A calm explanation for anyone who doesn’t spend all day on websites. Allow ten minutes. You don’t need any French and you can’t break anything.
In this guide
- Fill in what you are looking for (steps 1 to 4, about 3 minutes)
- Unlock the buttons with your email address (step 5)
- Look at the houses on the French sites (steps 6 to 8)
- Keep a house on your shortlist (optional)
- Questions people ask
- French words you will come across
Part 1: fill in what you are looking for
Go to frenchhousehunt.com/search-helper. You will see a form with an example already filled in (Céret, 20 km). You are going to replace it with your own wishes.
Click in the box under Town (commune). Delete what is there and type the first letters of the place where you want to search. A short list appears. Click the right town in that list. This is the most important step of all: typing alone is not enough, you have to actually click the town. Each town shows its postcode and département number, so you can see if it is the right one. No list appearing? Wait a few seconds, the list of all 35,000 French communes has to load first, then type at least two letters.
Under Radius around the town, choose a distance. The French always search this way: a town plus a circle around it, not a whole département. Start with 20 km. Too few results? Make the circle bigger. Too many? Make it smaller. Then choose House, Apartment or Land.
The left box (minimum) can stay empty. In the right box type the most you want to spend, as one number without commas or euro sign: 200000 for €200,000. Agency commission is usually already included in French asking prices.
Bedrooms, living area, plot size, energy label, pool, private sellers only: fill them in only if they really matter. Every requirement you add removes houses. You can always get stricter later. Tip: if you want a detached house, a minimum plot size does the job, because no French site has a “detached” filter.
Check: read the sentence under the form. It says in plain words what you are looking for, for example You are looking for a house within 20 km of Eymet, up to €200,000, at least 3 bedrooms. Correct? Then you are done filling in. Click Show my links.
Part 2: unlock the buttons with your email address
Under your search you will see a card for each French site, with a grey button. Those buttons work once you have entered your email address. You only need to do that once; your browser remembers it. We also email you the links, so you have them on your phone and laptop. Two tick boxes below are optional: the guide tips, and permission for estate agents in that area to email you matching houses. Tick them only if you want to.
Part 3: look at the houses on the French sites
The site opens in a new tab, with your town, radius and budget already set. Start with Leboncoin: that is where most houses are, from private sellers and agents. Then SeLoger and Bien’ici.
French sites first show a cookie banner. Click Accepter (accept) or Continuer sans accepter (continue without accepting). The site is in French, but you only need a handful of words: see the list below. Green-Acres opens in English.
On the results page, look for Sauvegarder la recherche or Créer une alerte. You will need a free account on that site. From then on, new listings for your search arrive by email. For PAP and the notaires’ site you get a crib sheet telling you exactly what to fill in.
Part 4: keep a house on your shortlist (optional)
Found something? Copy the address of the listing (the link at the top of your browser) and, if you like, the text of the listing. On the Search Helper page, under Found something? Add it to your shortlist, paste the link, then paste the text and click Pull out the details. We take the asking price, living area, energy label and bedrooms from it. Click Add to my shortlist.
Your Shortlist works out the price per m² and keeps everything in one place, from every site. It is stored in your own browser, not on our side.
Questions people ask
I see no houses on the Search Helper page.
That’s right. The houses are on the French sites. The Search Helper only prepares the search for you.
The button stays grey.
You haven’t entered your email address yet, or it has a typo. Fill it in once and click Send and unlock.
A site shows houses outside my area.
Some sites add “similar” listings at the bottom. Check the town names, or make your radius smaller.
Do you sell my email address?
No. We email you the links and, if you ticked it, the guide tips. Estate agents only get your search if you ticked that box yourself, and at most three we know personally.
Can I change my search later?
Yes, as often as you like. Just fill in the form again.
French words you will come across
| French | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Maison | House |
| Terrain | Land, plot |
| Pièces / chambres | Rooms (including living room) / bedrooms |
| Surface habitable | Living area |
| Prix / FAI | Price / agency fees included |
| Particulier | Private seller |
| À rénover / à rafraîchir | To renovate / needs a refresh |
| Fosse septique / tout-à-l’égout | Septic tank / mains drainage |
| DPE | Energy rating (A best, G worst) |
| Créer une alerte | Create an alert |
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Photo: Alexander Polous on Unsplash