Where to Buy Property in France If You Want a Large Garden

If a large garden is high on your wish list, France can offer something that is increasingly difficult to find in many parts of the UK: space. From traditional farmhouses surrounded by lawns and orchards to village properties with generous gardens, there are plenty of opportunities to find a home with room to enjoy the outdoors.

The key is knowing where to look.

For buyers who want plenty of land without an enormous budget, rural areas of Nouvelle-Aquitaine are worth exploring. Departments such as the Charente, Haute-Vienne, Dordogne and Creuse have a wide choice of country houses, former farm properties and stone houses with sizeable plots. Rural property prices can also be considerably lower than in France's most popular coastal and metropolitan areas.

The Centre-Val de Loire region is another option for buyers looking for space. Away from the most sought-after Loire Valley locations, you can find houses with substantial gardens, orchards and even several acres of land. The same is true in parts of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, where rural properties can offer excellent value for buyers prepared to live outside the larger towns.

If you want a warmer climate, look towards inland parts of Occitanie. Farmhouses and former agricultural properties can come with sizeable gardens, fields and outbuildings, although prices tend to rise in particularly popular or coastal locations.

Of course, a large garden isn't necessarily the same thing as a low-maintenance garden. Before buying, think carefully about how much land you actually want to manage. A 5,000m² garden might sound idyllic, but mowing, pruning, maintaining trees and dealing with boundaries can become a significant commitment.

It is also worth checking exactly what is included in the property's land. A large plot may contain woodland, agricultural land, slopes or areas that are not suitable for traditional gardening.

For many buyers, however, that extra space is precisely the attraction. Whether you want a swimming pool, vegetable garden, fruit trees, room for children and grandchildren, or simply somewhere to enjoy long summer evenings, looking at rural France could give you far more garden for your budget.

When searching for your French property, don't just search for a house. Think about the outdoor space and the lifestyle you want to create around it.