First-time buyers struggling to get a foot on the housing ladder in the UK are turning their attention to central France, according to Property Finder France.
The organisation's web services research assistant Laura Sturgess said the quality of life on offer in France and the relative affordability of residential property are proving a draw to first-time buyers.
Indeed, while France has long been popular with second home owners and retirees, Ms Sturgess many younger couples are now buying houses in the country.
"With the property situation being what it is in this country - a lot of first-time buyers and younger couples are moving to France purely because it's cheaper and the quality of life is better," she remarked.
And she said the metropolitan areas, such as the outskirts of Paris, were more popular with young buyers than the traditional regions in the south.
Research from the Association of International Property Professionals reveals that 17 per cent of all overseas properties purchased by British buyers in 2007 were in France.
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