SELLERS IN France are reducing their asking prices in an effort to attract buyers - but even those who haven't changed the price on paper are usually willing to negotiate.
Unlike in really overheated markets, nine times out of 10 the asking price for property in rural France genuinely is an asking price - and it's normal to make an offer five to 10 per cent below, or more in the current climate.
If you remember Peter Mayle and A Year in Provence, perhaps you fancy a little something in the Luberon.
Leggett Immobilier has a 123sq m (1,323sq ft) village house not far from Aix-en-Provence, with its price reduced to sell - from €402,000 to €376,300. It has three bedrooms, a well-equipped kitchen, a small, nicely planted mature garden and a summer kitchen for those twilight barbecues.
If you're a fan of Basque gastronomy or a surf enthusiast, Green-Acres.com has a three-bedroom split-level apartment in Biarritz, on the Atlantic coast just a few kilometres from the Spanish border, for €358,000.
It's on the top floor of a well-maintained residence in the centre of this charming town, a stone's throw from the beach, and it has a large livingroom, a study and two bathrooms.
The medieval walled village of Montpazier is one of the most attractive little towns in the south-west. In the town centre, which dates back to the 11th century, Lafayette Immobilier International has a 210sq m (2,260sq ft) stone townhouse, lovingly restored by its previous owners.
It has eight large rooms, including four bedrooms and a study, with planning permission for a roof terrace with views over the village. Price: €371,000.
On the Côte d'Azur, FrenchEntree.com has a well-positioned little 51sq m (549sq ft) apartment in the centre of Nice, with an asking price of €250,000.
The city centre is being refurbished - they've just installed a Luas-style light rail system - and this 1950s building has just been gutted and renovated with new electrics and plumbing.
It has parquet flooring and big windows, and a south-facing terrace large enough for dining.
In Valbonne, just 20 minutes' from swish Antibes, Sunshine Estates has a €242,000 apartment in a small exclusive development, with a livingroom, an open-plan kitchen and a large bedroom on the mezzanine.
It has a south-facing terrace overlooking private communal gardens. It's small, but it's all about location.
If you're a wine enthusiast and particularly like your Burgundy, why not pick up a little pied à terreamong the vineyards? A 125sq m (1,342sq ft) village house in Pouilly-en-Auxois, in the Côte d'Or wine region, is on the market with Burgundy4u.com for just €200,000.
It has views over a 10th century village, a 13th century church and a medieval château.
The house itself - which is near the Morvan National Park and half-an-hour from buzzing Dijon - has two large bedrooms, a large attic ready for conversion, parquet floors, central heating and 3,500sq m (37,673sq ft) of grounds, in addition to a typically French smattering of outbuildings.
