Britons turn attention to France

More and more property buyers in the UK are considering possible investment opportunities in France, an expert has revealed.

Marc Morley-Freer, spokesperson for currency exchange firm Moneycorp, said the European country has always been popular with British investors, Homes Worldwide reports.

However, the organisation has recently seen a surge of interest in the French market, as the number of enquiries it has received has shot up by a third since February.

Mr Morley-Freer believes this is partly because the UK is experiencing an economic downturn, while conditions in France are far more favourable.

He commented: "With stability in the French property market and the volatility of the British economy, property across the channel is seen as an increasingly attractive investment option."

Mr Morley-Freer added that overseas property buyers do not need a "celebrity bank balance" in order to afford a residence in France.

The country was recently flagged up as a potentially lucrative market for overseas property buyers by ShelterOffshore.com.

According to the website, 82 million foreign leisure travellers visited it in 2007, which means buy-to-let investors could benefit from high demand for rental accommodation.