Out with the Old, in with the New

January morning

At first we thought these were nests, then as we got closer we realised they were huge bunches of mistletoe - standing out starkley on these bare trees (poplar, I think).  One of the real surprises to living here in France, and a site I have never seen in the UK. So far this January the weather has continued mild, a bit wet and windy at times, but the sun was out today and plans were made to get back to work in the garden.  Meanwhile the house market remains quiet with new properties coming onto the books each day;  the majority at sensible prices as sellers come to terms with the reality of today's market.  But I am encouraged to see that you, our prospective clients, continue to search the net for that perfect property, and Papillon seems to be (so our "hits" statistics tell us) a favourite site to surf.  We look forward to meeting you when you venture over to start the process of turning those dreams into reality.

The new year is a time for new beginnings, resolutions, a time to plan for the future and 2012 will be no exception.

Since Papillon Properties was first established in 1997 it has been in partnership with the French Agency, ICS Immobilier, run by Fabrice Michelet.  In those days he had a small office in Civray and another in his home town of Chef Boutonne.  Then he was the only agent in Chef Boutonne, and only the second in Civray town centre.

Times changed, the housing market in France took off, ICS Immobilier joined the Century 21 franchise and 4 other Estate Agencies opened in Civray centre.  Papillon clients benefited from the increased expose Century 21 offered with their national and international links, active web site, marketing and training.  Life also changed for Fabrice Michelet when his political life also took off and he became the Mayor of Chef Boutonne (then the youngest mayor in France).  They were the halcyon days;  then 2008 happened - financial breakdown and the housing market bubble burst.

Since then both ICS Immobilier and Papillon properties have had to "tighten their belts" and work hard to continue to provide a service to clients.  By the end of 2011 Fabrice Michelet had to face the hard decision to close the Civray office and consolidate his business and efforts in the one office in his home town of Chef Boutonne.

This will hardly impact on the clients of Papillon Properties, we will continue to operate as we always have, taking on houses within the same area as before (see the map on our property pages) and greeting clients in our own offices.  We will still promote all our properties on our Web Site and run advertisements in French Property News in the UK, and to comply with the French Law we will still maintain our links with Fabrice Michelet and Century 21 ICS Immobilier.

So, continuation of the old and new beginnings, let us hope 2012 brings stability back into everyone's lives, that the politicians and bankers can sort out the mess they have made, and give us back, if not prosperity, then security and the ability to continue without a global crisis.

 

You may notice that the prices of the all our properties have gone up by a small margin - this is due to the recent increase in Notaire's fees (and Government taxes!!) - and shows up because we give you the key in the door price on our web site.

So when comparing properties on our site against others - please remember that the prices we quote INCLUDE Notaires' fees and Government Taxes - against most agencies who only show a price including agency fees (FAI).

You may like to check out the variety of Papillon articles

Susan Dixon, December 2011

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We constantly update our site with properties removed when we sell them, or are informed by the owners they have been sold; new properties added as we visit and take them on; price changes as we are notified of them.

It is therefore difficult to explain when clients are convinced that they have seen a property on our site that we know we removed weeks or months previously, that it is down to their browser settings and whether or not the web site is refreshed automatically each time it is opened. It does mean they are a returning visitor to our site which is great for us, but of course, they miss out on all the new property that has come on, or changes that have been made, since their first visit. So for those visitors who are not technophones we suggest you hit the Refresh button ( two green arrows, on your toolbar) each time you visit, just to be sure.

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We have recently changing our house style and logo - but more importantly, we have altered the way we work. Up until now we have built the Papillon properties Hand Holding and After Care fee into the property price, so that we present to you, the client, a clear indication of what a property is going to cost you to own. Thus saving you from having to calculate exactly what all those additional charges there seem to be to house buying in France, to the house price you see advertised.

We have now made the Papillon service, and therefore the fee, optional. On all our property details you will see this clearly marked at the bottom in the price band. We do however continue to show the price of the properties to include the Notaire's fee and Government Taxes (the equivalent of stamp duty in the UK).

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Address, phone number and e-mail for Papillon Properties