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| Selling French Dreams: Tales of Property, France and Family | 
 enlarge | Author: Alan Biggins
Creators: Tony Beesley, Erica Stokes
Publisher: Kirkdale Books
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy Used: £0.45
You Save: £7.54 (94%)
New (14) from £4.37
Avg. Customer Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 392654
Media: Paperback
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8
ISBN: 0952314959
Dewey Decimal Number: 910
EAN: 9780952314950
ASIN: 0952314959
Publication Date: February 3, 2003
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 11-15 of 15 | | « PREV | | |
Selling French Dream August 14, 2002
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
A very enjoyable and lighthearted read, containing a wealth of information about the potential pitfalls waiting to trap would be French property buyers. All this wrapped up with the often-amusing experiences of one British family living in France endeavouring to gain a living selling property to fellow brits. A good read and a must for anyone considering buying a home in France.
Thoroughly engaging and an enjoyable read. August 11, 2002
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I found this book to be truly engaging and well written. It is written in a very open style - one actually feels as though one is there, in France, living the dream. Many books on this subject matter are over loaded with historical facts about France and the people - this book is highly educational from an author with first hand experience. Whilst there was one chapter devoted to historical facts - I did not find this the major content of the book, which for me was pleasing. Anyone thinking of purchasing a second property in France would do well to read this book and certainly anyone wishing to relocate to France would be well served by reading this book. There are seemingly many pitfalls on moving to France and or purchasing a second property over there - I felt that the author highlighted these is an open and honest fashion - the message has to be be prepared if either of these things is what you are looking at doing. I was disappointed when I had finished the book as I enjoyed it so much.
 A Dream of a Book August 11, 2002
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
As a long-time recorder of the ups and downs of expatriate life in Lower Normandy - and a self-confessed serial purchaser of (invariably ruined) French property, I turned to Alan Biggins's book with interest. And to see how his reflections, comments and conclusions compared with mine. What I so liked about Selling French Dreams is the honesty with which the author talks of his time as a seller (rather than buyer) of property in Normandy. Simply because he has been on that side of the fence and is so obviously a decent, honest man -and such an engaging writer- his thoughts and cautionary tales on how the dream can so easily turn to a nightmare are particularly valuable. There are many technical and 'how to' books on the subject of buying some corner of a foreign field across the Channel. Selling French Dreams is a record of one man's experiences while living and working in France and trying to help other Britons achieve their dearest ambition. It is also, in the opinion of this humble toiler at the literary coalface, a very good book.
Another great book from Mr Biggins August 10, 2002
I thoroughly enjoyed Alan Biggins' first book, a Normandy Tapestry and was pleasantly suprised to hear that he'd written a sequel. This is an engaging tale of his trials and tribulations driving round the countryside trying to sell houses to the brits, richly accompanied by some interesting Normandy history and lots of local colour. I find typical guidebooks a real turn off but this is written in a down to earth style and the author takes you right into the heart of french life. This definitely falls into the 'good holiday read' category. When can we have another one Mr Biggins?
 Less than one might have hoped for July 30, 2002
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
There is no doubt that Alan Biggins is an amusing and engaging writer. There is also no doubt that the first half of this book gives an interesting and informative insight to many aspects of purchasing property in France. However, whilst the author alludes to an extensive knowledge of the subject area, has conducted surveys with ex-pats in France and has even run courses on buying French property, the book fails to pass on much of the knowledge and information that the author no doubt has. The second half of the book (particularly the last few chapters), is more of a history of Paris during the First and Second World Wars. It seems rather self-indulgent and lacked any useful information on the core subject matter. Overall, if your one of the many Brits thinking of buying a second property in France, or perhaps in moving out there for good, this is not the book for you!
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