If you were an American and wanted to live in Europe...

motion · 03-13-2004, 02:10 PM

Say you wanted to go over to Europe and buy a 300 year old farmhouse on 50 acres of land. Something out in the country. Maybe in the wine country. Good weather with the ocean a half day's drive or less away. Good twisty roads, mild winters, friendly people, but still affordable.

Based on your travel experience and what you know about the area/prices, etc., where would it be?

Keith Perry · 03-13-2004, 02:48 PM

I've friends who bought an apple orchard in the north of France. The old farmhouse was in great need of repair as well as modernization. A second house on the property was too far gone to restore. They sold the antique roofing tiles off the the second house and realized enough cash to do what they needed to make the farmhouse a guesthouse for 12 and turn the small barn into a cottage. Their actual out of pocket investment, before selling the antique roof tiles is less than $75,000.00. Four years ago. The guest house does well during the summer with american tourists visiting D-Day sites. The apple orchard production is under contract to a nearby village. Calvados. Not the south of France, but the price was right. Not too far to the chunnel, so it's just a few hours drive to the British Isles.

BlueSkyJaunte · 03-13-2004, 03:03 PM

Phoenix too hot for ya?

Glasgow 911SC · Glasgow 911SC's Garage

Not here. Too wet & too expensive.

Moses · 03-13-2004, 04:19 PM

The South of France is $$$$$.

I hear southern Spain is much better.

Parts of Italy still reasonable?

motion · 03-13-2004, 04:24 PM

Phoenix is my next choice after Nice, blue

Moses, Italy sounds the best to me... somewhere in the central country near the mountains and the Med. I hope someone who's been there will chime in.

Keith, What a story!

jbryant · 03-13-2004, 04:34 PM

Did you just watch "Under The Tuscan Sun"?

pwd72s · 03-13-2004, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jbryant
Did you just watch "Under The Tuscan Sun"?

Hoot!! Assuming your lifestyle involves nothing illegal, like D-rugs? Gimme the Southern Turkish Medi. coast any day of the week. Been there, and IMHO, that's paradise...

kumma · 03-13-2004, 08:33 PM

Thinking farm country id probably head to western Austria or southern Germany. Vast spans of open country and miles of twisty roads throughout the Alps. Day trips to Switzerland, Italy or crusing around the Dolomites woud be a blast. Semi close to the Adriatic.

-just reread your post, guess the winters are not "mild" so scrap that idea. Never been to Spain but a good friend spent some time there and just loved it.

Isabo · 10:16 PM

Tuscany is frighteningly expensive especially for outsiders. Go a bit further north to Emilia Romagna, not fashionable but still affordable for the moment. Both me and Milu have weekend places in the ValCeno/ValTaro valleys. Reasonably well maintained mountain roads with little traffic, 30 minutes to the Varano race circuit, 100 klm of mountain roads or a bit more by motorway to the coast. Like Tuscany big English speaking community. Downside: people are friendly but very provincial for eight months of the year, nearest competent Porsche facillity is 200 klm away (dealer is 45 minutes away but not trustworthy), competent trades people are rare and booked up way ahead and any property for sale is going to need money thrown at it. The old farm house that needs restoration with 50 or more acres will go for about 50,000 euros (I tried posting a picture of one but it makes my computer crash, why?) It will need 500,000 euros to sort. Something that is just about livable would run about 300,000 and up.

Here are a couple of sites with some more info, they obviously don't tell you the downsides of their properties:

http://www.immobiliarevaltaro.it/immobili_localita.php?nomelocalita=Bardi&localita=7&zona=altro

http://www.immobiliareimmobilnova.com/

Isabo · 03-14-2004, 12:52 PM

another attempt at posting the photo:

BINGO!

As you can see, you can buy cheap but you need to be prepared to spend to get it right. The people that bought this place are bringing in the work crew from Tuscany. When it's done I think it could be quite special.

MFAFF · 03-15-2004, 07:36 AM

Real easy.

South of France, no sweat.
No ,not the coast of the first few kms of the hinderland, more like 100km, preferably north of Marseille or Toulon.

If you look for a River call the Verdon....and the Gorges, a bit like the Europe's Grand Canyon.

Pirces in the small villages are relatively low with good properties on the market.

The roads are generally to die for......see my French man pissing in themiddle of the road story.....

And ther are plenty of very good P-car places around and a very active CLub, with a great meeting in St. Tropez.

What more do you really want?

RickM · RickM's Garage

If you asked this a week a ago I'd say Spain. My mother is from there and I can vouch for the eclectic beauty. I have relatives who own a ranch/farm at the base of the Pirineos mountains, live in Madrid, Zaragoza, Alicante...so there's quite a mix to choose from.

The recent activity there, including the reintroduction of a socialist government, is unsettling.

turbo6bar · 03-15-2004, 03:29 PM

This is where I will buy my dream summer home. Italy, France, and Spain look absolutely gorgeous. I just need a Home Depot and a few summers. The bicycling and food must be fabulous!!!
Jürgen

Bill Douglas · 03-15-2004, 03:34 PM

I would vote Spain as being the most good fun place to live.

Nader · 03-15-2004, 10:13 PM

They won't let you in with that hair.

Milu · 03-15-2004, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Nader
They won't let you in with that hair.

Nah! He'd be ok as long as he wore a hat in the hunting season.

motion · 03-18-2004, 03:43 PM

Isabo, Thanks for the info and links! So, it sounds like the land is about 1,000 Euro per acre? I browsed through some of the listings, and you're right, many of them look like they need lots of work. But the areas look very beautiful.

MFAFF, That area of France looks nice as well. Have you been there? Any idea what the prices are like?

GrindingGears · 03-18-2004, 03:56 PM

Get over there buy a couple hundred acres and start setting it all up. In ten years I'll swing by and buy some land from you. We can start our own american ghetto. DO IT!!!

Parlez vous francais?

MFAFF · 03-19-2004, 01:54 AM

Motion,

You could say I've been there.

The place is the following:- http://www.quinson.fr

No idea of prices there, cos I wasn't really looking at the time but I'm pretty certain its cheap. Try Agents in Aix en Provence or Marseille.

The reason I was there........

The rather large concrete you see is what I was building......