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extend the mortgage up to 25 years, and recently there has been talk about some increasing the term to 30 years.

Interest rates can vary enormously as well, and depending when during the year the banks revise their rates, that also causes differences.

The mortgage products vary from lender to lender –– The banks and their mortgages are no different – all do the same job – all will provide mortgage finance to purchase property, but some will offer extra bells and whistles in their mortgage packages – such as mortgage holidays, flexibility to pay off lump sums, or to increase the monthly repayments – the more they offer with their key features will usually increase their charges or interest rates.

Some of the banks and lenders specialise in providing finance for the international buyers market – people in UK, or the States, or expats working anywhere in the world – anyone who wants to buy a property in France.

Obviously to cope with this international market, their documentation has been translated into English, but still has to comply with French regulations – which are ultimately set down by the Banque de France.

For those banks and lenders who do target the international buyers market, they will employ some staff who can speak English to a high level. That too adds an extra burden to their costs.

As with most things – you get what you pay for – and as I said – it can be a minefield of things to be taken into consideration.

Then, after deciding which bank and which mortgage product to use, the most difficult task, submitting a mortgage application correctly and having it accepted with the

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