French market improving, says expert

Those considering investing in property overseas should consider the French city of Nice, it has been suggested.

According to themovechanel.com, house prices there have risen by nearly ten per cent over the last year.

The portal noted that demand is high particularly to the north of Nice's railway station, where there is a good supply of land awaiting development.

And with French president Nicholas Sarkozy announcing a support package for the country's banks, it added that the market as a whole is set to improve.

Trisha Mason, of French property specialist VEF, told themovechannel.com that after experiencing a dip during the credit crunch "the signs are that things are slowly improving again".

The French National Estate Agents Federation recently revealed that house prices had risen 1.7 per cent in the 12 months up to July, suggesting the country had not been hit by the economic downturn to the same extent as others around the world.