La Maison du Lac is sure to be a winner with families, it is practical and stacked full of family friendly features as well as being well priced and within walking distance of a fab leisure lake.

At a glance
 - Enclosed pool
 - Welcome pack provided
 - Outdoor play equipment
 - Stunning 180-degree views
 - English speaking babysitting available
 - Completely enclosed garden with gated driveway
 - Home cooked meals & baby pack available on request
 - Walking distance to a beautiful lake with beach, playground and kiosk
 - Walking distance to corner shop, Post Office and 12th Century church

Inside
The rooms are perfectly laid out to allow children and parents to have their bedrooms within close proximity of each other and to have easy access to the huge, family bathroom.  

Outside
Outside you will be able to enjoy the 180° views of the idyllic surroundings; a beautiful valley, the leisure lake and the local village with its 12th century church, all of which are just a short walk away from the front door.  The enclosed pool, the swimming lake and walks from the door make this a great house to make the most out of outdoor living. 

What to do in September
Watch the vendange (grape collection)
Visit the markets
Enjoy the sunshine
Avoid the crowds!

Plenty of September Availability
Price per week from £655

So a September holiday it is then!  You may as well save some extra pennies along the way with our special offers.  Here are just a few but do visit our specials page to see if there is anything that catches your eye!

Footloose in France
The Stable - with a central village yet secluded location (a choice of 5 boulangeries, 2 weekly markets and a supermarket within walking distance) this property is hit.  £140 off weeks in September and October

Idyllic in Italy
Casa Barile has hillside views, a heated and enclosed pool and plenty of opportunities for an excellent holiday.  We are offering a £250.00 per wk for remaining weeks in September.

Be QUICK, book while stocks last!  Email enquiries@totstotravel.co.uk or call 0870 458 5528.

Will it be France, Italy, Spain or Portugal?  Here are some great reasons to take a break in September.  Do contact us to find out which of our properties would be closest to the action! 

France in September...
1) Watch the Grape Harvest
Watch the activity amongst the vines as the grapes are collected.  The start of the wine harvest is announced from the Tour du Roi in St-Émilion, accompanied by parades; see www.saint-emilion-tourisme.com for details.

2) Beg a Bargain at the Brocante
The brocante season continues and is great fun.  These flea-market/antique fairs happen on Sunday and prices are better as the main tourist season has cooled down.

3) Moules et Frites
Eat Fresh Oysters and Mussels - apparently these should only be eaten when there is an 'r' in the month but September brings fresher, bigger shellfish, simply add frites and Muscadet!

4) Wild walnuts 
More activity in the fields with the walnut harvest.  These nuts need to be collected at just the right time and dried to perfection.

5) Classic car races
In the Charente on the 17th and 18th September is the Circuit des Remparts.  This sees vintage and classic cars race across the countryside and through the streets of Angouleme.  The town buzzes with the thrill of these old cars and the ambience is fantastic!
 

In Italy
1) “Hunting” for salad
It’s out to the fields to look for the wild chicory & salad greens then back home to see how they are used in the regional cooking. 

2) The country life
• How to make honey – a talk by Sergio followed by some tasting.      (June to September)   5 euro per head
• Come and pick the Mela Rosa apples – have fun picking the local apple, the Mela Rosa, at a small, family farm that has been growing these apples for 50 years. When you’ve finished, enjoy afternoon tea amongst the trees and take home a few kilos of apples.  (September & October only).

3) Giornata con i contadini (A day with the farmers) 
Make bread in the old way & visit the mill where the grain is stoneground for the flour to make the bread & pasta.  Enjoy a great lunch at Il Forno a Collina.. 

PS. Alternatively you could always just relax and take it easy!

With falling property prices and the green shoots of recovery in sight then your dream of holiday property could become a reality.  Here overseas property guru Louise Reynolds from Property Venture gives us her top tips!

What's more, Louise is running a FREE introductory Teleseminar “Buying Property Abroad made easy?” for those interested in property and who may be new to seeking property abroad.  Sign up here Introductory Teleseminar "Buying Property Abroad Made Easy?"

1. Research, research, research!
Do as much research as possible on the country and area you are considering buying in.  Many people do this over the internet but there are also property exhibitions, books, magazines and don’t forget family & friends who may have been through the process. This will help you know what is on offer and the kind of prices you can expect to pay.

2. What can you afford?
Check out what you are able to do and afford financially, very early on in the process and the options available to you.  Is it better to get a local mortgage i.e. in the country of purchase?  Or is it better and simpler to organise finances in the UK?  This has to be done in a timely fashion, so that there is no risk of non-compliance with the contractual timeframes, especially once a deposit has been paid.

3. Be clear on what it is you want.
Is it a passive income stream from a buy-to-let property?  If so you want to check you are buying in an area that is attractive to a prospective tenant, with good transport connections and the kind of rental income you might achieve. As a rule of thumb, you should be looking for 5-6% gross rental yield (annual rental income „i property price)

4. Is it a pure holiday home?
Here subjective feelings come more into play about whether a property suits or not. However it is always good advice to consider your “exit strategy”, or in other words what happens when you no longer want the property.  Will it be attractive to a wide local audience to sell on afterwards, or just to other Brits?
Is it a mix between the two, a holiday home that you want to rent as a holiday let, to help cover costs?

It is worth being realistic with this one, so that you work out how many weeks you will need to rent out to cover costs and not end up getting over ambitious.  www.totstotravel.co.uk are ideally placed to help you extend your season.

4. The Hand of the Law
Use a good independent lawyer with local knowledge. Don’t hand over money without checking the situation legally first. Remember that the same common sense you would apply in UK, also applies abroad.

5. The Buying Process
Familiarise yourself with the buying process abroad. Whilst many common-sense principles translate across from the UK and still apply abroad, there are some differences to the buying process. Knowing these up front helps avoid unnecessary surprises.

Copyright Property Venture® 2009
Property Venture® is running an introductory free Teleseminar “Buying Property Abroad made easy?” for those interested in property and who may be new to seeking property abroad. Sign up here FREE introductory Teleseminar.