Real Estate in France

How do I find a place to live in France?

We asked expats how they chose their neighborhood and found a place to live. They answered:

"I had an inside contact, so it was somewhat easy. If you aren't so lucky, I recommend a couple of websites: www.seloger.net and www.seloger.com and www.logic-immo.com. Local classified sections can be helpful, too. Var Matin and Nice Matin newspapers, etc," said another person in Saint Raphael.

"Our first place was determined because it was close to my work in Geneva, Switzerland but on the French side of the border. Colleagues at work told us it was less expensive to live in France. When I retired we moved to the Orleans area to be close to Paris without living in Paris (too much traffic, noise, polution typical of any big city in the world). We found this house to rent on a French real estate website which was large (for France), in a quiet neighborhood and close to shopping and other services. The added benefit is that our neighbors are all very, very nice and welcoming," remarked another foreigner who made the move to Orleans.

"My husband asked his new collegues about the neighborhoods. One of his collegues (from HR) helped us find our home, we did a lot ourselves and my father, who lives here already, helped us too," explained one person living in Dijon, France.

What is a typical expat home or apartment like in France?