May I ask you a question … or two … please?
Some good friends of mine are considering a project and because they know what a fount of knowledge my readers are, they asked if you could help with a little market research.
The friends in questions are experienced in renovating property here in France. Always to a high standard, always in perfect taste. They are thinking of restoring a sweet little house here in the country, and offering it for sale in several shares.
The property would be in Normandy, and if it goes ahead, I’ll be showing you pictures of the renovation and interior design. They aim to create a beautiful three bedroom, three bathroom home, in the heart of a pretty village near here.
The style will definitely be French country: think old stone walls, cottage garden, roses on walls; small enough to feel cosy, yet spacious enough to invite friends and entertain in style. The house will be fully equipped and furnished in authentic French country style, with a mix of antique and contemporary pieces.
The beauty of this part of Normandy, is that the house will only be one hour from Paris and close to Giverny ; it could be used for country living and also for visiting the capital. It would be easy for owners to invite friends out from Paris or to invite family to visit in a truly French country home.
The interesting part of their project is that the property won’t be sold to one person as a whole, but rather to several people, who would each have a part ownership. The idea is that the property would be purchased by a limited number of share owners; no more than twelve, no less than four; this is still to be determined. This fractioned ownership would be fully managed and the property will always be impeccable. Each of the purchasers would have the cottage for a designated period of time each year on a rotating basis.
The advantages of the idea are obvious. A beautiful home-away-from-home, fully managed, always in perfect working order, and at only a fraction of the normal buying price. With the local management, there would be no bad surprises when owners arrive. Beds would be made, the fire ready to strike a match, the garden perfectly tended.
I can’t show you any pictures of the property as yet; several possibilities are currently being considered. These photos are just to show you typical architecture and the style they will be looking for.
So here are my questions:
How would you like the idea of owning a part of a property here?
How many partners would you want to share it with?
How many times a year do you think you would come to a house here, for how long each stay, and would you be happy lending it to friends?
Would you want the property managers to rent it out on your behalf, to offset your costs, when you’re not able to use it yourselves?
If you have any other questions or comments, please feel free to contribute below. I shall do my best to answer questions, either below or by email. Thank you so much for your input, your help is very precious.
94 comments
Hi Sharon
I just love this idea. We have friends who do something like this in Italy, and they are very happy with the way it works. I believe that there are six sharing owners in their property, and it all goes very smoothly
I wish your friends the best of luck with their project and I hope we get to see some of the renovation pictures!
Judy
Thank you for sharing Judy, I have heard that six co-owners is often a very good number
Sharon
x
From the looks of all of the responses, it sounds like the Normandy real estate market just surged! I would be interested in sharing a property with 4-6 persons, with successful rental history (or decorated and poised to become successful!), located within 30 km of a TGV stop, with direct access to Paris.
I also love the Burgundy wine region, with TGV access Paris/Dijon. If anyone has an interest in purchasing a home with vineyard views in the Bourgogne wine region, please connect them with moi !
Sharon,
I have been working on my husband for 5years now to trade homes with a french family for a year. Owning some part ofFeance is a dream. Patricia
Very intersting idea, indeed. But it may not function because several owners would like to stay in spring or summer, and not in winter, difficult to arrange. How to harmonise the decor, styles, needs. ..Why buy shared property and have such problems, when you can find bed&breakfast country houses, all for you, and not always at the same place? Every one must think about pro and contra. Good luck.
I would be very interested, I believe that I looked at this property myself a few months ago. As everything in this world, cost is the issue. Sharing the property might be a good solution for the difficulty of raising funds~
Hi Jennifer
None of the pictures here show the property that will be shared, these are just shots of local architecture to give you a feel for the style of property that would be offered.
Yes, sharing in this way would give people access to a beautiful home for a very interesting price
Sharon
x
thank you
Hi Sharon
1) great idea.. appeals to me
2) 6 owners… divides into 2 months a year each
3) X1 a year. 4-6 weeks
4) yes to it being let out via good management
I agree with Sharon Malon…..I would be interested in sharing.
Brilliant! Just add Cindi’s rotating schedule below and it sounds perfect to me. 🙂 As you well know, vacation homes are not selling like they used to because of the cost with our economy. This project would make the possibility for dreams to come true…
I wish your friends luck and please keep us posted.
Bon Weekend!
thank you Madeline and Sharon, it’s good to have such positive feedback 🙂
Great idea!!!!…..would love to spend 2 months in France…..maybe divided up a little but ……a dream ….that would be great to live!……love that area of France. On the other hand, there isn’t an area that I don’t love. This is very appealing to me. V.
Hello!
I think this is a supremely fabulous idea! Coming from overseas, the amount of time would have to make the flight worthwhile. I would come for a month I think. I would appreciate if property managers u dear took to rent it whe I couldn’t use it. At max, at this time of my life, I think I would come once a year only but I would like flexibility for when that is. For example, I would not want to be told that I have four weeks each March and that is it. Rather, one year at Christmas time would be glorious, another September, another April. Obviously this would have to meet the convenience of others too – one must be reasonable in life! In terms of numbers, that is not an issue for me. The plan would have to be cost effective and the possibilities of what can occur (flexibility for the time of year for example) would have to be made clear in each contract. In short, this is a fun, fab idea! 🙂
Agree, the organizing of the allotted times is critical. If coming from the States, you might want to come for a month, but would you want that month in January? Six shares seems ideal, then perhaps each gets a “winter” month and a “spring/summer” month. We have friends who do this with beach houses, and their weeks rotate each year, so that no one always gets, for example, the Fourth of July. Awesome idea.
Thank you Cindi, I believe that the scheme would be for the months to be rotating. So if you get June and February one year, then you may have October and May the next.
x
Ditto….cost is the factor. Not only the initial purchase cost to be one of the owners, but the on going cost of maintenance and would there be a monthly fee for the “service” of having it ready, cleaning up after former occupants. Always interested, but would need to know “upfront” what we would be committing to. I think 12 owners would be beneficial, in that we would each have one month that would rotate. I would expect to enjoy it at different seasons of the year. Thank you…sounds very interesting. Sally Jo
Hi Sally Jo
I am sure that when the time comes to offer up shares for purchase, all the costs would be crystal clear. The friends who are putting this together are extremely professional and reliable,
x
idea stupenda numero perfetto 6 persone ciao sharon grazie per le cose meravigliose
grazie mille Paola
Baci
Dear Sharon
I think the idea of a shared property would be fantastic! I would be interested only if it had probably
A limited number of owners, for my liking about 6 owners. I think renting it on times that owners are not
Visiting would be a good idea. I also like the idea of sharing management fees as setting up a house each time you visit is next to impossible if you are traveling from USA. We have had a vacation home in Napa,California. USA and found it very difficult to enjoy our visits because of ownership obligations each time we visited. I have traveled to France each years for the last 5 years and will continue to come and enjoy this fabulous country!Please keep me posted.
Ditto Vicky
Yes Vickie, I think that good management would be vital to the success of this project. I am sure that the terms of management and the management costs will be made clear when the project is ready to take off
x
Yes
I love the idea. I would like to stay a full 2 months. I wouldn’t want to invest with more than 6. Like the others write, the cost would be the main consideration. Maintenance ? Taxes? Management fee? Insurance? House of house? Amount down? Mortgage for 6 or all cash? So many variables to think about with this type of property. Also, location. I might prefer a bit closer to Paris. One hour isn’t bad but absolutely I wouldn’t want any further.
Overall though it is a good idea. We have a condo at the beach with 6 owners and it works great but then we are all friends when we bought it together and thank goodness we have remained friends.
Yes – 6 – 10, maybe twice a year, or once for a month. Happy to have friends enjoy it. Happy to have a manager in charge of it.
I will love to watch this evolve, and see how much each share would be!!
Penny
I too agree with Penny. Sharon, Cindi and others. 6-10. 1-2 times per year. Rotating months etc. Sounds great. Watching with great interest. Love to live in france permanently, but couldn’t leave my family here in Australia. Thanks for letting all of your followers in on this idea Sharon!
Cheers, Lynda.
I think this is a very good idea and would be interested in pursuing it further. Six owners seems to be a good number – that would give each owner a two month share which I assume would change each year . A management company would have to be retained as otherwise one would have no control over other people’s ideas of cleanliness, acceptable levels of wear and tear, etc. Presumably some years one might want to go somewhere else and therefore the ability to rent your time would make that viable.
I think it would be a great idea. Six owners would probably be best. I think it also must be a rotation of months so everyone has all the seasons to enjoy .
I love this idea of time sharing in France! I would definitely be interested, but as others have stated, all related costs would have to be known up front. Obviously, the more share holders involved, the lower the cost. However, the more share holders, the less time you have to spend there as all must be able to visit. Thus, I think 6-8 would be ideal. The details of who gets to visit when would all have to be worked out. If on a rotating schedule so that all could visit every season, that could take a long time to get your turn in, say, the summer which is another reason to keep number of owners down.
Can’t wait to hear more about this.
1. The idea of shared ownership does appeal to me. That’s the only way I could own property in France. And if I were going to have property in France, the Normandy countryside would be a choice location . . . to me, that is.
2. I wouldn’t want more than 5 partners, me making the 6th. Four would be more ideal to me. The more partners involved , the greater the opportunity for disagreement on anything and everything. You’re just not going to have that many owners who see eye to eye on everything.
3. I’d be happy to come twice a year for 2 to 3 weeks at a time or even to use my alloted time all at once. In times that I couldn’t use my share, however, I’m sure I’d rent it to friends. I’d probably have a waiting list!
4. Property management could certainly rent it out on my behalf if I, or my friends couldn’t come during my allotted time.
Looking forward to seeing pictures of the property and hearing more about it.
Great idea. I would say 4-6 owners, 6 max, as management would still have option to rent to others when owners, friends and family are not using and less people to agree to decisions made. Being far away, I would probably only fly there once annually, but would enjoy a long stay up to 2 months, and probably not same season every year. With the 3 rooms and bathrooms the house would have flexibility for several visitors at one time. No more than one hour from Paris is good. Management of property absolutely, but once start renting and committing to that, that would mean owners may not have it available at short notice, may not be a problem if owners are international tho and not living locally in France.
I love the idea…live it! Cost & time would be key factors especially at this busy time in our lives..,
This a truly great idea and one my husband and I would be very interested in.
We currently own a Fractional ownership in Thailand where we have one month every year. The fractional ownership works for us and it is a wonderful idea as mentioned by other readers you don’t have the huge initial outlay and all costs are shared. Having a good management is essential. The management fees we pay annually equate to NZ$60 per night and as we have a two bedroom villa with our own pool fully serviced and breakfast included this is very reasonable. The villa gets rented out for at a daily rate of NZ$800!
I think it is a good idea for management to be able to rent it out if the fractional owners can not make their holiday period.
Good luck to your friends and I would love their contact if they go ahead with their idea.
Truly excellent idea, it would make owning a second home in France affordable for so many more people. I do think the two crucial factors in order to make this work are a)the rotation of allocated weeks; the owner would then benefit from seeing Normandy during all the seasons over time and b)that the management can rent out time when the owners are unable to visit. Have a fabulous weekend 🙂
Fractional ownership vs timeshare? How would inheritance work I wonder?
1) love the idea!
2) max 8
3) 3 tops from Canada
4) definitely
I would love this. Over in the USA, this might be what they call time share. So exciting! Xo
A month each year in the same house sounds nice, depending on costs. We have spent a month at a time while visiting Italy and France and Spain, Switzerland and Germany, always staying in different villas. We are in Europe 2-3 times a year. The cost is of consideration, but, also the selling of your share when that time comes. Keep me posted if I’m lucky enough to be asked to join in.
A dream come true…keep me posted…!
Exciting idea. I would be interested. Tax consequences of owning would be…?
My husband and I would love to own a property in France and this idea could make it possible.
We also would like, at most, 6 owners.
We would only go to France once a year.
Renting out a month might be an option.
This idea excites me to no end!!!!!
The concept sounds interesting, and who wouldn’t want to own a house in Normandy, but the details sound like they could get messy or easily become a nightmare . Owning a portion in a foreign country…can you just imagine the tax implications with the French bureaucracy in multiple copies to multiple people in multiple countries and all those stamped documents…my head is spinning! And then add in 6 languages…Mon Dieu! Wouldn’t it just be easier to rent for 2-3 months whenever YOU chose and not have to accommodate to others’ schedules? It’s too far out from Paris to be convenient, so you’d need a car, unless you stay local most of the time and do day trips elsewhere locally. I would think that 2-4 persons would be best and no more than 6, so that way you have either 6 months to live there, or 3 or 2 months to visit and enjoy. How would you determine share value if one party wants to pull out after several years? Then it has to be reappraised again to determine current value to remit back to departing person…and who would pay? Where would the money come from if someone wants out and no one new wants to buy in? Ca devient tres vite, tres complique!! Bravo to those brave enough to do this! I wish I had the courage…so I’d probably be one to rent the unused month. I think I would start small with this idea…and just do it with ONE other person to test all these details. Then if successful, go forward from there with 3 people before trying 4 or 6 or 12 with all the various opinions so many would present. Clearly many have done this before, so I must simply be unaware of the methods to make it work well. Best of luck with your ambitious endeavor!
This is quite a common thing from where I use to live in the Ozarks and other places like the East Coast and Florida. Property management companies are used a lot while others (multiple owners) try to manage EVERYTHING themselves. We set ours up with a property management company. They can handle as much or as little as you’d like. They can set up rental when an owner decides they want to give up their time to taking care of insurance to house cleaning services, maid services, grounds keepers, repair or handyman contacts, etc. This takes a lot of care and concern off the owners even if they decide to not rent it to other people, and I would do this is if it’s just two owners or 12. Property managers can handle any repairs that might be needed. And that alone is a good example of what can happen – the break down of the water heater on one of the owner’s time. What does that mean – to them, to the others? It could happen to anyone of the owners, but isn’t it great if it doesn’t happen while YOU are staying there. See what I mean? Are they compensated for their time spent while repairs are made. My luck a repair would be needed every time my turn came around! I mean, the expense would be shared; the repair could have happened on anyone’s time, right? LOTS of details to agree on between several owners! A property management company or the like helps keep things on a fair and balanced use of the home. I mean, what if one of the owners decides to sell? What if God forbid they die intestate or even with a will? I’m exhausted just thinking of all the details that need to be taken care of legally for all concerned.
I would love to invest in such a home if everyone agreed on an unbiased attorney and property manager. You can’t have your sister’s husband who is an attorney be the one writing everything up and you can’t have the same kind of situation in deciding who will be managing the property.
Once an attorney familiar with real estate law and a property manager is set up, all that no fun stuff, the investment would be great. Count me in!!
what a fabulous idea I would love it more than one could imagine
Hi Sharon,
This type of time-share is quite popular, and, personally, I like the idea of an entire house, as opposed to a condo. I don’t think the number of shareholders should be more than six, with four being the ideal (depending on cost, of course). The details of management costs, as mentioned above by Odette, are an important consideration. Looking forward to more information about this property.
Angela Muller
What a grand idea-in and of itself and as a way to move into living in France. Details matter, and of course cost and legal issues-what is a partner wants to sell his/her share, does ownership pass to children, etc…but I am very interested in this project. Please keep us informed and up to date on what develops.
Deborah
I should have mentioned the fractional ownership we are in does not work on a rotational basis. Each owner chooses their month and that is it for the time of ownership. This works well as some people want school holidays some don’t etc and peoples holiday periods tend not to be rotational. There are 11 owners in total and the spate month is used for maintanence. That month remains ours for the duration of ownership and we can rent it ourselves or through management, we can sell it or gift it.
Hope all this helps.
I would love to own a fractional home in France and was wondering if anyone was doing this. We own a fractional cottage in the winter months in Mexico and have been looking for something similar in France. Ideally we would own 2 months all at one time. Like our cottage, we would be interested in having it rented out by the property manager or by ourselves. Currently we rent a chateau in SW France for 3 weeks each summer.
I should LOVE to to be part of such a purchase.
No fewer than four owners and not more than six.
Handicapped friendly as to bars in showers, toilets, etc. for the older of us interested.
Rather than a rotating schedule, I think I should prefer a set rotation as to better plan my year, either a month at a time or two months at a time. Also, I should like the option of being able to trade with someone – willing of course, if my time didn’t work out for me.
It might be a good idea if a vechicle or rental were available.
I should prefer a NON SMOKING property and in fact, should not be interested if it were to be a smoking property.
Hi Linda
If any property were chosen out here in the country, then a vehicle is a necessity. I guess the easiest would be for each owner to arrange their rental every time they stay.
The non-smoking thing is a good point to make, thank you
x
I love this idea. Of course, I would need to know more. Location is important, would want to be away from big cities and traffic. A small country village with lots of history is my preference. But still with amenities like cool shops and bistros. And not a huge house; small is best 2-3 bedrooms perfect. Please keep us informed …….. my husband and I would be very interested!
Winona Stewart
Carmel, California
The idea is great. You just need a good contract.
I am an American architect of fine homes. I spend time in both France and Italy. I have friends here in the states that have been very successful in this type of endeavor in the south of France. I love the fact that it is only an hour outside of Paris because it is indeed a long journey from the west coast of the USA to France. I can’t comment on the details of how to structure the legalities, but I do know if the renovation is done with a good hand and in fine taste you will be able to find the six buyers. The timing is good now for Americans. Can ‘t wait to the pictures!
Leon
In theory, a wonderfully cost effective way to own a French property. But a potential minefield for French inheritance laws.
Where I used to live, there was a PRC or Private Residence Club.
This afforded those who could or would want a fractional ownership in a desirable local. A management company keeps records, rentals, maintenance, etc.
Each owner is allotted six weeks a year with rotation on weeks for each season.
If you could not make your weeks, they would be rented out for you and would help defray costs. It works quite well.
I think it is a wonderful idea although I would not do it. Foreign ownership and tax implications would worry me. Also I don’t like to be tied down to one place…prefer staying in different areas or even different countries, so a vacation to the same place every year would not interest me. Coming from Canada, I would not use it even every year…too far away. However I do think it would work really well for some people. I would want a rotating schedule and have someone else in charge of renting it out/managing it when I’m not able to use my time. It would have to be well planned to keep everyone happy and make it worth while moneywise. I do not think there would be a shortage of interested investors.
I think the opportunity would be wonderful! Although, like others, I would want there to be rotation of months, with options to rent out if I did not use all of my time. I have friends that have what we call “time shares” in the United States and they have property managers that take care of the property for the owners, keep it clean and everything in working order. Also, I would think six individuals would be the maximum amount of individuals one would want for this type of ownership. There would definitely need to be bylaws and specific documents drawn up to protect the owners from liabilities, etc. I would be willing to hear more.
Grand idea!
How would you like the idea of owning a part of a property here? Wonderful idea!
How many partners would you want to share it with? 10 to 12, each having a month of use. If 10, possibly renting out the other 2 months or use some of the time for refurbishing and repairs when needed.
How many times a year do you think you would come to a house here, for how long each stay, and would you be happy lending it to friends? 1 or 2 for two weeks or a month. Lend to family, and have a screening process for friends, to be handled by a designated owner (responsibility would rotate).
Would you want the property managers to rent it out on your behalf, to offset your costs, when you’re not able to use it yourselves? Yes, with proper screening and payment process.
If you have any other questions or comments, please feel free to contribute below. I shall do my best to answer each and every one. Thank you so much for your input, your help is very precious.
I think it is a great concept. Obviously there are details that would need to be dealt with.
We go over to France every year as we are avid cyclists. This type of situation would be wonderful. Not only are you close to Paris via train but also London and Brussels.
I would prefer to share with only 5 other owners so 6 owners in total.
We would probably come over for any where from 4 to 6 weeks once a year.
If I couldn’t find anyone to rent my time if I couldn’t make it, it would be very helpful to have that done through a property manager. What a wonderful idea. I am looking forward to seeing some photos in the future.
I think it is a wonderful idea! 12 owners is perfect since there are 12 months to a year. At this stage of my life (kids are grown) I would love a cozy cottage to escape to. As someone stated above, I would plan different seasons each year. I have traveled all over the world when the children were younger, but the definition of a vacation now; would be relaxing with a glass of wine and enjoying my husbands company in a beautiful cottage in Normandy! (Maybe with a few friends every once in a while
Sharing is a great idea, as long as all the details are recorded beforehand, also what to do when someone wants to sell their share. I believe a smaller number, say 4 shares is much easier to work with, and renting when not in use is a given. If you have too many shares it becomes more difficult to work out times etc.
You also need a very reliable manager who you can trust to look after the property when you are not there.
It is a dream of mine to do this.
In California it is a common practice to have a shared house
We call it “tenants in common”
And a lawyer would be able to help with the details.
To own a property in France would be wonderful ,I myself do not like the idea of sharing ,here in Australia it hasn’t always worked very well as we all don’t have the same idea of caring for a home .Sorry but I am a bit too fussy.The idea probably works wonderful for some but not for us..
I think ,yes, to all the questions. I would love to see the option. I would only travel to France once a year. Many people would love to do this, if affordable. As long as the property is maintained correctly—–offering it to others would be fine. Seeing the plans-come to fruition would be fun!
Such a shared ownership appeals to me, particularly at the location suggested. I would not want more than 4-6 in the rotation as I would be interested in at least six weeks but some years would be interested in 8-12 weeks. I would not be satisfied with being limited to one month a year. A rotation of seasons would be a must as I would want to be able to experience over time all seasons in the location.
If others were not able to use their time share, I would like to see other members get first choice at it — either trading on their own share or paying additional rent.
I would not have objections to others lending their share to friends–as long as the property is maintained properly, etc.
Having the property manager renting out on my behalf, if and when I am unable to use the property at my designated time, to offset my costs would be ideal.
It seems a good solution for many who have dreams of having more time in France. Currently, I spend 2-3 weeks annually but as I stay in hotels or with friends it isn’t an option to stay longer. I have looked at apartments in Paris but nothing in my budget range and it would have to be managed as a tourist rental for the majority of the year as I cannot live there year round.
Sharon,
My husband and I are currently one of six owners ( owning a total of seven shares) in a home in pays de Loire. We are “second generation” owners in our house meaning that we were not original owners having bought in after one family sold a share to buy a home of their own in the same village.
A couple of key points, we split the year into high and low seasons. Each owner (share) has a choice of 3.5 weeks during the low season and 4 weeks during the high season. Owners choose on a rotating basis depending (if you have first choice one year you drop to last in line the following year). Owners must be present with guests ( no loaning out the house) and no renting of the house. We agree on a budget for maintenance items at the beginning of the year. Would be happy to share more information – this arrangement has worked now for over 9 years with changes in owners.
Kyle
Kyle
How does it work if someone wants to sell their ownership?
i would think first option would go to the other current owners, but then shares would not be equal. still might work if others are in agreement.
Thank you Kyle, this is very interesting, I’m sure I’ll be sending you an email 🙂
x
1. Interested.
2./3 bEither 6 parties ( however, To allocate two monthly stays, I believe, would not be equitable from weather and vacation aspects). Or 12 parties with the possibility of renting the second month to friends if unable to travel to France twice in the one 12 month period.
4. Subject to being cost effective and legal requirements.
Candice
An interesting concept, and I guess if I wanted to vacation only in France it might be worth investigating. But I want to learn about other places and experience them too! And I don’t know a single time share owner here in the US who isn’t disenchanted when they try to sell. (and yes, I do personally know a few!)
For me, I’d rather rent and have the freedom to go where and when I want. The older I get, the less I want worries like this. But everyone is different. For me, this year it will be Spain! One trip a year to a faraway land is more than I ever dreamed of doing, and, as it works out, is plenty for me along with travel in the country here too.
Wonderful idea, count me in. We have friends in Australia who are doing this but generally in Provence. It seems to work with about 6 owners and they rotate the months that they are given for their use. They can invite friends but not rent it out for a financial benefit to their friends.
Sounds like a dream house… no, I would never share my dream house! 🙂
It is a great idea and I am interested. Please keep me posted.
Concerning inheritance, we own a house in the SW of France and we were told that it will follow the legislation of the country where we got married, in our case the US, as we are not residents in France.
I have never learned to share. The thought of sharing with 12 would leave me fraught. I think this could get very very complicated. The summer months would be manic I suspect, & a lot of strangers would inhibit me.
I would never feel it is mine.
i would prefer to stay in a gite.
It is a dream to have a place in France. But for moi? Non Merci.
While the excitement of owning a home in France is tempting. If I can not afford a home on my own, coming and going at my liking, I would rather rent a villa for a month and not have the worries of repair/legal matters/other owners etc.
This idea I’m sure appeals to many, but for the cost of owning and the concerns, I would rather rent and stay in different areas. We have discussed this idea and have come to the conclusion that for us, renting would give us freedom of when we would like to visit and not have it dictated to us and we would not have the financial commitment and above concerns mentioned.
Good luck to your friends and to all the others who are interested in this adventure together.
Hi Sharon,
1) Super idea – would love to own – keep me posted!
2) 8 owners max
3) 2 times a year and yes to lending
4) Definitely – via good management
This idea excites me! This would give me the opportunity to own a home in France which I can not do financially by myself. Keep me posted – sooooo interested!
hiya sharon ~ this concept of multiple owners is very forward thinking and taking root in the states. ownership is set up similar to a shared business, all parties involved assume the same degree of risk, expenses and appreciation of property value. i would of course recommend your friends have everything legal w/proper documents, as i’m sure they will. i’m not ready to retire so time would constrain me from participating in such a venture, but one can dream. i’d so adore being your neighbor:) xo
Sounds heavenly. I’m sure the people who have answered before me would get priority on getting in on the deal. But I believe there will be more opportunities to share in the future. It works with a flat in London. Ten owners, a month each, wild card month every ten years, one month for maintenence and repairs. Owners draw each year for their first, second, etc. choices. sometimes months are swaped among the owners if something comes up. Many times the extra month is not in use, and one of the owners can take it if requested. Mostly, everyone goes for two week increments. Just a sample of something that has lasted over 20 years in Knightsbridge from Atlanta.
sounds superb – very keen to be part of this!! looks to me that your friends can look at setting up more than one house / home from the response!!
Sounds good, but need more details on cost.
Sharon, why don’t you post your “loot shoots” anymore? I always loved seeing what you found.
Best regards,–S
Hi Sheree
Thank you for asking about the loot shoots … actually they’ll be starting again in April! Nice to know they’ve been missed 🙂
xx
This is a practical way to own property in a country that is different
from the country where you actually live. I believe that 6 owners would be sensible so that you could stay for two months each year. The idea of renting to someone when you could not come to the property is a great idea. The management fees would have to be reasonable, and the management would need to be efficient.
I would be very interested in this type of arrangement, and I am sure
that many others would share my enthusiasm for this type of property ownership.
Kindly keep me updated for both personal and professional interests…..
many thanks!
I would love to be able to rent a house for a week, we love that area. A hour from Paris is great. I would love to have information about renting it becomes available.
I agree with everything that Donna Stokes posted. I have always dreamed of having a home in France or Italy. What a wonderful way to attain a dream! I personally would want access to another home for 2 months per year at least. Please keep us posted on what happens.
I have friends who share a house in Park City, Utah. They also share a car that is left at the airport. They love it.
These would be a wonderful idea for us as we are moving to the uk and nead to be in and out for a few months As soon as you have all your plans together costs How many members how many weeks or months are allocated to each member please let me know. Bea
I am genuinely glad to read this website posts which carries lots of helpful
information, thanks for providing these kinds of data.
I like this idea! I would have a few questions before purchasing:
1. How do you decide how to fix something if it breaks? How did it break – was another owner’s family goofing off and the toilet broke and there was water damage. Should you all pay? What type of insurance is offered in France to cover the cost. How much is each share willing to pay for maintenance?
2. Is there a train station close by? I do not want to drive to Pars and find a place to park.
3. Is the house located close to a village to shop for groceries?
4. How much are the taxes?
5. Who maintains the garden? What is the cost?
ENGLISH GO HOME !
Hi Sharon. We would be very interested. Our opinion would be 4 shares. We are involved in another vacation home on a share basis like this, and it is very well managed,
so works very well.
Please keep me updated with the info.
Many thanks and best regards!
Deborah
Bonjour!
Looking for an update on the partnership opportunity posted here last year with so many useful comments about the joys of co-ownership.
Thanks!
Hi Sharon
I would love an update please. So looking forward to hearing about it.
Many thanks.