Axelle invested in Amiens from the UK
Self-employed in London, can you get a mortgage in France? After several refusals, Axelle bought a 2-bedroom house in Amiens for €111,000, financed over 20 years at a fixed 3.4%. Refreshed for €5,000 to €7,000, it targets €700 of rent per month.
United KingdomTestimonial published in November 2025
Axelle tells the story
“If I’d done this on my own, it would have taken me 10 years. Here, it took 4 or 5 months.”
Axelle, who lives in the UK
What Axelle had to overcome from the UK
FinancingSelf-employed, in London, and refused
A French and Spanish teacher, Axelle has been self-employed for two to two and a half years and lives in London. She thought both would sink her application, and several banks did say no. She learnt from each refusal and changed her approach. She secured a loan over 20 years and 2 months, including a two-month deferral, at a fixed 3.4%, for a €127,000 project.
LettingA couple rather than students, for now
Amiens is a big student town, but while she lives in London with no trusted contact on site, Axelle prefers to let the house to a couple, or a couple with a child: fewer changes. She is aiming for €700 a month for two years. Once back in France, she can manage everything herself and let to students.
Remote managementA purchase run from London
Axelle made one trip to Amiens to meet estate agents, then handled the rest remotely, in four to five months. She used a notary in a small nearby town. The signing, expected at the end of June, was delayed: bank holidays and the Amiens prefecture slowed everything down.
Renovation worksWorks on her own terms
During the programme, Axelle saw other members take on big renovations. She knew what she wanted: a property needing only a refresh. The works on the house are estimated at €5,000 to €7,000. The two-month loan deferral covers that period.
How Axelle invested in Amiens from the UK
London, for 23 years
Never a homeowner
Axelle has lived in London for 23 years. A French and Spanish teacher, she taught in schools for 12 to 15 years before going self-employed. She had always rented. Since childhood, she had held preconceptions about estate agents and lost money: property scared her, and she did not know where to start.
Mid-December
She joins ImmoPourExpat
Her partner, interested in buy-to-let, helped her see the upside. As an only child, she knows she will need to be there for her parents, and plans to return to France one day: Amiens, a town she knows, was the obvious choice. On her first call, she thought “it’s a scam”. She still signed up in mid-December.
The support programme
Her number one priority
She made the programme her priority every day, taking notes and replaying the lessons. Having arrived without knowing whether she wanted a house or a flat, she built her list of criteria with the modules. She chose a two-bedroom house needing a refresh, bought in her own name, for €111,000.
The banks
Refusals that helped
Self-employed and based in London, she expected to be turned down. Several banks did say no. She learnt from each refusal and changed her approach. She secured 20 years and 2 months, including a two-month deferral, at a fixed 3.4%, for a €127,000 project.
Choosing the tenant
A couple, to limit turnover
With no trusted contact on site, she is aiming for a couple, or a couple with a child. Target rent: €700 a month for two years. She plans to move back to France in about two years and manage the letting herself, with students.
End of June
A delayed signing
Four to five months after signing up, the process was complete and the loan approved. The banker was only waiting for the notary, who had done all his checks. Bank holidays and the Amiens prefecture delayed the signing, expected at the end of June.
Today
“That wall came down”
Soon to be a homeowner, Axelle sees it first as a personal journey: she has overcome old fears. Faced with comments from those around her, she followed Frédéric’s advice to keep “the blinkers on”. She is already thinking about what comes next, a second house or a flat.
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