Despite being a high-tax country, owning your own place in France can have some tax advantages.

Did you know, for example, that a special dispensation by the French "Fisc" means that if your principal residence is elsewhere in the European Community then the first sale of a secondary residence in France does NOT make you liable to tax on any profit? (This is not true, however, for subsequent sales).

Did you know that if you buy an old property and then do it up you will only pay value-added tax at 5.5% (provided that the work is done by a registered business)?

Did you know that if you rent out your French property (whether to holiday-makers or on a permanent let) you can deduct all the costs which relate to the property (including any loan interest) from any income you declare.