It’s been nearly a year since we were able to travel freely – if at all. But there is light at the end of the tunnel and some day we really will be able to pack our bags and reach for our passports again. While we wait, our local agents remind us of what we’re missing.

Here in the heart of southwest France the winters are short and by early February the temperature is already hitting 16Cº. At the start of our severe lockdown last March the weather was warm and spring flowers were blooming, providing an inspiring boost of beauty and hope. 

Now lockdown has lifted in France and we are under curfew from 6pm-6am, with restaurants and bars closed. There have been very few Covid cases locally and overall we feel incredibly safe helped by clear directives which we’ve followed to the letter.

Our location helps of course. The Tarn is agricultural and natural, its gorges, ancient vineyards and river valleys providing acres of clean air and open space along with one of the lowest population densities in western Europe. People come for a peaceful, rural life where you can be extremely private without feeling isolated.

The Tarn is east of Toulouse and north of Carcassonne, and centres on the magical riverside city of Albi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of outstanding beauty. Along with the market town of Gaillac and the medieval hilltop bastide of Cordes-sur-Ciel, it creates a golden triangle and a focus for many buyers and visitors.

The entire region offers lovely character property: stone farmhouses, half-timbered houses and impressive chateaux with a winning array of pigeonniers on show. We sell homes from €100,000 up to several million euros but the core search at present is between €250,000 and €650,000. Our association with Savills, started just before lockdown, has brought many high-end buyers who appreciate the mix of quality property and good value on offer here.

The British have been coming to the Tarn for over 50 years and it’s popular with Dutch and Belgians too. Last summer when we emerged from lockdown we saw an enormous level of interest from property buyers, partly as a result of pent-up longing for a rural French home and partly because of Brexit. Now we are dealing with a number of British clients who want to have bought a home or have a long-term rental agreed by this June in order to qualify for their carte de séjour.

Our office is open, by appointment only, and I travel in for two days each week but we’ve also worked hard to adopt technology to assist clients. If our vendors are happy to provide live streaming from their property, they can conduct a walk-through tour for prospective buyers on a Zoom call with us. It’s a helpful way to take an initial view to gauge if a property fits the bill or not, saving travelling time and reducing contact ,and it's also environmentally friendly. We have had offers on the basis of these video tours although they are generally subject to an later on-site viewing.

With Toulouse on the doorstep, the Mediterranean Sea nearby for day trips and ski resorts within three hours, the Tarn is magical. Getting here is easy by autoroute, rail or air with airports at Toulouse, Montpelier, Carcassonne and Beziers. We’re here, waiting to help you find your piece of la France profonde.

• Julie Savill is Group Marketing Director for Beaux Villages Immobilier (BVI), Savills associate in southwest France.
  
    

Further information

View all properties currently for sale in the Tarn

• Julie Savill and the global residential team are available remotely for any questions about the market or to simply share stories about their beloved locations.