4 *** Saturday 12 May 2018 The Daily Telegraph Saturday 12 May 2018 *** 5 INTERNATIONAL peaceful An apartment in Amsterdam, €600,000 with Engel and Voelkers PROPERTY and her banker husband rent an apart- star, including the Pas-de-Calais depar- OF THE ‘Paris ment in London’s Chancery Lane, but tement, Lille, and Avignon and feels like are shopping for a Haussmannian Marseille in the sun-drenched south. WEEK apartment in the ninth, 10th or second Tim Sage, an agent for Leggett in the Meet the super- London arrondisements. “In Paris, you can get Seven Valleys area in northern France, a bit more for your money than in Lon- an hour from the Gare de Calais-Frét- The former home of Fawlty did 10 don and we plan to use Eurostar to hun, knows of several couples who Towers actor Andrew Sachs years ago commute weekly. I can work remotely commute weekly to the UK. from there for two days a week,” she “This verdant area of rolling hills is and I know says. “The train is far more enjoyable rather like Kent, and is ideally posi- and less stressful than flying.” With an- tioned for access to London, Brussels, commuters from several other summer of French air-traffic con- Paris and the rest of France. The aver- trol strikes looming, few might argue age house budget of British buyers is people with that. around €140,000,” he says. “Property moving Certainly not Ciarán O’Brien, a hotspots include the village of Hesdin Shoreditch-based architect, who loves and the pretty seaside town of Berck. there’ the convenience of hopping between Lille has also become popular due to the Continent cities every week for inspiration, and to Eurostar and while it is relatively ex- spend time with his girlfriend, Han- pensive, it’s half the price of Paris.” nah, an American fashion buyer who Only six miles from the Lille Flandres works on the glitzy rue Saint- Eurostar station there is a four-bed- trÈs chic Honoré. He is also house-hunt- room recently renovated home for sale and cosy ing there. for €138,400 (frenchestateagents.com). An apartment “I can leave my office and be Fancy a few more hours of guaran- Improved transport in St Germain, at St Pancras in 30 minutes, teed sun? Head to Avignon (five hours he family home in London of €1.85 million through fast-track security and 50 minutes from London by Eurostar) legendary actor links offer new meaning with Vingt Paris, be in Paris in two hours 15 min- for a part-time home in Provence, or to Andrew Sachs is on the market, utes,” says the 33-year-old, who Marseille (six hours 27 minutes), sug- T . left; a house in writes Tom Belger to work-life balance, Pas-de-Calais, loves the flexibility of working gests Leggett’s Trevor Smith. “Recent The comic star earned a place in the below left, as a “virtual nomad”. buyers have included IT consultants nation’s hearts in his most famous role, as €214,000 “Paris feels like London did who commute every two to four weeks the hapless Spanish waiter in the findsLiz Rowlinson with Leggett 10 years ago, and I know sev- from homes within 25 minutes of Avi- classic Seventies sitcom. eral people moving there. It’s gnon, and with British Airways now His distinctive catchphrase “I know ast month, eager train due for a renaissance.” With its flying three times a day to Marseille, it’s nothing” went down in comedy history, buffs took the first non- property prices projected to outper- convenient to have plenty of options,” with Manuel the endearing victim of John stop Eurostar from St form London and New York in 2018 it is he says. Cleese’s jokes. Pancras to Amsterdam certainly on the way, and singer Ri- “There’s also a new direct train link Born in in 1930, Sachs’ career in the Netherlands. In hanna is reported to be the latest celeb- between Avignon’s Eurostar and TGV spanned more than 50 years and went far just three hours 41 scenic rity property hunting in the capital. [high-speed rail] stations so that on- beyond the show with which he will minutes from London, route There are also regular commuters to ward travel will be much easier – to forever be associated. L it is now possible to A Eurostar train other areas of France served by Euro- popular locations such as L’Isle-sur-la- He narrated countless programmes, walk out of the fine Gothic Renaissance races through Sorgue, Nîmes, Montpellier and Aix- from the award-winning television series Revival façade of Centraal station and the Dutch en-Provence.” While prices are inching Troubleshooter to audiobooks of Thomas stroll along canals lined with elegant countryside, up by a couple of percentage points a the Tank Engine. gabled townhouses, bohemian cafés once a week,” says Rob Hay- top; a chateau year, it’s still a buyers’ market, he sug- His final major role came in the 2012 and art galleries in one of Europe’s cocks, its spokesman. in Pas-de- gests. “Within commuting range, we comic drama Quartet, before his death most charismatic capitals. Are property agents see- Calais, below, have a beautiful Provençal stone house in November 2016. His wife, Melody, The new service runs twice a day, al- ing an upturn of interest in €645,000 with with four bedrooms and sunny terrace revealed he had been suffering from though the return journey will not be Amsterdam? That alluringly Leggett in the pretty village of Saumane – 20 vascular dementia. quite so quick until passport protocols laid-back Dutch lifestyle He adds that there are also more inquir- international interest to the south of on the new route? Unilever, the Anglo- miles from Avignon – at €355,000.” The couple spent 30 years in their are agreed in 2019. Will the increased aside, the reasons to buy British ies from British parents who are look- the city, where the international Dutch consumer products giant, re- And, finally, do the British commute detached Victorian home in Kilburn, accessibility of Amsterdam persuade there do stack up. Amsterdam sits with parents are ing at Dutch universities as a less costly schools are also based, suggests cently announced its European HQ will to Brussels? Jean de Kerchove of Im- north-west London. people to invest there? There’s a cer- Berlin, Frankfurt and Paris as a good alternative to sending their children to van der Linden. “The Oud-Zuid [old be based there, but the city centre was mobiliere Le Lion suggests there are The pair, their three children and tain appeal about dividing your week option for investment, and alongside looking at British institutions. south] residential area near the Von- virtually destroyed during the Second many Eurostar commuters to the Bel- relatives gathered at the house for family between two countries – and having Dublin was the only European location Wieger van der Linden, of agent En- delpark offers some upscale family World War and attracts little interna- gian capital but the bulk are from Paris, occasions, and loved to host social events. a foot in two cultures – as dozens of in Savills’ top 10 global cities for resi- Dutch gel & Völkers, agrees the market in the homes. Wherever you are in the city, tional interest – yet – according to from where it is an easy one hour The freehold property has five bedrooms commuters to various parts of France dential price growth in 2017 (at a huge universities city has become more international you are only 15-20 minutes from Cen- Knight Frank. 20-minute journey. “The French who and is spread across two floors, with a have discovered. 20.9 per cent). since 2014. “Now 30 per cent of our cli- traal station.” Elegant avenues and historic build- have a base in the city love Uccle and study where Sachs did much of his writing, Eurostar cannot yet provide data on “The city is a very interesting propo- as a ents are from the UK or America, buy- The central “canal ring” is the ings are certainly not lacking in Paris, a Ixelles (handy for the Gare du including his autobiography, and the take-up of the Dutch route, but it sition for investors right now, offering cheaper ing for investment or because they are other sought-after area – priced at city to which many British people com- cities of Midi), while the British favour rehearsing for voice-over work. has half a million members of its loyalty yields of five to six per cent, because working in the city,” he says. “There is around £490 to £570 per sq ft – mute weekly from London (or vice Love the eastern side, where the He was so admired for his diligent scheme (across all routes), many of prices are still lower than Paris and de- alternative the attraction of no extra tax on second with four-bedroom canal-side houses versa), says Susie Hollands of agent 10 minutes in a cab from the Gare du Ciarán O’Brien, British International School is, preparation that he became known to some whom travel weekly from the UK to the mand exceeds supply,” suggests Alex homes here, and property buying costs from around €1.8 million (£1.5 million). Vingt Paris. “People reach a stage when Nord, the Eurostar terminal. The price who commutes which is closer to the airport as “one-take Sachs”. Continent and back, consisting of Brit- Koch de Gooreynd of agent Knight were reduced from six to two per cent.” A two-bedroom apartment within one they are flexible in their career and for a turnkey property is around €1,070 from London, than the station.” For a two- The property is on the market for ish, French and Belgian commuters. Frank. “One million dollars (£740,295) The transfer of the European Medi- of these is for sale at €625,000 (engel- move back and forth between the two per sq ft.” with girlfriend bedroom pied a terre in the £1.85 million with Savills (020 3425 5600, “This includes expats who travel at typically buys you 495 sq ft [of prop- cines Agency from London to Amster- voelkers.com). cities,” she says. “Paris’s ninth and 10th One such commuter is Jodi Hum- Hannah in Paris trendy Chatelain area you will savills.co.uk).

WONING MEDIA WONING least twice a month, and some travel erty] in Paris, or 1,160 in Amsterdam.” dam by 2019 will attract further And what about Rotterdam, a stop arrondissements are popular and only phreys, 49, a software developer. She pay over €600,000.