Don't fall for the cheap dreams of French real estate - it's a lot harder than it looks.

In rural France, the car is an essential part of life and the original decor can be awful, and you're lucky if your estate agent even tells you where the house is. "Buying here is a bigger commitment than in many parts of the UK" says the source.

Wondering if you are currently on vacation in France or planning to do so this summer? If so, you might be doing what I always did before I moved here, which is to spend a lot of time looking in the windows of estate agents and wondering: "What if?" (My husband insists that one of the best things about living here is that I no longer try to walk past every real estate agent in town picking up brochures).

When I talk to many British visitors about their fantastic real estate buying habits, the first thing many say is, "It's amazing what you can get for your money!" Well, yes and no. Sometimes our English friends and acquaintances admire our house and suggest how lucky we are to have purchased it for such a ridiculous price. I smile slightly through clenched teeth, tilt my head in a whipped manner, and silently remind myself that it's not nice to talk about money with anyone but my banker or accountant.

Homes in vibrant villages overlooking the water and possessing character - even if work is required - are expensive. Of course, the prices are not the same as in London or Paris, but they will not make the residents of Brighton or Biarritz go wild with cheapness.

In rural areas and some small towns, public transportation is extremely erratic or non-existent, so you will need a car. Many picturesque French villages suffered the same fate as their British counterparts. They've been emptied out due to shopping centers outside of cities, so for something more exotic than a baguette, and sometimes even for that, you may need to get in the car as well. Some places go into a deep slumber at the end of the season, and the restaurant you like so much on Mule Fridays may not reopen until Easter.

This is the actual position of the journalist in this case.