A second home in Burgundy: what to plan.

Contents

1. The yearly budget
2. Winter
3. Someone on site
4. Letting it when you are away
5. How long you can stay
6. Frequently asked questions

A second home lives without you most of the year. The budget, the winter and the people who keep an eye on it matter as much as the charm.

The yearly budget

• The property tax and the taxe d'habitation on second homes, with a possible surcharge in some communes: yearly property taxes.
• Insurance: check the clauses on unoccupied periods.
• Energy, water, internet, even when you are away.
• The garden, the gutters, the chimney sweep.

Winter

Burgundy winters can freeze. Keep minimum heating, know where the water stopcock is, and ask someone to check the house after a cold spell. Old stone houses do not like being closed and cold for months.

Someone on site

A neighbour, a caretaking service or a local company can open the shutters, check after a storm and let in a craftsman. It is worth organising from the first year.

Letting it when you are away

Letting to holidaymakers helps with the costs, but the rules have tightened: registration, energy rating, tax. Letting a holiday home in Burgundy.

How long you can stay

Europeans come and go freely. British, American and other non-European owners can stay 90 days in any 180 without a visa; beyond that, a long-stay visa is needed. Owning a home does not change this rule. I work in English and French every day. I also speak Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi fluently, Persian (Farsi) very well, and good Greek and Arabic.

Frequently asked questions