If you’re going to make it here, you need tools, not just rose-tinted glasses.

That’s what this blog is for. French Property Notebook isn’t just about buying houses—it’s about what happens after. It’s about life here. The lessons, the laughs, the small wins, the shocks, and everything in between.

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