In 2003 we decided to sell our property in Chateauneuf-de-Grasse and buy another home in the Var departément. And so began a most incredible journey for us - both as vendor and buyer. In the end we realised that our present home, already a lovely provençal villa, could be turned into something even better with a few minor tweaks and a couple of alterations (which we eventually did - but that's another story!)

Oddly enough, it’s only now that we realize that the outcome of our experiences within the property market and meeting so many people (both house-hunters and professionals) became part of  the building blocks for the creation of our website.

Buying a home on the Côte d'Azur isn't just an adventure - it's an exciting project too. This is a delightful and enchanting place to live as both the climate and scenery are particularly enjoyable. The south of France has much to offer with still some reasonable house prices and a relaxed style of living. The quality of construction is excellent as building standards are the tightest in Europe.

Finding the right home and the right area to live in - and indeed the right estate agent - can seem a daunting task. However, with a few pointers and some guidance from us, we think you'll find house-hunting a positive experience.

Whatever your reasons to move down to the south of France you'll certainly discover an abundant supply and variety of properties. Choosing your ideal home often comes down to the “feel right” factor when you enter a place for the first time. But no matter what you do - do remember to take your time. Don't rush into buying the first property you think may suit you or set yourself an impossible time-table; there are some truly wonderful homes here - you just need a bit of time (and research) to uncover them.

There are several possibilities open to you which you may have already thought about. If not, here are our suggestions:

• Read a few good books
• View property directly
• Magazines
• Attend French Property Exhibitions
• Check out dedicated websites
• Work through a Relocation Company
• Browse the Internet

If you can make time, try to read up a little too. There is an enormous range of books concerning property buying in France as well as many more that will discuss the various stages of living and working here. Again, the internet is a good place to look, otherwise our bookshelf section will be able to give you a few titles.

Unlike the UK, you won't find many “For Sale” signs cluttering up the Côte d'Azur. Thus, your first impression when driving around could be that housing is in short supply. However, take a drive (or walk) through any town or village and you'll find the most amazing plethoria of estate agents with windows filled to overflowing with properties for sale.

Due to this, you may want to visit estate agents on a Sunday when they're closed. This will give you an opportunity to view a good selection of agents and properties at your ease without feeling obliged to enter their premises after gawking at their window for ages.

Free Magazines
Another way of finding property is through the different free magazines on offer here. Logically placed outside estate agents, they are also available from a wide variety of distribution points up and down the French Riviera (garages, post offices, bakeries, etc).

Published every fortnight, you'll find a huge selection of villas, apartments, village houses, and land for sale. Thus, Mag Immo, Le Mag-Expert, Indicateur Bertrand Grand Sud, Nice-Matin Immobilier, Logic-Immo, Soleil Immobilier are just some of the free ones you’ll come across. More importantly, a few of them have their own web site; you'll find their links shown in our Estate Agents directory listing.

Alternatively, you can buy a selection of rather up-market glossy property magazines over the counter. Printed in Nice and distributed free of charge at Nice airport and a few other outlets, Résidences Immobilier Côte d’Azur (€7.60) is a glossy bi-lingual French-English magazine catering for the high-end of the property market. Interspersed with articles on luxury kitchens, cars, restaurants, and yachting news, it’s a great coffee-table eye-catcher.

French Property Buying Guide 2004 (£9.99) is a heavy-duty magazine comprising of case studies along with an exhaustive Buyer’s & Property Guide for France. Everything France (£3.95) is a “back-to-front” magazine with feature articles spanning one half, while a quick flip over to the back and you have case studies and a rapidly expanding property section. Living France (£3.50) is another good source of information, again packed with sound advice, property guide and case studies but covers especially the north of France.

French property exhibitions
If you have the chance, try to visit one of these exhibitions as a range of estate agents, specializing in various regions of France, will have a good portfolio of properties to show you. Equally you'll find relocation agents, advisors and other worthwhile people to chat talk things over with.

You may also want to attend one or two on-site seminars that are held during the exhibitions. These are normally given by expert speakers from the French property world, as well as foreign currency specialists, French mortgage experts and agents immobiliers. Seminars always have a Q & A period afterwards and this is a good time to ask loads of questions about purchasing property abroad.

French Property News hold a number of exhibitions up and down the UK throughout the year; the biggest one is held in Olympia, London, in January. Homes Overseas Exhibition, in association with the Daily Telegraph, is another venue worth visiting.

Their last exhibition was in in May at Earls Court but check their website for events happening later in the year. The International Property Show is another exhibition worth visiting. Although they cover a range of places (Spain, the Canaries, Florida, South Africa, Dubai for example) they also have estate agents from France. Again, check their website for exhibition dates and venues.

As a by-line, remember that exhibitions tend to be busy and exhausting places. Sadly you may find yourself either queuing for ages or frustrated that your chosen estate agent is unable to afford you the time necessary to discuss your project properly. Don’t be discouraged but pick up a few business cards along the way, take a good look at the many property photos they have decorating their stands and then contact them later when the exhibition is over.

Dedicated Websites
There are several websites you should also take a look at too such as AngloINFO which has a classified section entitled Property for Sale” but you can also place your own notice outlining what you’re looking for. Another good website to look at is Particulier à particulier. Properties on these websites are marketed by individuals you should be aware however, that although you’ll avoid paying commission to estate agents you will not have the benefit of the agent’s professional indemnity insurance should there be future problems.

Work through a relocation company
If time is of the essence, then perhaps you may want to consider this alternative? If you're relocating to the Côte d'Azur due to job-reassignment your new company's HR department will recommend one or two. Otherwise, if you hate the idea of house-hunting and want someone else to make the initial enquiries on your behalf and do some of the legwork - then this may prove your best solution. Our A-Z directory has a listing of a number of relocation companies - again only those with websites. There are a number of others that you can contact - once more the French Yellow Pages is a good source of addresses.

Where to live
As you'd expect, some areas along the Côte d'Azur are simply more expensive than others. If you're willing and able to pay the prices you'll have breaktaking views of both the sea and mountains and benefit directly from the beautiful mediterranean climate. This is picture-postcard country and for many, how they imagine the Côte d’Azur.

As yet you may be uncertain as to what sort of property you want to buy: a house or an apartment. Your budget will probably dictate what you can afford - but with careful planning and research, you could find a beautiful villa (with pool) somewhere rather nice for the price of an appartment on Cannes’ Le Croisset. So, keep an open mind, enjoy your adventure and take your time house-hunting.

Places along the coast
As I’m sure you can imagine, most of the homes situated close to or along the coast (Cannes, St Tropez, Juan-les-Pins, Nice, Haute de Cagnes, Antibes, Cap d'Antibes, St Jean-Cap Ferrat, Eze, Cap d'Ail, Roquebrune-Cap Martin, Beaulieu-sur-Mer) carry high prices. For example, a luxury-appointed villa in St. Jean-Cap Ferrat, (a much-sought after and stunning area), with secluded grounds, private swimming pool and six bedrooms or more, will set you back at least €3,600,000.

Well-appointed villas located in Cap d’Antibes can attain similar prices; a 3 bedroom and independent studio, swimming pool and open views across the sea can reach upwards from €1,800,000. Villas in Villefranche, Cannes (Base Californie) and St. Tropez will be equally pricey and considered “hot spots” as are unfortunately Nice and Villeneuve-Loubet.

However, other seaside spots, like Cagnes-sur-Mer, Saint-Laurent du Var, Mandelieu, Théoule-sur-Mer, St. Maxime deserve to be visited. New building projects are increasing here (by as much as 14% a year) and worth considering while older properties can still be found too.

If distance isn’t such an important issue and prices for you are a little too high around Cap-Martin, Beausoleil and Roquebrune then take a look at Menton. Famous for its Lemon Festival in February and claiming to have the best climate along the coast - it’s full of old world charm. Once considered a “retirement” village, Menton has now become a much favoured place to live. The fact that you can easily reach Isola 2000 for a spot of skiing in the morning and then warm your toes in the Mediterranean in the afternoon sways the heart of many a buyer!

Again, it all boils down to how much you want to spend (or can afford) and how big a garden you want to have. Remember too that the Côte d’Azur is jammed with holiday-makers from May right through to end of September and anywhere along the coast will be busy - both in terms of people and traffic.

Properties located away from the coast and situated north of the A8 motorway will be rather better value. Hilltop villages like Mougins, Biot, Tourrettes-sur-Loup, and St. Paul de Vence are all lovely places to live and although touristy, have a charm and beauty all of their own.

East of Nice
Bear in mind that flat land to the East of Nice (towards Italy) will be difficult to find as much will be in “restanques” or terraced. Naturally this depends on how much land you want to have (unless you’re buying an apartment) - but you may find a great portion of your garden difficult to manage. You’ve probably noticed how steep everything is if your plane has flown into Nice airport via Italy and Monaco. Thus, you’ll have superb views extending towards the sea - but cutting your lawn might prove a nightmare.

You should also know that, once off the A8 motorway country roads are also more difficult to negotiate - they are windy. So, when an estate agent describes your new home as only 30 minutes away from Nice airport - they mean as the crow flies - so double it.

It may be just our impression as we’ve whizzed along the motorway towards Ventimiglia (they have a brilliant market there every Friday), but the East of Nice seems more industrial. You simply can’t help noticing that much of the land is taken up by rows of glass houses growing some of the most exotic plants in the world:Orchids.

West of Nice
Towns and villages to the West of Nice tend to have more open spaces and flatter land - although you will find the odd restanques or two. Towns like Grasse, Le Rouret, Châteauneuf-de-Grasse, Opio, Mouans-Sartoux and Roquefort-les-Pins are delightful places to live with excellent shops, community services and a dynamic cultural life. The pretty historic village of Valbonne is another favourite as it’s well located, has an active community and some lovely shops. Unfortunately, it has seen its house prices increase over the years. Due to its proximity to the techno-park of Sophia-Antipolis (France’s silicon valley) the village has proven particularly successful with expatriates - and prices have gone up accordingly.

Further inland and towards the Var you'll get bigger homes - and more land - for your money. Homes here have room to breathe with forests, vineyards and farmlands snuggled inbetween them. Life here is more measured and relaxed away from the glitsy and fast-paced life of the Côte d’Azur. Villages like Les Adrets, Montauroux, Fayence and Callian are worth taking a look at. Although you will have the A8 péage to contend with, you'll find it's only a 15 minute drive from Antibes to Les Adrets - and with Lac de St. Cassien a stone's throw away - this area might well enchant you.

Overview of estate agents
Nearly all French Estate Agents belong to FNAIM (Fédération Nationale des Agents Immobiliers). Created in 1946 the Federation todate groups together over 8,700 agencies across 21 regions and 76 departments. The profession is highly regulated and in order to function as an estate agent a professional card is required (otherwise known as carte professionelle). To obtain this card, the estate agent must fulfil a number of requirements including having attained a certain level of qualifications and hold professional indemnity insurance.

The Alpes-Maritimes region alone has over 2,000 estate agents; while the Var has an equally impressive number: 1,700. Although many are independent businesses you’ll find a few major estate agents like Century 21, Guy Hoquet, Laforêt and Orpi have either franchises or numerous branches of the parent company.

Even though the Côte d’Azur is awash with umpteen estate agents, many UK-based estate agents also have agreements with French-based estate agents. This might be an easier way for you to carry out the first part of your research especially if your French is non-existent or somewhat rusty. (For more information about French Estate Agents, click here to read Headdon Consulting's article)

Check out their websites
A good starting point would be to browse through the many French estate agents websites first: with over 400 for the Alpes-Maritimes and 450 websites for the Var - you’ll have your work cut out for you. Happily, many have an English version you can view.

Browsing these different websites will give you a good idea what’s available, at what price and where. Having a detailed map of the area will help you “visualize” the location and distances between places (important for work, schools and shopping).

Draw up a short-list of agencies who have the best properties suited to your criteria and then, either e-mail or telephone them for fuller details. A great many French estate agents speak English in various degrees of fluency. Some may ask you to phone back when an English-speaking colleague returns to the office. Alternatively, you may want to work solely with English speaking agents - and there are several along the Côte d’Azur to choose from.

Good estate agents “follow up” calls and inquiries promptly, are courteous towards their clients, and won’t push you into buying the first thing they tell you about. If you have to start chasing them for information - let them go - there’s no lack of estate agents over here.

For those of you with some knowledge of the Côte d’Azur, either due to holidays or business trips, your task should be easier. Perhaps you’ve friends or business acquaintances you can ask? You’ll soon be told which estate agents are great and which ones aren’t.

Bon de visite
Once you’ve arranged with the estate agent which properties you’d like to visit, the estate agent will ask you to sign a “Bon de Visite” either prior to or after viewing them. This document attests that you’ve viewed the property on that date and is essentially for the purpose of proving this fact should you then deal with either the vendor directly or another estate agent; as the agent with whom you’ve signed the Bon de Visite may be entitled to claim their own agency fee from you.

Those of you working with a relocation company will find things easier as they generally work with a set of tried and trusted estate agents already. They will certainly accompany you throughout the whole of your property search as well as acting as translator when necessary. They may even help you with any paperwork and translation difficulties when purchasing your new home.

Spring is in the air
Spring is the nicest time to view property; the weather is lovely and sunny and people start to place their homes on the market. Combining a house-hunting trip around the Easter holidays can make for a super break.

Summer time is a little more difficult; there’s terrible build-up of traffic everywhere along the coast, the weather is really hot and you’ll find yourself grabbing the first place you see with a pool! That’s not to say that you shouldn’t come down here during that period - just be prepared for longer journey times and make sure your rental car has air-conditionning. . .

Some estate agents like to cram a whole viewing session into one day. If there are many properties to see you may find yourself out and about for several days on the trot. Please don’t think that you’ll find your dream home the first day you’re out looking. You might find it in a week - but it’s more than likely to take longer. If you decide to work with several local estate agents carrying similar portfolios make sure you don’t waste time by viewing the same home over and over again. Double-check with them what you’re going to view and where it’s located before leaving.

It’s quite normal to find home owners “at home” when you come to view their property. You will always be well received, and offered something cool to drink if the weather’s hot. This is a good time to ask about the area (schools, shops, doctors, etc) and the house (discreetly) too. Your estate agent should already know the property and offer further pointers.

Take your own photos
When viewing properties, do remember to take your own photos - both inside and out. If you’ve a busy viewing session lasting several days, things start to get in a muddle. Take photos of things you like - and don’t like too - and keep a list of pro’s and con’s about each place to talk about later.

Attentive estate agents quickly realize the type of home you’re looking for. After chatting with you and taking you round to visit a few places, don’t be surprised if they say: “This isn’t the house for you” and curtail your visit kindly. Listen to them as they’re normally right.

End of Part 1.