Don’t save, invest in French property says FPA

Now it’s official – saving your hard-earned cash in a UK bank account is just not good news because of low forecast interest rates. Alistair Lockhart, Sales & Marketing Manager, FPA The French Property Agents comments, “The Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR) are predicting that UK interest rates will stay at 0.5% until at least the end of 2011 and forecasts no return to 2.0% until 2014. These comments were reinforced by Gordon Brown’s view that this is not the right time to remove fiscal stimulus.”

So what is the alternative? A far better investment option is to look at investing property overseas in a stable and well regulated environment, such as France. Alistair Lockhart continues, “Already it is clear from UK client enquiries that the attraction of a safe return on property investment is pushing France to the forefront again. The prospect of below-inflation interest rates on your savings until perhaps the middle of this decade is not attractive. Especially not when you can buy investment property in the Brit’s favourite and most stable country right now that will give you short term returns of at least 3.5% and in some cases over 4.5%!”

Buy your French property as a pure investment to get the best returns, but if you want a bit of lifestyle enjoyment for your money too – and you certainly will not get that from a bank savings policy – look at a managed property. Whether snow-skiing or water-skiing is your passion, give yourself and your family a couple of weeks holiday destination for next year and still get a return that could be more than 8 times the bank savings rate.

Alistair Lockhart continues, “For example there’s still time to buy an apartment for the coming winter skiing season. FPA have a choice of 1-3 bed apartments in the French Alps (Ref: A2Z042) where you are right next to the piste and can ski off knowing that your investment will make you 4.33% return, even including your two weeks of use. If less snow and more sun is for you, then how about treating the family to an apartment on the Cote d’Azur. FPA have 1 or 2 bed apartments at Cagnes sur Mer, next to Cannes - with luxury features such as pool, roof terraces, Jacuzzi - in addition to the sheer enjoyment of being a few minutes from some of the sunniest, most famous beaches in the world (Ref: A2Z059).”

Buyers interested in finding out more about investing and buying in France should visit thefrenchpropertyagents.com.