This summers great value property: Our featured property for this summer is a must see. This stone house brings together a lot of pluses - It's in great condition, it's close to the beaches and its in a wonderful Medieval village. Click on the photo for more details.

UK and US buyers, don't miss out on your dream because of the exchange rate: If you are a cash buyer you can potentially hedge against the exchange rate by getting a French mortgage and paying out the balance when the rate improves - on recent predictions this could save you as much as 8 percent. Look at how this can be achieved in detail by clicking here

Weather in the Languedoc

Useful link for weather in the Languedoc click here

The following links are from the BBC weather website - just click on the towns name for an up to the minute and five day weather forcast.

Weather in Montpellier
Weather in Perpignan
Weather in Nime
Weather in Sete
Weather in Toulouse

In general the Languedoc climate is Mediteranean, with hot dry summers, rainy winters, and moderate springs and autumns. You can expect to get 300 days of sunshine a year in the Languedoc, but the region covers a large area, and for various reasons the weather can vary considerably within its borders.

After Corsica, the Languedoc-Roussillon region is the hottest in France, with average annual temperatures between 13.5°C and 15°C. Eus a town in the Pyrénées-Orientales département (one of the "plus beaux villages" in France) is the sunniest spot in the whole country.

The coastline, sheltered by mountains, tends to be sunnier than and warmer than the inland areas. The mountains of course tend to be cooler, and valleys damper.

The coastal plains of the Languedoc rarely freeze in winter due to the influence of the Mediterranean Sea. Summer temperatures are frequently in the eighties (30C +). Generally, the inland temperatures are a few degrees cooler in winter and a few degrees warmer in summer. Nîmes, reputed to be the hottest city in France, recorded a shade temperature of 43C (110F) in 2001. On the Languedoc plains the rainfall is about 28 inches a year. Summer rain is infrequent and the days are long and dry. Heavy rains come in autumn and sometimes in spring.

The Languedoc weather is some of the most extreme in France. The Languedoc has not only the hottest summers, but also the highest winds. It has spectacular lightning storms, hailstorms that can strip a car of its paint, and occasional floods. In September 2002, 27 inches of rain fell in one day and caused severe flooding in areas of the Languedoc. A dam burst killing more than 20 people, flooding vineyards and ruining the vines. Such extremes are rare, and summers are consistently comfortable to hot.

In the north, dry winds like the Mistral, and the Tramontane blow during the summer months. The Tramontane blows most frequently, and comes from the North-North-West of France. A few days each year the Scirocco (or Sirocco) blows, carrying a fine miasma of dust from the North African deserts.

Viewings in the Aude

With 22 new properties across the Aude this month we have loads to see.

5.6% mortgages

Borrowing in France is simple and fixed rates mortgages are as low as 5.6% over 20 years.