First steps
Decide whether you want a retreat that doubles as a B&B in summer, or a self-catering property providing a year-round income. If the latter, look for the most commercial purchase.

Where to buy
Good transport is crucial and nowadays nearly every corner of the country has an airport covered by the network of budget airlines. The central section is least well served, so best avoided if you want a roaring visitor trade. If your target punters are large families, the cheapest travel options are ferry crossings so consider Normandy and Brittany.

Activities and attractions
Each area has its USP: sunseekers go south to the Mediterranean coast; for picturesque villages set in verdant wine country, many prefer the Dordogne or Gironde, in southwest France. Ski properties in the Alps and the Pyrenees are ever popular while those looking for a peaceful, pastoral getaway often head inland to the sparsely populated, agricultural areas of Limousin.

What can you get for your money?
Property prices range from rural wrecks for £50,000 to villas on the Med for well over £1 million. To accommodate your paying guests, you will need several bedrooms and bathrooms, and ideally some land, so larger properties are a must. A Gascon farmhouse in the Midi-Pyrenées can be had for £240,000; in Charente-Maritime, further up the coast, you can buy a neglected three-bedroom villa for around £80,000, and a 12-bedroom 17th-century château was recently offered for more than £1.5 million.

Any bargains?
Some of the best prices are found in Auvergne, right in the heart of France, where a large house with barn, ripe for restoration, can be had for just over £50,000, and an 18th-century restored manor house set in a hectare of grounds might cost less than £400,000.

Will red tape ruin the experience?
So many Britons have bought in France that you are likely to encounter helpful Anglophile estate agents and property professionals who will see you through the process with few hitches. Nevertheless, cultivate patience and conversational French.

WORDS KATRINA BURROUGHS