PROPERTIES AND LOCATIONS TIPPED FOR TOP RETURNS

speak English,” he says. Another issue, says James Rolt, a regional sales manager at Beaux Villages Immobilier, Savills’ associate in south-west France, is that French banks have tightened up lending criteria since the financial crisis and are likely to want a minimum deposit of about 20pc.

For Rolt, the big difference between buy-to-let in France versus Britain is that entry prices are far lower on the other side of the Channel.

He recommends that would-be “propriétaires” emulate the Calders and seek out two to three-bedroom houses, with outside space, in town centre locations. “French people are generally not prepared to travel to work in the same way the British will commute,” Rolt says.

“The best rental properties are close to amenities. I would avoid major cities, because the entry prices are much higher, and look at small market towns where you can buy cheaply and maximise your yields.”

In the town of Ruffec, where Rolt is based, he estimates that a three-bedroom house with outside space in good condition would cost about €150,000. It would rent for around €650 per month, generating a yield of 5pc.

Cany echoes this advice, suggesting investors steer clear of the French capital. “The UK and France are very similar,” he says. “In Paris, like London, prices are high so yields are very low.”

He tips the city of Lille, where demand for rentals from students and young professionals is strong.

Buyers could pick up a two-bedroom apartment for about €290,000, and rent it out for around € 995 per month, generating a yield of 4pc-5pc. This yield is no better than putting the money in a UK bank, but Cany says buyers should look to the long game, because prices in France are on the up.

According to the Notaires de France, the official monitor of property prices in France, the average price of flats grew 2pc in the past year, while houses rose by 3pc. Outperformers include the Basque city of Bayonne in south-west France, where the price of flats jumped by almost 12pc in the past year. Elsewhere, the northern port town of Le Havre recorded house prices increasing by 12.5pc over the past 12 months.

“In 10 years you will see a capital appreciation,” says Cany. “The market in France is strong and stable.”

Tim Swannie, director of Home Hunts, who covers Paris, the south of France and the Alps, agrees. “Interest rates have risen, but there is still a lot of interest for properties. These markets are not boom and bust, they tend to grow slowly but steadily.”

Investors are advised to steer clear of the French capital, where prices are high and so yields are low