South France Property Provence Properties Languedoc Real Estate

Perfect Property in the South of France at the Perfect Price

noreply@blogger.com (Riviera Home Finders) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:36:00 +0000

How Would You Like to Buy the Perfect Cote d'Azur Property For You?

What if You Could Also Buy For 28% Less Than the Market Value?

Many of RHFs clients fly in for a three or four day property viewing visit whereby we aim to show them the very best property at the time that fits the budget and the wish list of you the client.

Often this results in the ideal conclusion, i.e. you find the home of your dreams and get an offer accepted.

Often though it can also result in discovering that your budget maybe isn't quite enough to get exactly what you want and then comes the question of either compromising your wish list or increasing your budget.

Sometimes your visit can result in actually finding the perfect property, getting all excited about it and then when decision time comes and you end up walking away due to worries about the market or your ability to actually afford it.

This can be the worst possible outcome as you could easily miss out on all the plusses and pleasures of owning a property in this beautiful location...

Occasionally you might visit, view all the best available properties, and decide that nothing actually fits your requirements perfectly enough...

Lastly, many of RHFs clients are now looking for a good solution to the question of where best to invest your money when the stock market is unpredictable...

The Perfect South France Property Solution

A very interesting answer to all of the above is to have built a new property in the South of France to an exacting specification.

There are, however, some inherent problems that people percieve about building new houses:

Can you trust the builder?
Will it be finished on time?
Will it over-run on the budget?
Will the quality be high enough?
Will it take a long time to accomplish?
Will it cost more than buying a "used" property?
"It's hard to manage from a distance"...

There are also massive benefits to building a new property on the Cote d'Azur:

You get what you really want.
It costs on average 20% LESS!
You can afford more.
It's a great investment.
It costs less to run.
It's a "greener" alternative.
The cost is spread over time.
You get a ten year guarantee.

The hardest thing is actually to find that rarest of birds i.e. a builder you can actually trust to do the job right, at the right price and of a good quality...

What if we told you that this rare bird exists and that with our help you could have your own "Perfect South France Property" built for you without hassle or budget over-runs within ~12 Months of buying the land?

What if we told you that you could have the build managed for you with weekly reports including photographs and even a real time internet feed from an onsite camera so that you could log in and admire your beautiful villa as it takes shape?

Contemporary or Traditional it is up to You...

The Perfect Property Solution For You:

Save ~20% or Make ~20% Profit From Day One!
Professionally managed build oversight.
Weekly progress reports with photographs.
Guaranteed delivery date.
Ten year guarantee.
Guarantee of perfect finish.
Notarial oversight by the top notaire in the region.
No hassle and little to no risk.

The fact is that the owner of RHF International is currently finishing construction of a large luxury villa built by a builder in who we now have extremely high confidence...

On Time... On Budget... High Quality...

To help our clients get exactly what they want we are prepared to introduce our builder and construction package to you and to over see the build for you and make sure that it is delivered on budget, in time and to a high quality...

Sizes Costs and Margins...

To give you the best idea of the costs involved (i.e. the savings!) here is an outline guide to help you get an idea of what you can get for the money based on the following standard of quality build:

240m2 (~2700 ft2) of villa.
2500ms (~2 thirds of an acre) plot.
Sea view or other quality location. (Remember the three rules of buying property!)
Latest "Monomur" construction (5 times the performance of other materials).
Underfloor heating.
High performance hardwood argon double glazed windows.
High insulation, green construction, low running costs.
Beautiful stone floors in the living areas.
Stunning solid oak parquet floors in the bedrooms.
Four double bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms.
10m x 5m swimming pool.


Sea View Plot or Plot in Walking Distance of Sought After Village/Town

Average special RHF price per square metre € 2,900 (a special concessionary discount from our preferred builder passed on to you).

Note: The normal regional construction costs to this standard are between minimum €3,000 per m2 and up to €4,000 per m2 so already there is a saving here of 240m2 x €100 minimum i.e. a saving of €24,000 compared to other construction companies).

A villa averaging 240m2 will roughly cost therefore € 696,000 to build.

The typical cost of the building land (in the right location) will be approximately € 550,000.

Land plus build costs therefore should be around ~€ 1,250,000

The finished value of a villa built to the above standard and in the "right location" at todays values will be approximately € 1,500,000 to € 1,600,000.

Profit or Safety Margin of up to 28% on Day One!

The "safety" margin or the "profit" margin therefore on delivery could be at least € 250,000 (20%) and perhaps as high as € 350,000 (28%)...

Nice to have a built in profit from day one and comforting to know that you would be getting so much extra value for comparitively little budget...

Making It Happen For You

The owner of RHF (a real estate professional since 1987 and 17 years based on the Cote d'Azur) is so confident in the ability to deliver what you want, on time and in budget that he is offering a few clients the chance to have their perfect property built on a carefully sourced and selected plot wher he will personally over see the whole project for you to ensure the best possible result.

Our RHF Oversight Offer:

Helping you to source the right plot.
Helping with any planning change or new permit (where possible we will try and source plots with an existing planning permit).
Helping you design in to the construction elements that will assist you to get the best return on your investment when you eventually decide to sell in the future.
Regular visits to the construction site with a weekly photographic and written report of progress.
Maximized hassle free status for you.
Total investment: € 2,000 per month.
Optional "real time" video via IP Internet camera once electricity and phone are connected.

Our Preferred Constructors Offer:

Guaranteed level of quality.
Perfect delivery guarantee.
Guaranteed delivery date with significant €1,000 per week penalty clause.
Guaranteed delivery price.
Staged payments on results.
Ten year construction guarantee.

The Safest Way to Buy Property In France

Our preferred notaire will also provide you with a full legal explanation in English prior to purchase so that you know exactly what is involved.

They are one of the top notarial practices (extremely well respected) in the region and they believe that this is, in fact, the safest way for anyone to buy property in France...

Very Attractive Special Low Rate Mortgages Available For Non Residents

We also have access to special rate mortgages for the land purchase and the construction of your new villa. Please ask for an illustrative quotation without any obligation...

Summary

To sum up you will get:

An ecologically sound property.
A beautiful finish.
The "right" location.
Guaranteed delivery.
A quality villa at a substantially les than market value price.
"Your" villa rather than someone elses!

Find Out More:

If you are interested in discussing the possibilities for you then contact me now at:

perfectvilla @ rhf1.com (remove the spaces to make the email address work).

The Finish

Here you can see the quality and performance of some of the materials and equipment that could go into your quality villa:

Stone Floors Stairs Bathrooms and Kitchen

Beautiful Venetian stone:

Beautiful Hand Crafted Stairs:

Carved stone washbasins:

Oak Kitchen:

Quality bathrooms to suit your taste:

The Technical

Top of the range heat exchanger pump for the optimal in underfloor heating:

Monomur:

Construction blocks that are 5 times more performant than standard blocks and are so efficient they require no extra insulation. So strong that one block can support the weight of the whole villa!

Find Out More:

If you are interested in discussing the possibilities for your perfect villa on the French Riviera then contact us now at:

perfectvilla @ rhf1.com (remove the spaces to make the email address work).

Les Issambres

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 01:03:00 +0000

Bill and Carole of the agency Maison2 sold a house in their hometown, Les Issambres... Their clients, a lovely couple that has recently retired, intend to spend more time in France now that they have a bought a house there...

Their new villa is Provençal style, south located, with a living room with high ceiling leading onto the pool. The kitchen opens on a covered terrace and there are 4 bedrooms with their shower- and bathrooms, as well as a garage.And this is their view:

Not bad eh! Below - the painting Bill and Carole commisioned for them to celebrate their signature and the South French sun!

For more information, get in touch with Maison2

Villa in Les Adrets

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:46:00 +0000

My dear colleagues Karin and Leo de Bruine sold this fabulous sunny villa in les Adrets (beautiful views, situated in a quiet area and with a fabulous, big garden and overflow pool - what more could a person wish for!!) and I did a painting for their client, a sympathetic lady from Singapore who, by the way decided to buy it while the rain was pouring down - that's how much she liked the house - and she was wearing summer gear and tiny Hermès sandals. Luckily Leo, always the gentleman, had a big parasol handy - and as you can see it worked out. Needless to say that rain is not common in our area!

More about aquarelles click here
More about villas, visit the RHF website or one of the links on te right

Learning French The Rocket Way

noreply@blogger.com (Riviera Home Finders) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Why This Rocket Method of Learning French is So Good!

For many people, learning a new language is a great idea but one that makes them uneasy. In fact, the main thing you have to do when you start out with another language is remember lists of words and sentences. What happens is that you gradually learn more words and then the rules of grammar, and you find out it's much easier than you imagined. What often happens is that people find they can one day speak a new language without even realizing how much they've learned. Not all methods of learning work for everyone, so when you decide to learn French, or any language, you have to use the right method for you.

Find a friend who knows French fluently to help you learn French. Such a friend will greatly accelerate your learning the right usage of the language as well as the right pronunciation. Another great advantage is you'll feel more comfortable with making mistakes and trying new words or phrases. One important point is that learning will become a lot of fun for both of you. Also, as you two work together both of you will realize the best approach for you to learn. You really can learn much faster this way because this person will recognize the best way for you to learn and will be better able to help you.

You can also take a class in the language you want to study. Taking a class has always been the most recommended way to learn a new language. Because taking a class is one of the best ways to learn! Skilled instructors have figured out the best way to learn a new language a little bit at a time. They teach everything in a well designed order, so you learn everything using a well tested system. The classroom setting also gives you instant feedback, so any errors that you make are always corrected. Another thing some people like about a language class is that it can be a relaxed and social way to learn, as everyone is working on the same goals and no one will be upset if you make a mistake.

Start labeling everything in your home with labels that have their French name attached. Learning the names of everyday items will be very helpful in your French learning efforts. This way is the best way to learn for some because these words literally become apart of your everyday life. So, when you put some clothes into the dryer you will automatically be reminded of the word for dryer. It won't be long before hearing the word or seeing it used elsewhere will bring to mind a visual image, and you'll start to truly understand what is being said in the language you want to learn! So you can learn another language in a way that is enjoyable. If you get a little creative, you can see that there are many ways to make it simpler and more fun! It may take you a while to find and settle on the system that is just right for you. If you are like many people, you may find that you have to study a language using several different methods until you one day find the system that perfectly accommodates your own style of learning. If this happens to you, there is no reason to be upset. Another thing that often happens is that all the studying you've done one day "clicks" and you realize that you can really speak French well!

Charolette Doe writes about: Learn French the Revolutionary Rocket Way

Sunny Villa in Chateauneuf de Grasse

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:52:00 +0000

And here's another commission for a beautiful, sunny villa in Chateauneuf de Grasse. I worked from photos (this is given away by the lavender and other flowering plants - not yet there in Frebruary)

...below some pictures to show how such an aquarelle is made...

I started with an overall drawing - concentrating on the perspective, not so easy, with the "rounded" poolside wall and fence (a one-hair-brush challenge)... The order is important: if you make a mistake in aquarelle you can start all over again, there is no getting rid of errors. So begin with the parts that have the greatest risk of going wrong, in my case: the sky! If that's worked out I am quite confident for the rest...

To please myself, I add a lot of detail in the parts that I'm working on, and then move on to next...

...the basic wash for the trees in the background, leaving out the white deckchairs for a sunny effect (note that you do not use white in an aquarelle, your white is the white of the paper!)...

...had to widen the pool - that is the disadvantage of using pictures, especially wide-angle ones!...

...and finally darkened the shadows, added more contrast for a sunny effect and finished the trees - and there you have the result! The sunny happy house RHF sold to the lucky new owners!

This is how we work for RHF - and what you receive when you buy your beautiful new, south-french home with them! For more information contact Jeroen Zaat of RHF Prestige

Montauroux I

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 23:45:00 +0000

A couple of years ago RHF sold a lovely townhouse to a group of friends who bought the house together. They were very very happy with it, did it up in a very tasteful way, but have now moved on to their next excellent house, in Valbonne. That's why RHF's top agent, Jeroen Zaat, has the property for sale again...

I created a painting when it was sold the first time (note the subtle change of reality here: the owners are all lawyers, so I renamed their street to Rue Avocat. Nobody noticed!)

Anyway - you are interested in the house I guess, and in the area! So I'll describe the house now - first hand, as I've visited it several times, and then the area in an other post...

It is a very comfortable house of 200m², with many original features, in the heart of the village Montauroux, with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and a terrace on the roof!

When you visit the house, you come in via the beautiful front door that opens into the entrance hall, with doors to a roomy studio, with a corner kitchen, shower-room and a toilet and one more bedroom with its own shower room and toilet.

Via an elegant staircase with wrought iron balustrades you enter the first floor: it has a patio and a large stylish living room, with a marble fireplace and a beautiful painted ceiling as well as a fully equipped, independent Provençal kitchen.

On the second floor there are two bedrooms with fitted wardrobes. The masterbedroom is on the third floor. This wonderful, light room has a large bathroom with bath, shower and toilet - and a lovely sunny terrace - with water installed.

And last but not least, the house has a basement with a large cellar...

The location, the independent studio, the terrace and the large rooms, give this house a great letting potential!

The asking price is 495.000€ and your offer is welcome! For more information: contact RHF's Jeroen Zaat...

Seillans

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:25:00 +0000

My good friends Bill and Carole Lomas, who have a real estate firm too - "Maison 2", sold a wonderful 3-bedroom property in Seillans, a village in the Var... With a stunning view.

They asked me to do a painting, of the house itself, so I started a 70 X 50 cm aquarelle, on my favourite mouldmade Arche "torchon" (rough grain) 300 grams watercolour paper

I always start with the parts that I like best, and often they are the windows and doors, because there's "mystery" there! In this case, a nice, light and happy atmosphere...

Slowly working on the rest of the house - and while I am painting, my appreciation for the house grows and grows So that, after I'm finished I so want to be and stay there... but of course I can't - the new owners of the house are the lucky guys and I am pretty sure they'll be totally happy out there!

Magnificent, authentic estate in Valbonne

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:46:00 +0000

On no more than 3 minutes walking distance from Valbonne Village there is a great property-secret that I'd like to share with you: one of the most prestigious properties in the countryside behind Cannes... A couple of years ago RHF's top consultant Jeroen Zaat sold it to a lovely English family and I created the painting you see up here at the time. I remember it was hard to choose which of the beautiful parts I was going to do, there were so many! It is a stunning, completely renovated old mill (Moulin) from the 16th century - so close to the centre of Valbonne village, one of prettiest and liveliest villages in the heart of the Cote d’Azur!

The owners gave many a good party in it and I know for a fact (because I was there) that the villa and everything around it, is very appropriate for that!
The main house itself has 600m² of living space and is set on a private estate of 13 acres bordering on the river Brague. It is completely secluded and every view from it is over private land. The villa has a total of 9 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms, including a downstairs 'guest wing' with 2 double guest bedrooms plus a separate two-bedroom annexe.

To access the residence, you go through the private gates, that are situated 100 metres from the old village of Valbonne!

The immaculate, extensive gardens are a perfect playground for all ages. There is a large pool, heated of course, with a fully equipped pool house. A new orchard with greenhouse, along with a large new playhouse/atelier is situated on top of the hill where the new full tennis court is also situated.
The river Brague is filled with fresh water trout, there is a man-made pond with fish, ducks and turtles, as well as a waterfall. A footpath runs around the entire property for a lazy afternoon walk. And just outside the property there's a large nature reserve. For the real walkers: it is a 3 hour walk along the river to the medieval village of Biot -- and the beach.

You 'll agree that this must be one of the finest properties on the market today - in a very exclusive location! And it is now back on the market - Riviera Home Finders' Jeroen Zaat has it in exclusivity. If you are interested in this property or want more information you can contact him directly or via the RHF website!

The Cote d'Azur lifestyle

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:50:00 +0000

Just a short note to say we're still alive at RHF, we're working very hard finding homes for various clients... Luckily this hard work takes place in the South of France, and a girl has to have lunch on the beach from time to time - with or without clients, feet in the sand, sun on your hair - and I am talking end October !! I made the aquarelle above (the beach of Golfe Juan) a week ago... isn't it wonderful over here!
If you are in the rain and the cold in the North thinking "wish I was there"... don't hesitate to give us a call - we have the properties to go with your your longing for the Côte d'Azur lifestyle!

La Garde Freinet

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:40:00 +0000

I have been painting a very nice house with a great view, in La Garde Freinet!
La Garde-Freinet is a nice old town, 20 kilometers from St Tropez. Pleasant, typical South-French, with lots of shops and restaurants. The old part of the village is built in the 16th century. There you'll find the romantic, narrow little streets, sometimes carved through the rocks. Near la Garde Freinet were - and are - chestnut groves. The town is popular by the locals and people from nearby villages as well as tourists, for their local chestnut jam (confiture marron) and chestnut honey (miel chataignier). You can buy them at the famous "Confiturerie des Gambades".

St Tropez II

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:19:00 +0000

As I mentioned before, the St Tropez area is very popular! Here we have a lovely, modern style villa, again in St Tropez. Soon to be sold by my colleage Pia Frei, out of the RHF office on the Place Celli in the center of Saint Tropez. And not only our clients love it there! I am very fond of St Trop also, we sail there a lot and are looking forward to the "Voiles de Saint Tropez" in October - a big prestigeous, international regatta, with a lot of fun on the glamorous "land" as well! Sailing and then partying with colleagues and celebrities, who wouldn't like that....

This is a pic of an earlier Voiles de St Tropez... I'll keep you "posted"

St Tropez

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:43:00 +0000

The coming posts will all be about villa's in (the neighbourhood of) St Tropez! This trendy, vibrant area is very popular all of a sudden with Riviera Home Finders' clients!
The villa shown here is painted by the talented aquarellista Marina Teding van Berkhout - from the Marina Artists Team - worth a compliment as she made it look like the fantastic house that it actually is...
It has a terrific seaview

Of course it has all luxury and quality finishings, a 60m² salon, 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, cave, floor heating and air conditioning...

It also has an independent appartment and a poolhouse, with the pool , which measures 11 x 4.50 meters and has a large sun terrace.

The villa is constructed with a main house and two wings so that it can optimally profit of the sun
If you want to be where the action is, go look on our site, in the St Tropez area - we have a couple of houses left but they are selling fast! Watch this space for more...

Villefranche II

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:11:00 +0000

The town "Villefranche" dates back to 130 BC. It was officially established by Charles II, Duke of Anjou, in 1295, to protect the coastline from pirate attacks. The Citadelle, the venue where "my" Salon took place, was created to defend the port and the coastline even better, by the duke of Savoy. The construction started in 1566, based on and using a quite new defense system that integrated innovations of artillery and the use of gunpowder... It is trapeze shaped, the long sides along the sea, a deep canal around it and you need to cross a bridge to enter.
In 1965 the town bought back the citadelle and nowadays it houses the city hall, museums and an open air theatre. The population of Villefranche is around 7000 - still a small town!

Inside the citadelle - an art salon going on.

The Villefranche beach

Outside the citadelle

A nice little corner with my work

Villefranche I

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 20:13:00 +0000

Last week I've participated in a big "Contemporary Art" exhibition - in the Citadelle of Villefranche. I have been there every day from 10AM to 8PM and I'm very impressed by the village... It is truly one of the most extraordinarily beautiful -and happy- spots that I've ever been to.
Quite busy and lively, lots of true old french style, beautiful houses and squares with restaurants and terraces. There are several fabulous beaches, with view on small, bigger and really big boats and of course...the sun!

Our Expo was in the Citadelle, built in 1557. It is an old fortress, with a couple of museums, the town hall and an open-air theatre. And a beautiful park and garden, where people have romantic picnics in the shade when it is too hot on the beach. Always open for everybody. It looks so real, you feel as if you enter the 16th century when you walk over the bridge. More about the Citadelle in a later post, have to go there again to remove the paintings (the expo has finished) but as you may have noticed, I like it there, very much! If Riviera Home Finders ever opens a Villefranche office - I'll be the first volunteering to work there!

Villa in Valbonne V

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:35:00 +0000

A post about a perfect property close to Valbonne! Our agent Jeroen Zaat (the best there is for prestige properties!) has a luxury villa in his portfolio that he would like to highlight because of its many fabulous characteristics:

- The total surface of the villa is around 400m², surrounded by 5000m² flat terrain.

- The location is perfectly quiet and has nice views over the mountains.

- The villa itself has a huge living room with fireplace and office corner, opening to the terraces.

- Large heated swimming pool of 16x6m with electric cover, surrounded by large terraces - A summer kitchen and a fitness room.

- A full size tennis court

- Double garage - and ample parking for several more cars.

...And then of course a dining room, kitchen, pantry, laundry room and heating room and in the other end of the house three large bedrooms with their bathrooms, the master suite with a large dressing and bathroom with bath and shower. Upstairs a mezzanine with library and fourth bedroom with bathroom and dressing...

There is a separate guesthouse with three identical bedrooms (of course with their own bathrooms), which open to the terrace and the pool area. On the back of the guesthouse is an independent studio. This studio could serve as guardian's quarters (kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom opening to private terrace).
The property is kept in perfect condition and has reverse cycle airconditiong/heating in every room.

The price? €3,450,000... not unreasonable - and for that amount the property can be purchased fully furnished - including 2 cars!

For even more information visit our website or contact Jeroen Zaat

Castelleras

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:50:00 +0000

Just finished a painting of this beautiful Chateau - that has only one link with Riviera Home Finders in sofar that it would be a great location to have our next reception or party! Castelleras is a small village close to Valbonne and neighbouring Mouans Sartoux. When I saw the chateau de Castelleras for the first time, I thought it was a very old building, upgraded and changed through the ages, but as it turns out, it was (re-)constructed within a year - and not so very long ago: in 1927! It is built by the famous french architect, visionary and ecologist Couëlle (OK! there's another link -RHF has very exclusive villa's of his design in their portfolio). Couëlle, who at the time was only 26 years old- used the knowledge that he had gathered, while saving and reconstructing 12th, 15th and 16th century chateaux in the Provence and the Pyrenees from their ruins...
He used the existing ruins of the 'oppidum' or fortified village where the "knights of Sartoux" once lived, to build a beautiful, balanced and very charming chateau...
The Chateau de Castelleras is now mainly used for weddings and receptions. And as you can see from the pictures, it is another great spot with that fabulous athmosphere, style and class that you can only find here, in the South of France...

Cannes Fireworks from the boat

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:44:00 +0000

Every year on 14 July you can find the Riviera Home Finders crew on the water, enjoying the view on the Bastille-day celebration fireworks from the Med!

The beautiful Classic yacht "Adria" with RHF on board...

We forget the daily property-business (well - not quite, we're still available by phone)for a day of true, South French luxury, on a beautiful yacht...

Wine tasting...

RHF Bossman Richard Green samples the food...

RHF Boardmeeting just before the fireworks start...

And then the fabulous, exciting, more than half an hour, fireworks, with incredible impressive music... Jealous? Want to be part of that lifestyle? Don't hesitate, move to the Riviera and you will be able to experience the sun and the fun and the fireworks. And info about a nice place to live, as always, "chez nous" at Riviera Home Finders...

Biot II

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:20:00 +0000

As promised, here's the other painting of the house that is now sold - together with a little bit about the old true south-french village where it is located: Biot.The old centre of Biot is super. A very romantic, friendly French village, with tiny streets that are made attractive with plants and flowers everywhere.
I have lived there myself for a couple of years and I loved it! Hence all the paintings - I couldn't stop (and must admit I made many more... Biot has a museum and lots of art and crafts galleries, great restaurants, a wonderful old factory where glassware as well as art objects are made by hand. It is close to the sea - walking distance - I used to walk to the beach quite often in the summer (ok - almost an hour - and there's a bus too.)

Biot is close to all the important cities, airport and trainstation, as well as to our "silicon valley" Sophia Antipolis. It is a modern village - with an old centre that is alive summer and winter! I can recommend it heartily - as a village to live or to visit...

Biot I

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:03:00 +0000

Tomorrow Riviera Home Finders has another sales contract signed, sealed and delivered! Again it was our top-agent Jeroen Zaat who did the deal. The new owner as well as the seller will recieve an aquarelle - the one above painted on a piece of hand made, super rough-grain paper.

The house is located in Biot (between Antibes and Valbonne) in a quiet residential area. It has a surface of 300 m² and a lot of terrain, and a lovely garden with a 5 X 10 meter swimmingpool. The view is wonderful: over the woods right down to the mediterranean...

The villa is in perfect condition with 4 bedrooms, that all have their own bathrooms and access to large terraces. Additionally there is an independent studio with kitchenette and bathroom, and a garage as well as a car port for 2 cars. The price of this house was €1,920,000 - and if that is an interesting price bracket for you, don't hesitate to contact Jeroen Zaat, because he has lots of similar properties on great locations for you! I'll post the other aquarelle after the sale has passed at the Notaire's office and give you some information about the lovely village of Biot!

Cabris II

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:24:00 +0000

As mentioned a week ago, I have been painting a house in Cabris for a friends' birthday. The house has a great view, all around, towards Cabris and also towards the sea. They also have plenty of olive trees (enough for their own oil!!) and last but not least, perfect rosebushes all over the place... It is a marvelous house with a great ambience - which I hope you can see in the painting:

Click on picture to see details!

And below an overview of the making of such a painting:

If you are attracted to houses like this and you would like to buy one - we can help you - Riviera Home Finders has a database full of similar beautiful properties - and many others...

Cabris I

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:21:00 +0000

Close to Valbonne (Riviera Home Finders headquarters) and all the other lively Riviera villages and cities - yet quiet and away from daily business and noise, lies Cabris, a beautiful village 550m up the Plan de Provence hills. From the top of the village, you have a truly spectacular view towards the sea.The village of Cabris dates back to 1000, though the way it looks nowadays, reflects the reconstruction of the 16th century (after the Black Plague). Southwest of the village lie the ruins of the Chapel of Mostayret. They are built by the Lerins Monks in the 4th century. There is also a tiny lovely 19th-century chapel - the Chapelle de Saint-Jean-de-Pape. The vestiges of the castle of Cabris, mostly destroyed in the Revolution, are still visible from the Place Mirabeau, named after the writer and statesman who often stayed here. Cabris has always been popular with great thinkers and artists, like Marcel Pagnol , Albert Camus and Antoine De Saint-Exupéry.

Exupéry with his mother - on a tile in Cabris

And you can follow their example, by taking the A8 motorway, then the N 85 and finally the D 4. Cabris is only 6 km from Grasse, it has a population of 1370 people

I am writing about Cabris because I am in the finishing stages of a painting for a friends' birthday. He has a house there, with a splendid garden, gorgeous roses and a great view - to the sea from one side and on the village of Cabris from the other... Watch this space...

Villa in Les Adrets

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 18:42:00 +0000

Riviera Home Finders is still going strong, despite the crisis...

The first in June is sold by Leo and Karin, RHF's Real Estate couple for the Var - you can safely say they're on a roll! Karin and I worked hard on the original aquarelle for the new owners: They will receive it this week at completion, in the office of the notaire as a present - we do this for all our clients - instead of a bottle of champagne or some flowers. An original aquarelle by the Marina Artists Team makes a great gift - the feedback is always very very positive!About the villa: as you can see on the painting it has a swimmingpool (overflow) and it is luxurious and well-maintained. It has a stunning seaview and is located in a much sought-after closed private domain. Les Adrets is only 5 minutes from the highway A8 and 30 minutes from Nice airport. You drive to Cannes in 20 minutes. Now this house is of course sold - to a Belgian couple, but we have much more where that came from! Visit our website if you are interested in one of our properties, or need more information...

Villa close to Mougins

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Sun, 24 May 2009 19:33:00 +0000

In March I posted about a villa close to Mougins that we once sold and then had for sale again. And now, two months later, Master-Realtor Jeroen Zaat has sold it yet again! The happy and lucky new English/French owners were looking for this modern style of house - and fell in love with it immediately. They will improve it even more, with ecologically conscious additions and replacements, solar energy, the newest ultra modern audio visual systems etc...

Above you see the painting of their house as it is now - and I hope to be able to show you an "after" version in a couple of months!

In the meantime - even with the "oldfashioned" fittings - the owners can still enjoy their fantastic 360° South-French view from the house (picture below) and the fabulous sun...

Mielan - in the Midi-Pyrénées

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:31:00 +0000

This "Manor house" was sold by my colleague Kirsty - she works for RHF in the departement Gers. The great painting for the new owners is from the hands of Marina Artist Team member Marina Teding! She made sure it looks like the sunny and happy house it actually is. The house is south facing with amazing view: of the whole of the range for the Pyrenees on a clear day. The house is two hundred years old and has a grand entrance, with large wrought iron gates leading up a gravelled tree lined drive to a gravelled courtyard.

Nearby bastide village of Mielan is five minutes away - and that means local restaurants, boulangerie, terraces, the weekly market and the bar-tabac on walking distance!

Gassin

noreply@blogger.com (Marina) — Sun, 03 May 2009 20:52:00 +0000

This fabulous villa in Gassin, painted by the Marina Artists Team will soon change owners! It was sold by Pia Frei of the RHF office in Saint Tropez.

The 250m² villa is located in a sought-after domain close to Saint Tropez. A few years ago it was completely renovated and it now offers spacious rooms, exquisite decoration, natural stone floors and everything made with care and the highest quality materials Of course there is air-conditioning, alarm and a private garden with pool area, not overlooked...
The large living / dining room with kitchen overlooks the Gulf of Saint Tropez. This wonderful villa has 4 bedrooms with their own bathroom and the new owners can live there all year round- or just spend their holidays there.

Gassin is situated close to St. Tropez and the Mediterranean sea.

The old village is still authentic, with old winding streets and ancient houses. It overlooks vineyards, the sea and the forest with a magnificent view from the Iles D'Or over the Maures Mountains and all the way to the snowy peaks ot the Alps.