Faster train service set to inflate Paris property market

A report earlier this year highlighted Paris' position as top city for property investment. The Emerging Trends in Real Estate report by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Urban Land Institute underlines the city's economic stability and sustainability, as well as placing Paris in first place for supply and demand balance. Unlike the UK, this balance means there's a good chance buyers will find the sort of property they're looking for, and sellers will typically not have long to wait when selling up. What's more, the plans of the new President, Nicolas Sarkozy, to provide tax breaks to encourage home ownership will surely have a positive impact on rent return and capital growth over the next few years.

"In the past, the typical French dream has been countryside cottages, renovation projects and small townhouses," says Andrew Rowe, Customer Relationship Manager for French Property Links, "but foreign buyers and investors are increasingly looking into the Parisian pied-à-terre."

If it's a pied-à-terre you're after, then there couldn't be a better time for prospective British buyers, as Eurostar prepares to launch even faster services from London to Paris from St Pancras International on 14 November, with journey times reduced by 20 minutes. This improved infrastructure could easily help to set property prices soaring in the French capital.

French Property Links (frenchpropertylinks.com) is a website which has been advertising French property since 2000 and has over 13,500 properties all over France. "We've just created a detailed new guide to the various neighbourhoods in Paris," says Rowe, "Knowing where to buy can be tricky, so we've provided a concise guide which helps prospective buyers identify the best area to suit their lifestyle or needs."

For more information, please see frenchpropertylinks.com/paris