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Local France
20-05-2025
- Local France
French property: What to know about buying a second home in Brittany or Normandy
The north-western countryside and coastal areas are an appealing location to purchase a French second home, from delicious seafood and easy beach access to affordable home prices, a cooler climate during the summer and proximity to the UK (for British would-be second-home owners). That said, this region is known for chilly, rainy weather, and some parts of Brittany, Normandy and northern France can be quite rural, meaning you'd likely need a car. Advertisement As part of an ongoing series about second homes in France, The Local asked readers and experts to build a full picture of what it is like to buy property in north-western France, from the pros and cons to the advice you should know before making a purchase. What readers had to say "It's very lovely with a great personality," reader Tony Webster said to describe the part of Normandy - the Pays d'Auge located at the border of the Calvados and Eure départements - where he opted to buy a second home. "It was easy to get to, I had cycled there and liked it. We didn't want the super heat of the south (...) It's truly French with no great expat community," Webster said. Advertisement While one reader, Camilla Bunt, warned that in Normandy and further up the coast, "the climate is barely warmer than the UK", for others this was a benefit. Lucy Hughes, who purchased property in central, rural Brittany said "we previously owned a house in Poitou-Charentes but decided to move further north as the summers are too hot that far south." "Our property is a renovation project, which we hope to make a lovely home so we can split our time between Wales and France in retirement. "We wanted somewhere that we could visit more frequently and the shorter driving distance makes Brittany more accessible for us. It is also very lush and green which we love," Hughes added, hitting on another common point many other readers mentioned: affordability. "Our property only cost €30,000 and we are adding an extra section of building, barn and land for another €10,000. We have a lovely area of woodland and get the peace and tranquility of the countryside which is the perfect antidote to busy working lives". Hughes did not have any downsides to list, but she did warn that "in coastal areas, there can be a bad feeling about the 'holiday homers' pricing locals out of property". As for prices - according to Meilleurs Agents , the average price per metre squared for Normandy apartments as of May 2025 was €2,202, while for detached homes the price was €2,181 per m2. In Brittany, the average was €3,088 for apartments, and €2,666 for detached homes. In Hauts-de-France, which includes Calais, the average for apartments was €2,388 and for detached homes it was €1,903. Reader Andrew P, who purchased a second home in Normandy, told The Local the area was appealing thanks to its "low price, big rolling hills and proximity to Paris by train", in addition to being close to beaches. While he cautioned that the nearest town, Vire in Calvados, "isn't so cute", he would still recommend buying a second home in this area, especially for those on a tight budget. Other readers mentioned accessibility to the UK as an important factor. Advertisement Lucy Hughes noted that central Brittany was accessible to several ferry ports. "We generally travel over by Brittany Ferries which is very lovely but not as cost effective as the tunnel and we find the return ferry times less convenient. Minor things that really don't cause any bother as all outweighed by the pros!," she said. Camilla Bunt, who bought in the Cotentin peninsula in Normandy, said she opted for this area because of the "cheap, mostly stone properties" as well as how "easy [it is] to get to the UK by ferry." Bunt explained that she has owned property in France for 36 years and spends six months a year here. She also appreciates "kilometers of empty, beautiful beaches; unspoilt, undulating countryside; few English & Parisians", plus the "excellent local oysters and mussels." Reader Craig Mills opted for the north-west thanks to its "beautiful, uncrowded beaches with easy access from London." What property experts had to say Joanna Leggett, the marketing director for Leggett International real estate, told The Local there were several benefits to buying a second home in north-west France, such as "ease of access from UK, as many clients prefer drive/ferry to flying, particularly when it comes to furnishing a second home and making it 'theirs'. Advertisement "For American clients flying into Paris it is also easy to get to. The area offers a cooler climate for those who don't like the heat. Many 'climate migrants' are now buying in Grand Ouest, to avoid the canicules (heatwaves) and extreme weather of southern Europe," she said. READ MORE: Why more and more tourists are flocking to Brittany French real estate expert Adrian Leeds, the head of the real estate agency Adrian Leeds Group, which primarily works with Americans buying property in France, said: "I normally do not recommend this part of France mainly because of accessibility to travel (eg international airports) and the rest of the country. She did have one location to recommend: the north-western city of Lille, which comes in third place in her ranking of cities she advises her clients to buy property in, behind Paris and then Nice. "Lille is a sleeper. Yes, the weather is awful. It's the north along the Belgian border, so it's cold and rainy, but there are some fantastic things about Lille. "The high-speed train from Lille easily gets you to Brussels, London, Paris and Amsterdam, which means you can live in a smaller community that costs a third of what Paris costs. Lille also has great infrastructure in terms of public transport and you can wander around by foot," Leeds said. Advertisement As of May 2025, the average price per metre squared in Lille was €3,199 for apartments, whereas in Paris it was €9,468. Leeds went on, noting the travel benefits: "The TGV train even goes straight to Charles de Gaulle airport - in under an hour and a half - so you can fly to anywhere. "I'd say that if you are living in a suburb of Paris, it can take you just as long to get to CDG airport, because you take the RER to get into the city and then the RER again to get to the airport. "And because of the ease with which you can get to other European cities, you can also check airfare prices from those airports too," she said. Warnings and tips to consider As with second home purchases in other parts of the country, Leeds advised that would-be second home owners 'think about how and if you will rent it out. 'Learn the local rental rules before buying, and think about whether you know someone in the area who can check on your property from time to time when you are not living there.' READ MORE: France introduces strict new laws on renting out holiday homes As for her best tips, Leggett said that in Brittany, a hidden gem would be the Gulf de Morbihan. "Everyone thinks of Brittany's coastline as rugged (which it is) but the 40 islands and inland sea of the Gulf de Morbihan is one of the prettiest bays in the world. "The water is an indefinable call it green, some call it blue, but it's far removed from the granite cliffs further west. Also, there are some really good restaurants, it's not just crêpes!" Reader Andrew P said people looking to buy should remember "the bigger the lot, the bigger the upkeep". Meanwhile, Lucy Hughes, had a warning for people looking to do renovation work. "Make friends with the Mairie (town hall) and understand their importance and function. "Understand the costs of installing a fosse septique (Septic tank), and never be tempted to try to put British plumbing or electrics into a French property," she said. Each day this week we will publish an article looking at certain areas in France including Paris, the Riviera and the South West with key tips for buying a French second home.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawsuit challenges Wisconsin's congressional maps
Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition by Tony Webster CC BY 2.0 A yard sign in Mellen, Wisconsin reads: "This Time Wisconsin Deserves Fair Maps," paid for by the Fair Elections Project, The political sign supports redistricting legislation to reform gerrymandering. A lawsuit filed Thursday seeks to have the Wisconsin Supreme Court declare the state's current congressional maps unconstitutional because they pack a 'substantial share' of the state's Democratic voters into only two of eight districts. The lawsuit, filed against the Wisconsin Elections Commission by the Democratic law firm Elias Law Group on behalf of nine Wisconsin voters, seeks to have the case bypass the lower courts and be taken up directly by the state Supreme Court. The filing comes one month after the state elected Susan Crawford to the Court, maintaining a 4-3 liberal majority on the body until at least 2028. 'Wisconsin's congressional map is antithetical to virtually every principle necessary to sustain a representative democracy,' the lawsuit states. 'It impermissibly disadvantages voters based on their political views and partisan affiliation, systematically disfavoring Democrats because they are Democrats. By packing the substantial share of Wisconsin's Democrats into just two congressional districts, while cracking other Democratic communities into uncompetitive Republican districts, the map condemns the party that regularly splits or wins the statewide vote to permanent minority status in the state's congressional delegation.' The lawsuit argues that the nine voters are deprived of their rights because they are Democratic voters who have been drawn into districts that prevent them from electing their chosen candidates. In 2021, Gov. Tony Evers and Republicans in control of the Legislature reached a stalemate in negotiations over new congressional and legislative maps, which required the Court to step in. The Court, then controlled by a 4-3 conservative majority, ruled that it would only consider proposed new maps under a 'least change' standard — meaning maps had to adhere as closely as possible to the maps that Republicans instituted in 2011. Those 2011 maps were considered among the most extreme partisan gerrymanders in the country. In 2022, the Court ultimately chose congressional maps proposed by Evers, but the lawsuit argues that the Court rejected the 'least change' approach when it declared the legislative maps unconstitutional in 2023 and should therefore do the same for the congressional maps. Last year the Court rejected a similar effort. 'This Court has since determined that the novel 'least change' approach that directly led to this result lacked any basis in this Court's precedents, the Wisconsin Constitution, or past Wisconsin redistricting practice,' the lawsuit states. 'Yet the congressional map adopted under the 'least change' approach is now in effect and will remain in effect for the remainder of the decade absent this Court's action.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A big pile of money wasn't enough for Democrats to hold the Minnesota House
The Minnesota State Capitol rotunda chandelier is illuminated for Statehood Day in St. Paul, Minnesota. Photo by Tony Webster. Minnesota House Democrats raised three times as much money as House Republicans in 2024, according to the latest batch of data from the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board. And it still wasn't enough to keep their trifecta this past November. Aside from a single state Senate special election in the west metro, just the 134 House districts were on the ballot. Voters were given the opportunity to vote up or down on the Democrats' House control, including the passage of universal school meals, paid family leave and free college for middle and low-income families. House Democrats last year raised $9.8 million in donations and spent over $10 million to defend their majority. House Democrats lost three key swing districts, ending their majority in the House — bringing the chamber to a 67-67 tie — and eradicating the DFL's trifecta over state government. The Minnesota House is in disarray, as Democrat Curtis Johnson was ruled ineligible to hold office. House Democrats are currently locked in a struggle for control of the lower chamber that's gone all the way to the Minnesota Supreme Court. The best they can hope for is a favorable outcome in a March special election in the Democratic-leaning district that Johnson vacated, which would lead to 67-67 tie in the House. Until then, all 66 House Democrats are in their third week of boycotting the Capitol in an effort to deny Republicans a quorum and control of the chamber. The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that 68 members need to be present in order for the House to conduct business. House Republicans last year raised $3.2 million and spent nearly $4 million to flip key House swing seats in their favor. The DFL state party committee raised nearly $11 million in donations last year. The state party ended the year with $2.3 million cash on hand after spending $9 million to defend the DFL trifecta. The party's federal committee received an additional $7.6 million in donations. In contrast, the Minnesota Republican Party raised just $440,000 for its state-level efforts and entered the new year with about $70,000 in cash on hand. Minnesota Republicans were more successful on the federal side, bringing in more than $4 million in donations, with help from a visit by President Donald Trump. Despite their lack of money, Republicans achieved what they set out to do. Democratic House leader Melissa Hortman previously said that 'geographic realignment' was the main reason the DFL lost the majority and three House seats, arguing that rural areas of the state are becoming more red quicker than the suburbs are becoming more blue. She said that trend has always accelerated when Donald Trump has been on the ballot. The state elections attracted more than $25 million in outside spending from the party committees, non-profits, political action committees and other groups. More than half of this spending went toward contests in just 10 battleground districts, including closely-contested races in the Iron Range and the Twin Cities suburbs. The biggest individual outside spender by far was the DFL House Caucus, drawing on the strength of its donations to infuse nearly $6 million into battleground races. The House Republican Campaign Committee was the second-biggest outside spender at roughly $2.5 million. Left- and right-leaning political action committees accounted for most of the remaining top 10 slots. Gov. Tim Walz entered this year with $1.05 million cash on hand — which may scare off potential top-tier challengers if he decides to run for a third term in 2026. Walz has said he'll decide on a rare third term after the legislative session.
