Kacey Ainsworth, who plays Little Mo in EastEnders, is the latest celebrity to hit the headlines for buying a second home in France. Kacey's new house is in a rural, peaceful area, just north of the Dordogne region.

Other celebrity homeowners in France include Elton John, who owns a magnificent mansion near Cannes on the Côte d'Azur, Posh and Becks, who bought a mansion in Provence last year, and Mick Jagger, who owns a property in south west France.

But buying a house in the sun is not just for the rich and famous. The average property price in the Côte d'Azur is €275,000 (approx. £190,000), and it's still the most popular region for UK homebuyers. In the last year, approximately one third of new purchases were made in this region by homebuyers using Abbey National France's mortgage service.

With the national average property price in France having risen 10% over the last year, French property remains competitively priced in comparison with UK property, which has increased by around 14% over the same period. It’s little wonder, therefore, that UK buyers are opting for a slice of the good life in France, whether it's a second home, a holiday or investment property, or selling up entirely to live and work there.

Examples of French property prices:

• Limousin average property price €66,000 (approx. £45,000)
• Brittany average property price €70,000 (approx. £50,000)
• Dordogne average property price €206,000 (approx. £140,000)
• Paris average property price €268,000 (approx. £180,000)

David Wells, Managing Director, Abbey National France said: “Demand from UK buyers to buy a home to live or work in France has never been greater. We’ve made the process of buying a home in the sun much easier with English speaking advisors and low mortgage interest rates. This, together with easy access to France by train, eurotunnel and low cost flights, means that owning a property in France may be easier and more achievable than people first think.”