I had a price range in mind and I knew the area I wanted to be in – the Pyrenees Atlantiques. The other options were Adelaide, Granada, Brighton. These were discounted as too far, too hot, too expensive.
So for five days I drove up and down between St Jean Pied de Port and Salies de Bearn getting a feel for the spot. I visited 11 estate agents, saw about 15 properties and looked at around 50 on paper. But it was the estate agency that I fell in love with, not the house I bought. That's developing. Of the 11 highly professional agencies, one stood out and I kept going back.
In the medieval square Bayaa in Salies is a place where the coffee pot is always on, the sofas are so comfy, the telephones never stop ringing, and the people traffic is pure entertainment. One minute it’s the woman who helps look after Jean Claude’s mother. Mother lives with Loic and Jean Claude (see Post 1). She gives Loic an update on mother’s dementia-driven mood which sometimes is excellent, sometimes difficult. Then it’s Francoise’s daughter – a national horse riding champion – who pops in and sends Francoise off into a barrage of French expletives. Then in comes Jean Claude, he designed the Immobilier, and his flamboyant arm waving could land a jet. People come and go with news of someone or another.
And when it comes to customer care, it’s exemplary. Having decided to buy the house in Oraas, Loic and Francoise sorted everything and even got the price knocked down by 15,000 euros without my even asking. Loic came to the solicitor with me, he made sure I understood every document, he gave me a tissue when I burst into tears with joy at signing, he negotiated Monsieur Cazemajour’s cows to go onto the field to help me with lawn mowing and the farmer with free cow food.
The philosophy at Bearn Immobilier is – this is not just a house, barn or farm, clients are in the market to be friends and should be treated as such. Don't you love the flags waving in cyber breeze? http://www.bearnimmobilier.com/
I got invited to Loic and Jean Claude’s PACS – but that’s another story.
posted by French Deal @ 5:15 am
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