Reviews

At La Porte we try to provide a thoughtful and professional service and we hope that comes through in your dealings with us. Here are some of the comments that our clients have given. We welcome your views – buyers and sellers alike - and invite you to share your experiences here.

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Ian & Lynn
Wednesday, 05 September 2018 15:32
We were impressed by the initial advice given when asking to view properties. We discussed our budget and the possible additional costs involved in any work required on the properties in order to be aware fully of what we may be taking on rather than being encouraged to view regardless.

When we met Liesbeth for our first viewings she was so friendly and enthusiastic and we enjoyed her company. She was always helpful and quick to respond to our concerns and when we had decided on the house we wanted to purchase, she saw us through whole house buying process, dealing with any queries that arose. We found her to be a great support and even after buying the house she has continued to be readily contactable and, some weeks on, Is still in touch to ***st us with a planning query we have.

Excellent, friendly and efficient service

Marcus & Laura Cochrane
Sunday, 05 August 2018 16:50
We were first time buyers in France and what could have ultimately been a daunting and complex process has been made so straightforward and seamless with the knowledgeable, candid, incredibly personable and professional help of Thomas. From initial visits, both to properties that we had chosen and those that Thomas had identified, from our brief, as being of interest to us, arranging a meeting with a superb building contractor along the way who has worked with Thomas on previous properties, to finally, and painlessly, signing the contract with an incredibly helpful Notaire, again with Thomas there to guide and explain the procedure, and becoming the owners of a dream property that we still cannot quite believe has become ours. A big heartfelt thank you, therefore, to Thomas and also the team at La Porte: Simon, Tamzin and Liesbeth, who were there to ***st as necessary, for making the whole experience an enjoyable and successful adventure! We cannot recommend Thomas and La Porte highly enough.

Mr & Mrs Anthony Cohen
Tuesday, 19 June 2018 07:11
We have just completed the purchase of a property in the Lot brought to us by La Porte Property. They have been exemplary throughout the buying process from initial connection in December to completion six months later. Simon was our original contact and was responsive, attentive and interested from the start. He followed up our initial query almost immediately and set up conference calls to discuss our specific requirements and explain the process. Once we had agreed our requirements he provided an initial list of potentially suitable properties for our review. We reviewed the details of these properties, discussed them and rejected some. More possibilities were provided and a final list for viewing was drawn up. During this period, Thomas was introduced via email and was copied on all discussions.

We agreed with Simon in early January that we would like a viewing trip of 2 ½ days and he arranged everything to take place later that month. All we had to do was turn up at the office in Monpazier.

On arrival we were made to feel very welcome and placed into Thomas’ capable hands. He drove us around for the next 2 days showing us 6 properties in all, 3 twice. He drove us around the nearby towns and villages and allowed us to get a feel for the relevant environs, to understand where the local amenities were for each property. He explained the details behind each property and allowed as copious amounts of time to view allowing us to get a true feel for each one. He offered his own opinions on properties and locations and local life which was exactly what we were looking for. He even helped us find a restaurant for dinner which is no easy task in January.

When we asked to view some properties for the second time he more than happy to accommodate our requests and was open to all our questions demonstrating a clear understanding of what we were going through.

Thomas helped us with advice through the negotiation phase and in identifying appropriate legal advisers as well as introducing us to the sellers. He has continued to be incredibly helpful up to and after the completion, helping establish all the utilities so that we are ready to return and enjoy our new home.

All in all I would summarise La Porte and Thomas in particular as open and honest, helpful, knowledgeable, responsive and charming – a pleasure to do business with. I would certainly recommend their service.”



Michel Jordan
Saturday, 12 May 2018 17:13
Having finally decided to sell our property in France we contacted a local agent and were very disappointed by their lack of enthusiasm. Someone recommended LaPorte whose professionalism we cannot fault. They encouraged us to get the water/sewage and asbestos/lead diagnostics ready early and always showed potential buyers around the property. They always gave us feed back after each visit. Once we had a firm offer they expertly guided us through the sale process. We were sad to leave our house but grateful we had chosen LaPorte.

Clive and Lizzie Breward
Wednesday, 09 May 2018 07:48
We decided reluctantly that it was time for us to downsize last Autumn.  Simon and Tamzin gave us a very realistic evaluation which they explained fully to us.  The second clients that Thomas bought to see our house bought it despite originally looking in a completely different area.  Thomas had listened to their description of what they were looking for and suggested our property despite it not being in their preferred location.  Thomas then helped us through some difficult negotiations regarding a right over the land and the sale was completed in April 2018.  We feel that throughout the process everyone at Laporte was available to help and keep the process moving along.  
Thanks you all very much for enabling us to start a new and easier life!

G Kelly
Sunday, 22 April 2018 06:50
After searching for a suitable property for years & viewing countless unsuitable properties suggested by other agents,  we contacted La Porte... viewed one property only and are now living in our dream home!
From start to finish, Tamzin has been on hand to help make the process stress-free.
We had heard many stories of properties taking months to complete, our purchase whizzed through in a matter of weeks!
Highly recommend La Porte - just wish we’d found them sooner.

Simon and Andrea Heppenstall
Saturday, 21 April 2018 19:17
We would like to thank Thomas at La Porte Property on helping us find our dream home near Lauzun. From our initial contact, viewings and right through to completion, Thomas was fantastic. His knowledge with the whole process was a m***ve help to us, even down to helping sort our cut off water supply ! If we ever decide to purchase another property in the region, we wouldn’t even consider using anyone else. Thanks again.

Ineke Oerlemans
Wednesday, 11 April 2018 14:31
Voor de verkoop van ons huis kwamen we bij La Porte terecht. Het voelde meteen goed, professioneel en oprecht betrokken. De communicatie met La Porte hebben was open en eerlijk, wat een positieve ervaring was. Ze waren actief en kwamen alleen voor een bezichtiging als de klant ook echt geïnteresseerd was. Binnen een paar weken werd ons huis door Tamzin verkocht voor een hele mooie prijs.
Het hele proces van de verkoop heeft zij begeleid en zelfs bij de notaris was Tamzin aanwezig. Dat was ook nog eens heel gezellig!

Mark and Frances Castle
Friday, 16 March 2018 17:40
We have just completed on the purchase of our lovely property near Monpazier.  Having described our vision to Simon and Tamzin,we visited 3 properties all of which would have suited us well, with one being the stand-out choice from Grandmas to teenagers. We are delighted with our exciting new project and are grateful to Simon, Tamzin and Thomas for their patience and ***stance in getting here. We strongly recommend La Porte, their local knowledge is second to none.  Thank you.  

Françoise et Benoît Bonnesire-Evrard, Be
Sunday, 11 March 2018 12:49
Dès que le début de notre projet d'achat en Dordogne, nous avons lu toutes les annonces de toutes les agences existantes. Nous avons de suite été séduits par la qualités de propriétés proposées par l'agence Laporte. Nous avions sélectionnés deux maisons et demandé à les visiter dans une période précise car notre séjour était court. Nous avons eu une réponse de suite, un rdv fixé immédiatement et surtout un contact disponible, Thomas Renfrew. Le coup de foudre pour notre maison a été immédiat mais nous avions un peu peur du côté administratif. Peur vite oubliée car c'est Thomas qui a tout géré. Nous avons du juste venir signer l'acte chez le notaire le jour où nous nous sommes installés. Efficacité, disponibilité, fabilité, qualité des biens, facilité pour les étrangers. Nous sommes ravis. Merci pour tout. Françoise et Benoît.

Neil Walker & David Higgins
Thursday, 22 February 2018 08:36
After two years of searching for a property we came across La Porte by chance on the internet when a property they had for sale caught our eye. As it turned out that property wasn't for us. However what came out of that telephone call was an incredibly helpful and supportive relationship with Lisa Honey who worked for La Porte and who helped us find the home of our dreams in Sagelat near Belves. Through her willingness to share her own experiences of buying in France and by listening attentively to what we wanted from the move, her enthusiasm for the area encouraged us to move our property search from the Sarlat region to the Bastide towns and villages of the Dordogne. Lisa guided us through the process of purchasing a property with the utmost professionalism and commitment and nothing was ever too much trouble for her. In addition, she willingly offered other useful tips and advice regarding the array of practical issues including banking, removal companies and finding a left hand drive car, often making introductions to other professionals and services which helped make the transition from the UK to France go smoothly. Once we had found our home and the offer had been accepted, Lisa maintained regular contact with us in the UK and on follow up visits to France. She always returned phone calls and emails, often late in the evening, and was always prepared to answer any questions no matter how left-field they might have been, many of which were often not related to the actual purchase. In essence the customer service she provided was second to none. The closing stages of our purchase became complicated and drawn out due to legal processes associated with some of the land close to the house. It was a nerve wracking and stressful period. However Lisa helped us find lovely rental accommodation to get us through the unexpected delay and helped keep us calm at times when we thought the sale might fall through. When we finally completed and moved into the house, she helped sort out the initial practicalities such as meter readings, utility suppliers and telephone companies and made regular contact to see if there was anything more she could do to help and to ensure we were settling in well. From the moment we first spoke to moving in, Lisa gave us the additional self belief and confidence that we were making the right move, one of the biggest and most important life changing decisions we have ever made. As we now look out at the stunning views from our stoned courtyard with the pretty village of Belves as a backdrop we are forever grateful that luck, and the internet, brought us to La Porte and Lisa!

Roger Bailey
Friday, 26 January 2018 12:39
When I wanted to downsize I asked several local estate agents to give me estimates of the value of my house. They differed widely as was to be expected. However, I did choose La Porte and although it took some time for the house to sell, I was always impressed with the professionalism of all the staff - Simon, Lisa , Tamzin and Thomas. They all brought potential buyers and always gave me advanced warning of viewings and then feedback afterwards. I can recommend La Porte who both found the house originally and then sold it for me.

Neil & Gill
Monday, 15 January 2018 18:50
We first called in to the La Porte office and spoke to Simon who gave us great advice and some months later we returned with to view a list of properties that had been picked for us. After a chat with Tamzin we narrowed the list down and went off to view the properties. it was obvious that Tamzin had really looked at our wish list and presented us with a great choice - one of which we have bought and will soon living in. We were delighted with the input from La Porte all through parts the process and would recommend them to anyone.
Many thanks to all concerned.

Karin & Brian Malone
Friday, 29 December 2017 14:54
We have just completed on our wonderful home in the Dordogne which was made possible by the wonderful staff at La Porte.
We had an extensive list of categories and features...some of which changed as we came closer to being able to purchase but Tamzin and her staff understood what we were looking for and have been incredibly helpful in finding just the ‘perfect’ place and securing it on our behalf.
They never tired of answering all our many queries and supplying information after information by return.
A first class service! Thank you all at La Porte and especially Tamzin!

Ian and Sarah Hoddy
Tuesday, 07 November 2017 14:56
Having searched for the ‘perfect’ house in the Dordogne for a couple of years, through a variety of different agents, we were recommended to try La Porte by the owner of a gite in which we were staying during one of our search visits.

On contacting La Porte it was immediately obvious that this was a very different kind of estate agent. Whereas we had had the sense that other agents simply tried to sell us any houses on their books that vaguely fit our criteria, Thomas and Simon took the time to understand exactly what we were looking for and, crucially, why. Consequently, by the time we came to visit the list of half a dozen properties we’d selected from the La Porte website, Thomas was able to accurately predict our reactions to each one – what aspects we would like and which we wouldn’t.

It was very refreshing to work with an agent that was so tuned in to our vision of the ideal house and when Thomas recommended we view a house that had not been on our list because, on paper, it didn’t appear to meet our requirements, we readily agreed. Of course, Thomas was spot on with his recommendation and within a few short months the house was ours.

The help and guidance provided by Thomas and Simon during the buying process was invaluable and the whole exercise felt pretty painless – even parting with the money!

John & Dawn
Saturday, 28 October 2017 14:57
Stress-free and Successful
We started our French home search in October 2016, when we initially met up with Tamzin and Simon in Monpazier. They helped us in putting our plans together by recommending the rental of a lovely gite in Issigeac to use as our base for our property search this year. Working with them was enjoyable and fun; Tamzin, Simon and Thomas made it feel more like a family affair than a business transaction. We've now found our lovely home here in Beaumont with their help and have appreciated all their guidance in the French buying process that (to be honest) was less stressful than that in the UK.

Nick & Anna L
Monday, 16 October 2017 14:57
We have just bought a stunning property just outside Issigeac to use as a holiday home and have to say the process has been both pleasurable and easy and this is mostly down to the relaxed but professional approach from both Simon and Tamzin.
The property was on a few websites and had only recently hit the market but having nearly bought through La Porte two years ago we had no interest in going through any other agent due to the level of service provided previously by Simon.

Having worked in Property and Real Estate for over 20 years I have high expectations and these have been not only met but exceeded and this is continuing post sale with hand holding from Tamzin with setting up Bank Accounts and sourcing local contacts etc.

Basically a really professional service from likable people who genuinely care and we haven't been paid anything from them for this review

Norman and Jenny Begg
Sunday, 15 October 2017 14:58
We had a wonderful experience with Laporte properties. Tamzin really listened to us and understood exactly what we were looking for. She followed through in detail during the purchase process, making sure we understood what had to be done at every step. Thomas was also a great help. I would highly recommend Laporte.

Liesbeth de Beer
Tuesday, 10 October 2017 14:59
We want to thank you for all the help and service by selling our house.
Your team is fantastic!

Thanks a lot and good luck in the future.

Kind regards, Ineke and Liesbeth

Gary & Janet Arndt
Monday, 02 October 2017 15:02
We have been looking for a property in France for many years and have had experience of many French estate agencies. We found our perfect house with La Porte and the buying process was extremely smooth and very well managed - and the service we received was without compare. We were constantly kept in touch with all developments and emails and phone calls were responded to without delay - even outside of office hours. This even included a site visit on Bastille Day by Tamsin who was not directly involved with the sale of our property. We cannot recommend La Porte highly enough and would like to make special mention of Lisa who went above and beyond the call of duty!

Chris and Liz Collins
Monday, 02 October 2017 15:00
Thank you very much Simon and Tamzin for all of your fantastic marketing work and customer-based knowledge in selling our house. We were amazed at the speed at which you brought everything together- right from the outset, you had a clear vision of how to market our property for us and within an incredibly fast time, had found our buyers. We felt that your handling of the whole process was professional and also very personal and we couldn't have asked for better estate agents than yourselves! We have even recommended you to some other prospective sellers!
Thank you very much.
Chris and Liz Collins

James Duncan
Tuesday, 26 September 2017 15:02
In a time which has been difficult to sell property in France we have been very pleased with the hard work put in by Tamzin and her team which has resulted in a successful outcome.

Bryan and Ann Jones
Friday, 26 May 2017 15:02
When we decided to down size, we asked La Porte to visit and give us an opinion on the value of our house in Issigeac .
Simon arrived and quickly viewed and valued the house , we agreed and he produced the most wonderful web site good photographs and an honest description of the property.
Within four days the property was sold , we were amazed having expected to wait for the sale !
Lisa Honey gave us all the support we asked for, without hesitation , and right up to the sale and importantly after the sale.
Sometime later we saw the house that we thought just right for us , and again Lisa was amazing , always there for us ,meetings at the house and all the rest of the problems that can go with selling.
We would recommend La Porte without hesitation having sold and bought again ,and thank Lisa most sincerely for all her help.

Trevor King
Thursday, 11 May 2017 15:03
We purchased our home here on the Lot et Garonne/Dordogne border through La Porte Property and would happily endorse dealing with this company. Their agent (Lisa Honey) was helpful and professional throughout the whole process and we would not hesitate to use them again should the need arise.

Cyndy and Ron
Tuesday, 02 May 2017 15:03
We fell in love with the Monpazier area several years ago. and have been thinking of purchasing a home .

On a trip to Monpazier this past autumn, Lisa H. showed us the perfect house in Monpazier.

As we would be completing the transaction from the States and with limited French we were very concerned about dealing with the various French agencies .

With Lisa at the lead we had no cause for concern.

She did all the heavy lifting with the Notaire, the closing, the French water and electric utilities and even provided sound guidance as how to efficiently move money from the States to our French bank .

I am a bit of a "fretter"(worrier) and making a purchase from 5000 miles, a foreign language and 6 time zones is fertile ground for us fretters,

With Lisa at point, no reason to fret. I slept well.

We are happily now, actually as I write this, in our Monpazier home.

Thank you, Lisa.

Cyndy and Ron

David and Barbara Leighton
Wednesday, 19 April 2017 15:04
We wish to express our appreciation for all the asistance La Porte agency gave us in the sale of our property.Tamzin from the moment we met her at our property was a breath of fresh air.Her enthusiasm ,energy and honest assessment inspired us with confidence.Tamzin said to forget about the property and leave the responsibility with them.Throughout the sale we were informed of any progress.Tamzin suggested that they join with a French agency in order to broaden the property exposure to French people.The property required a complete renovation for which we did not have the energy to proceed.When Tamzin and Tracy from the other agency found a buyer they did everything.Tamzin recommended a notaire who was highly efficient and arranged for the notaire to act in proxy for us so that we did not have to make a long journey to sign documents.During the sale there was nothing unexpected because Tamzin outlined the process to us and we felt that our interests were paramount.Simon also advised and kept in touch throughout.We are currently selling three properties in Wales and only wish that Tamzin would take a sabbatical and handle these sales!
Thank you to all concerned for the highly professional service which is a service to be proud of
David and Barbara

Sally Evans
Friday, 07 April 2017 15:18
When I made the decision to sell my property in Monpazier, in the Dordogne, I had no hesitation in choosing La Porte Property to act as my agents.
Having owned a home in the region for seventeen years and bought and sold three times, I was well aware of the well meaning, but chaotic attitude of many French estate agents, resulting in potential buyers being taken to completely inappropriate properties. Frustration on all sides ensues and the sale drags on and on.
Simon Renfrew, Tamzin and Thomas are an extremely focused and hard working team. They work hard to match a potential viewer to the right property and are also there to give coffee and good advice to anxious sellers. All this is done with great good humour which is always a bonus.
I put my house on the market with them in August 2016 and in a difficult post-Brexit market, sold in September 2016.
I have no hesitation in recommending them to buyers and sellers of property in the Dordogne.

Patrick & Marijke
Thursday, 06 April 2017 15:19
We put our property near Monflanquin for sale with 5 different agencies. Being a “Propriété d'Exception", as they say in French, we were prepared for a long wait to find the right customer and sell it at the price we wanted. La Porte was definitely the most active in marketing it and got it sold much faster than we expected. They seem to have a very good feel for their customers expectations and wishes. They were also very helpful in getting the deal closed. And as icing on the cake, they are very friendly. It was a pleasure doing business with them. We recommend them highly!

Jennifer and Mike
Saturday, 11 March 2017 15:17
We had a last minute change of plan and flew from our home in UK to Bergerac airport instead of our previous trips to Marseille. It was our first time visiting the Dordogne and we ambled our way to Monpazier.
We stumbled upon the La Porte Property office and made our way inside where we were met by Thomas.
His local knowledge as well as his polite and professional manner immediately gave us comfort and we arranged to view a property next day - which we have since bought.
Thomas guided us through every aspect of the sale; answering all our emails promptly, arranging an English speaking Notaire to act on our behalf as well as FX and Insurance contacts.
I cannot recommend Thomas and La Porte Property highly enough; he took the stress out of the buying process and I can only think it was fate that sent us in his direction.

Belinda Clare
Thursday, 09 March 2017 15:19
I found the team at Laporte very helpful with the purchase of my first home in France. Tamzin is very professional and efficient and helped me every step of the way

Clare & Simon
Monday, 06 March 2017 15:20
Don't hesitate if you dream of buying a house in SW France, La Porte agency will guide you through the process. We are first time buyers in France and after many years of searching, La Porte agency helped us find the house we wanted, thank you Tamzin. Buying a house always involves commitment and hard work but Lisa was always available to help us and now we are the proud owners of a wonderful property in the Dordogne.
Simon R. can give you good advice if you are interested in a French mortgage, and the agency can recommend an English speaking notaire who we found very helpful and responsive. I found dealing with the French lender a much better experience than that in the UK.
So despite these turbulent times you will be well supported in your purchase by La Porte, carpe diem!

Johanna van Meer & Willem van den Po
Friday, 03 March 2017 15:20
Selling a house in France is no sinecure!
When we decided that we wanted to sell our house in the Dordogne, we were fortunate enough to get in touch with Simon Renfrew of La Porte Property in Monpazier.
Simon came over to our renovated farmhouse right away and advised us both friendly and professionally on the ins and outs of selling property, on the value, the possible ways to proceed, how to get the required inspections done, etc.

After that, he and the rest of the La Porte team went to work. A beautiful, yet realistic representation of the property was, in no time on their site. Tamzin, Lisa and Thomas showed quite a few interested parties what a great place our house is.
The entire team, and in our case especially Lisa, were always happy to help us and advise us on everything we needed to know and had to do. Lisa was the perfect and tireless intermediate between us and potential buyers. Always there to answer questions, always ready to help, she turned a rather bureaucratic French procedure into a smooth operation.

We want thank the entire La Porte Team, and again especially, Lisa for a job well done!
Johanna van Meer & Willem van den Pol

Hilary and Patrick
Wednesday, 01 March 2017 15:21
We have been very happy with the service we have received from Simon and Tamzin at La Porte in their handling of the sale of our house in the Lot et Garonne. The advertising process was very effective, efficient and professional and communication at all times was excellent. Most importantly, they found a very suitable buyer surprisingly quickly and the whole process was nowhere near as painful as we expected and progressed very smoothly. We could not fault them and would highly recommend them without reservation.

Chris & Dawn
Sunday, 12 February 2017 15:22
A great experience purchasing in France
Really pleased that we found our first holiday home in France via La Porte.

They are all extremely helpful, guiding us along the way and providing loads of local knowledge and support. This extended to ensuring work was completed on the house before purchase, taking photos for us and taking us to the Notaire for the signing.

What could have been a pretty complicated undertaking became very easy and with their wealth of local contacts they are great for getting started in the area. Also a totally different experience to UK agencies who just take the money and run.

Would have no hesitation using them again the future should the need arise.

Sarah and Mark Ashhurst
Sunday, 12 February 2017 15:21
An Australian perspective
After reviewing the La Porte Property website in May 2016 we sent an email enquiry regarding three properties. Lisa Honey sent us an email asking us about our criteria and suggesting a telephone interview that could take place at a time convenient to our Sydney time zone. The thirty minute telephone conference was very helpful and as a result of that conference we decided to consider an additional property, that had not previously been on our list, in Saint Caprice d’Eymet (about 20 minutes drive from Bergerac).

When it came to inspecting the properties during our brief one week visit to France in June 2016 Lisa was very accommodating with our busy schedule. The property that Lisa had suggested in Saint Caprice d’Eymet was easily the best of the 15 to 20 properties we had visited that week and Lisa not only arranged repeat visits to the property but also very efficiently negotiated the sale price between us and the vendors.

Lisa’s involvement did not stop once we had agreed on the price she also suggested us with the documentation required for the purchase, arranged our notaire, and explained the agency and notaire fees involved. Lisa also walked us through the pre-purchase inspections and the effect of having a non-compliant fosse and negotiated an exchange of farm equipment in return for us waving any complaint to the fosse. After we decided to finance some of the purchase price with a French mortgage Lisa also worked with our mortgage broker and notaire to help us achieve what we had been told was not possible from Australia.

The completion of our conveyance was an arduous road (we had not realised how slow and complicated the French property system is) yet throughout it all Lisa remained positive, approachable and informative. Even after settlement she continued to help us with a transfer of the services into our name. We would strongly recommend La Porte Property and in particular Lisa Honey who made it possible for us to purchase our dream holiday home from the other side of the world.

Steve & Debbie Loughborough
Tuesday, 24 January 2017 14:15
Our journey began when we reviewed a number of properties on the La Porte website. We then spoke to Lisa Honey and gave her a list of bullet point requirements of what we wanted for our French home. Lisa sent us the details of a number of properties to consider each tailored to our needs until we eventually had a shortlist of four.

We first came over in March 2016 to view these properties and that was when we met Lisa face to face. From the beginning we were impressed with her professionalism, duty of care and genuine warmth. She wanted us to find exactly what we wanted.

During this visit we fell in love with a house and had an offer accepted.

Lisa then held our hands through the legal process dealing with all our issues and she even offered us various companies to deal with the currency transfer. She kept in contact with us through every step of the journey. We completed in August 2016 and are now living our dream.

Lisa has continued to keep in touch offering a first class after care service. She even helped us with setting up our utilities and offering advice on how to settle in to the French way of doing things.

The service we received exceeded our expectations from start to finish and we would highly recommend La Porte to anyone looking to buy a property in France. We are now looking forward to spending many happy years in the beautiful Lot et Garonne.

Andrea & Nic Merriman
Monday, 23 January 2017 16:09
Thank you so much for the professional service you have provided in selling our property in the Dordogne. After only six months a suitable buyer was found for our beautiful two hundred year old cottage. Your knowledge of the area and commitment to both Sellers and purchasers, ensured everyone was kept up to date. Any question is never too much to answer, and your support in the whole process resulted in a smooth completion of sale in December. Thank you again.

Samantha and Peter Needham
Wednesday, 18 January 2017 12:49
A few years ago we decided we wanted to buy a home in the south of France. It was our dream. However, we soon learnt that many agents were imaginative with property details and photos and we had a lot of wasted time and disappointment. Then we came across La Porte.
We listed a few properties of interest and sat and discussed our wish list with Tamzin. She really did her homework, especially regarding my horses and their needs. We ruled a few properties out of the viewing list but the first one we went to was everything we wanted and more. The house was exactly as described. The viewing process was a pleasure and we weren't rushed. Simon did the offer negotiations for us and we gave a top budget but he came in under it, which was a great surprise and reassurance we were dealing with people who were genuine.
The whole buying process was easy as Simon and Tamzin took care of everything, kept us updated and recommended companies for money transfers, legal documents etc.
We just got the keys last week and were overjoyed that the house was even better than we remembered or imagined. Tamzin has helped with sorting the utilities, giving us contacts for builders, fencing contractors etc.

We can now live our dream thanks to La Porte.
I cannot recommend them enough, they go way beyond the standard service of estate agents.
Amazing!

Michel Tahar
Wednesday, 30 November 2016 13:20
Nous avons eu de très bonnes relations avec Mr Thomas Renfrew qui a parfaitement organisé les visites successives, répondu à nos questions, a été un parfait intermédiaire entre le propriétaire et nous, a efficacement géré les relations avec le cabinet de notaire et nous a procuré avec diligence les coordonnées des artisans qui avaient travaillé sur ce bien. N’étant pas sur place, son aide nous a été très utile grâce à une excellente réactivité et d’indéniables qualités humaines

Elizabeth Pilditch
Sunday, 06 November 2016 17:27
I first met Lisa Honey when I was looking, and had been looking for a property for several months.
She was a breath of fresh air for me.
It helped that she spoke English as well as French.
They had wonderful properties on their books, and it wasn't long before we found one we really liked.
She was so extremely helpful to us, and when our offer was accepted, that is when she guided us through the buying process, while we had to be in the UK.
We are now proud owners of the property, and we are both so grateful to La Porte, and Lisa, we would recommend the team anytime.

Rebecca and Greg Randall
Thursday, 03 November 2016 15:21
We began to search for a house a couple of years ago having very little knowledge of what we were doing or what we wanted. Lisa looked after us from the beginning of our search to the end. She was infinitely patient with our ever-changing demands and we were shown houses that actually matched our brief (something that some agents appeared to be incapable of). We covered many miles and drunk a lot of coffee but Lisa listened to our moans and nothing fazed her. Once we had found our house she negotiated - to our benefit - with the vendor and guided us through the purchasing process and organised a fantastic notaire.
Our brief to Lisa was "don't mind a little bit of decorating, but not too much work". As testament to Lisa's patience and gentle persistence we are now the proud owners of a derelict mill which is going to take a team of builders 9 months to renovate. We are framing the original brief.
We could not have found our French dream without Lisa and we have also found a very good friend.

Nick and Cheryl Hewson
Sunday, 16 October 2016 20:20
Having recently used La Porte for the sale of our property in the Dordogne, we cannot recommend them highly enough. All the staff are incredibly approachable, nothing is too much trouble, and any queries or questions are dealt with efficiently and promptly, easing what can be a stressful time.
Tamzin's professional approach with an eye for detail on how to ' present' a house for sale was invaluable and very much appreciated.

Andy and Kathy Matheson
Monday, 03 October 2016 20:25
We were first attracted to LaPorte by the quality of their website and their choice of properties. We are very demanding clients but Tamzin and Simon have proved more than up to the task and have displayed great patience and humour during our property search. When we found our ideal new home they helped and guided us through the buying process and even after completion they have been available for advice.
We wholeheartedly recommend their service.

Richard and Jane Coles
Friday, 23 September 2016 05:51
We all know that selling a house in the Dordogne can be difficult but after what seems an eternity we have passed the mantle of ownership to new custodians. This was down to two factors. First a lovely property but there are lots of equally lovely properties in the Dordogne. Second a dogged estate agent who simply would not give up. La Porte have a great website presence and staff who know how to present a property to its fullest potential. They hand held us from beginning to end and it is certainly the case that without them and particularly Sandra the experience would have been even more difficult. We highly recommend La Porte.”

Alison & Roger Griffiths
Thursday, 25 August 2016 08:46
We have just completed our purchase of holiday home/retirement property with La Porte and would like to say a big thank you to Sandra for making it a relatively stress free process.
Sandra's professionalism and honest down to earth approach has been a breath of fresh air after having spent a few years looking for a property.
Having found our dream property, Sandra took control of the process and showed great patience, fairness and firmness when required, going above and beyond what we imagined, for which we are very grateful.
We can highly recommend La Porte and Sandra, we have been very happy with the service from start to end, and even after. We look forward to many happy years in our new property, many thanks.

Alison & Roger Griffiths

Jenny & Tony Fishlock
Wednesday, 13 July 2016 08:04
We bought a house in Paulhiac recently, after looking for a house for about 18 months.

It was like a breath of fresh air when we finally found Tamzin at La Porte, everything was made easy from start to finish, nothing was too much trouble.

The help with local trades etc. since the completion has also been ongoing.

Thank you La Porte and all who work there for making the purchase of our dream house a lovely experience.

Also a Thank you to Lisa who has helped us when Tamzin has not been available

Andre Goldstein & Hannah Ellis
Monday, 11 July 2016 09:15
La Porte's efficient, helpful and above all, highly-professional service was a pleasant and marked contrast to other less favourable experiences we have experienced with other agents in the last few years when trying to buy a property in France.

Any small problems that arose were dealt with simply and sensitively and we'd be only too happy to recommend Tamzin and her team to any other prospective purchasers or vendors.

Karen Richardson
Monday, 20 June 2016 20:16
When I wanted to sell my house, La Porte were recommended to me by a friend who had been very impressed. After looking at their site, I especially liked the range of properties they dealt with and the obvious care taken over the presentation of all the properties, thanks to Simon's photos.
I dealt mainly with Tamzin, who impressed my enormously with her proactive, professional approach. Having lost my husband whilst in France, I really appreciated the support she gave me, I never felt alone. She kept me up to date and answered all my questions, returned emails promptly, nothing was too much trouble. I had total confidence in her and the other members of the La Porte team I talked to.
So finally, the selling of the house, which I had dreaded, turned into a rather pleasant, interesting experience, everything went smoothly, so a big heartfelt thank you to Tamzin.

Ian Dring and Caroline Stones
Friday, 03 June 2016 08:21
The quality of the properties that Laporte were holding in their portfolio first grabbed our attention. We then looked at the web site and were impressed with both the photographs and the information that was available. Our list of requirements was discussed with the Laporte team. They invested the time in understanding what we were looking for and in the process helped us to clarify our priorities. Time was taken to prepare and review the short list of properties prior to any visits. This is time well spent since one can spend a lot of time in rural France travelling between viewings. If you are searching for a property in France and only have a limited amount of time to give to the process then you need to use it wisely.
The understanding of our requirements was refined as we undertook the first viewings and then were able to have an open and honest discussion about the property that we had just seen. The building of a trusted relationship with the Laporte team enabled us to find what we were looking for. This was a very different experience to other agents whom provided a list of properties and then proceeded to take us around properties that were a poor match to the search criteria. The team were professional and organised throughout the process. They were always available to answer questions and provide advice throughout and after the sales process (e.g. assisting us with understanding the issues raised in the Compromis de Vente, setting up French bank accounts etc). I would happily recommend their services to other buyers of French property. Thank you Laporte team, especially Tamzin, for helping us to find and buy a great property in France.

Tony and Kym Denton
Monday, 11 April 2016 16:25
We recently completed our holiday property purchase. I have to say what an excellent service Laporte offer. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the purchasing procedure in France and particularly the language issues, if you are buying through Laporte then you have little to be concerned about. Our agent, Lisa, has been absolutely fantastic from start to finish. From first viewings, to writing on our behalf to the utilities companies at the end, she has really looked after us all the way through the process.
I would not hesitate to recommend Laporte Properties. Their website is excellent and they only tend to sell really good quality properties. For Brits buying in this beautiful part of France, they really are an immobilier ahead of the rest

Kym and Tony Denton
Lot et Garonne

Mr & Mrs Robinson
Saturday, 13 February 2016 14:05
Before we were introduced to La Porte we had viewed over thirty properties though out France without success. Despite giving agents our wish list of requirements many showed us viewings that no were near matched, there were occasions when we did not even get out of the car to pursue the viewing.
We gave our wish list to La Porte and they did admit a property to match our requirements would not be an easy task however we were very impressed with there initial selection they did not waste our time only properties that matched or near matched were sent, they even put us onto an other agent's list as they may be able to find a match..
Eventually we short listed properties La Porte had provided and arranged to visit France to view. The first house we saw was just perfect and we made our offer which the seller agreed.
This is not the first property we have purchased so I expected that would more or less be the end of our relationship with the agent it could not have been further from the truth. La Porte kept in constant touch when we returned to the UK, introduced us to a local notaire to whom we gave power of attorney to take over the house on our behalf, introduced us to a local insurance company to arrange for house insurance to commence on the day of takeover etc, etc,. Took the keys on our behalf as we could not travel to France for over a month and periodically checked the house and all the time keeping us informed.
On our arrival in France they handed over the house to us and it did not end there always keeping in touch by telephone or just stopping bye to make sure all is in order any problems or requirements they were there to help a most valuable service when you first arrive in a new country and cannot speak the language I cannot thank La Porte enough for all they have done well beyond the call of their duty they do not just offer a service They provide a bespoke service:
Before your purchase
During your purchase
After your purchase
Well done La Porte and we thank you
The Robinsons

Derek and Joan Smith
Monday, 01 February 2016 10:48
Some months ago we asked Laporte Property to sell our home in France. We were delighted with the way they handled things.
The property was visited, photographed, and “on-line” within days. A very quick, friendly and efficient service. The sale went through, and
we didn’t even have to leave England. A member of staff kept in touch regularly either by ‘phone or e-mail, and there were no language
difficulties. An excellent service, we couldn’t have asked for more.
Two very happy customers, Joan and Derek Smith

Phil & Ali J
Friday, 08 January 2016 14:34
Big thanks to Laporte, and especially to Sandra, for seeing our house sale through to a successful conclusion. We were very much aware of the competitive nature of the market and the plethora of property available, but sympathetically matching up a potential home with prospective buyers is a real skill and Sandra excelled. She nursed the whole process through to the close and maintained informative contact with both parties throughout.
Just compare Laporte's website to those of their competitors and you will quickly get a sense of the firm's outlook and professionalism - second to none and very much admired! We wish our purchasers many happy years in our former property and we wish all at Laporte continued success in 2016 and beyond.

Alistair Asworth and Alison Hargrove
Friday, 08 January 2016 14:18
If we were asked to recommend an agent we would have no hesitation in saying La Porte in Monpazier. We dealt predominantly with Tamzin who was so supportive, helpful and indeed patient (!) and through her we secured our new home. It was her insight that made us realise the house we eventually bought was right - even though we would not have given it a second glance had we seen it on paper first. La Porte's understanding of their clients is second to none. Tamzin was so helpful throughout the whole process, keeping us fully informed when we were back in the UK and also accompanied us to the notaire's at the final signing (as our French is not so good yet!) - which was very much appreciated. Thanks La Porte!

Mary Kiddy
Thursday, 07 January 2016 08:14
Using La Porte to find and buy my house in Dordogne was the best thing I could have done! From start to finish, they were helpful, friendly and professional and provided a huge amount of support for me during the moving in process as well. Lisa spent a lot of time on the phone with me before I even came out on my house hunting trip, to find out exactly what I was looking for and the areas I was interested in. This helped me to really focus on my requirements, and although I had a good idea of what I wanted and my budget, this helped me to clarify a number of important criteria. The fact that they were English speaking obviously also helped.
In fact, this was so successful that she rang me a short while before I was due to fly out to say they had a house that had just come onto their books that she thought was exactly what I was looking for. She sent me a link and suggested I look at this one before any others, so we made the appointment for my first day. Over the next 10 days I saw around 30 houses with a variety of agencies but knew right from the first time I saw the house that Lisa was right and this was my house! This attention to detail and understanding the client’s needs required insight and demonstrated that I had really been listened to -Lisa wasn’t just trying to sell a house but wanted to find me the home of my dreams as well. We achieved both!
Lisa also provided excellent support during the offer process, the ensuing contractual process and was there when we signed the contract. She also helped with telephone calls and letters to the utility services to help get me connected, as well as a recommendation for an excellent currency exchange firm. Every time I phoned her or the office [and there were plenty of calls!] everyone I spoke to was helpful and knew who I was and which house I was buying -it demonstrated the excellent communication within the team. I would recommend la Porte to anyone thinking of looking for a home in this part of France -they have lovely properties on their books and really know their stuff. I really have found my dream home with their help and support.

Graham and Pauline Loveday
Wednesday, 06 January 2016 08:00
Sandra was a tremendous ally and source of advice throughout the whole process of buying our house in France, making it a refreshingly painless and stress-free process. (The only stressful part was obtaining our UK mortgage which was the one thing she could not help with!) Right from the initial stage of agreeing a price, to being an informal intermediary between us and the vendors, all the way through to the signing of the acte de vente and handing over the keys, Sandra was patience itself in dealing with all our questions, keeping us informed and being gently persistent in helping to move things along. In fact, even before that, because she had understood what we were looking for probably better than we did, it was she who introduced us to the house we eventually bought, in addition to showing us the (unsuitable) one we had requested to see. We are very grateful for the kind, supportive and personal service which Sandra provided and would wholeheartedly recommend La Porte to other potential buyers.

Etienne De Vel
Tuesday, 29 December 2015 07:48
From day 1, this has been a success story … and not only for us, the buyers but also for the sellers and La Porte Properties.

The easiest part was to get both the buyers and ourselves in line with reference to the price of the sale; one visit and a couple of back-and-forth and the deal was agreed. The requested certificates came in all ok except for one … the one for the septic tank.

One way to value the professionalism of a company (and her staff) is to see how they deal and solve problems. Well, this septic tank created a lot of problems (and additional costs – up to € 13,500
total) but Sandra did tackle it in a very smooth and professional way.
Even though the sale could have jeopardize, Sandra was able to keep all parties calm so that an amicable solution could be found. When that was reached, she kept all parties very well informed of what was going to happen.

Even after all was signed, she keeps contact to see how she can be additional help to us. Needless to say that we highly recommend her (and la Porte Properties). I would either recommend her to my family and/or friends or do another deal with her.

Thank you Sandra; thank you La Porte Properties

Greg Bergh
Saturday, 21 November 2015 06:41
After an initial quick meeting two years ago with Simon I was included on his monthly mailing list which is how we found exactly what we were looking for in the Dordogne. Simon and Tamzin were thoroughly professional from the outset. Communication was excellent which is something I particularly appreciated being a foreign buyer 12 hours away by plane. Response on email was often instant. The advice received around how and who to use on managing the home and the transfer process was also excellent and everything has gone very smoothly with no fuss at all. All the way through, La Porte has been fantastic. A 10/10 service and highly recommended.

Ruth Guilor
Tuesday, 27 October 2015 07:13
We had not viewed any other properties with La Porte before the one we finally bought! The area we were looking in wasn't really in their patch but they happened to advertise one that seemed to fit most our criteria and wasn't too far away from our original search area. From the first viewing to completion day we have just dealt with Lisa Honey and she has proved that it's all about communication! She always kept us up to date during the buying process, answered any of our queries immediately and was very professional in her dealings between us and the vendor. La Porte recommended a Notaire who was absolutely charming and took us through the mountain of paperwork that buying in France entails, we were very lucky that it only took 11 weeks from our first viewing to us moving in to our new home.

Phil and Fiona Corfield
Monday, 26 October 2015 10:11
We have received your monthly update for several years and have always been impressed by the quality of the photos and property details on your website, which are head and shoulders above any other estate agent in France.

When we saw the property in Monpazier , we knew that it had our name on it.

Lisa accompanied us on our viewings and we were very impressed by her friendliness and professionalism.

Throughout the process, she was always patient, helpful and quick to respond to emails and phone calls.

All in all we had a very positive experience with La Porte and Lisa in particular (something that is seldom said of estate agents in the UK) and we would have no hesitation in recommending your business to others.

Lyn, Jeff and Jack
Saturday, 15 August 2015 18:49
Thank you Sandra for all your help. We love the house, it already feels home from home. We worked with a couple of agents in the area, but Sandra really went the extra mile to find the right house for us. The after sales help has been great and really appreciated. Thanks again and we look forward to keeping in touch.

John and Lindsey Glasman
Wednesday, 05 August 2015 07:47
We would like to thank all at La Porte for their help with selling our holiday home in the Dordogne. Sandra Brown in particular has been excellent, taking potential buyers around the property, and giving us feedback afterwards. When a buyer was found, she was able to introduce us to an excellent local notaire, and also recommended a company who could transfer the funds back to the UK. She got to know us well, and was consistently friendly and professional.

John and Brenda Maddock
Monday, 27 July 2015 13:26
We would like to to thank you all at La Porte for the exceptional service
you provided during the recent sale of our home in the Dordogne.
Every member of staff we met was friendly and efficient. We particularly
liked the feedback we received after every visit. We would thoroughly
recommend La Porte to anyone thinking buying or selling.

Nick & Cheryl Hewson
Wednesday, 22 July 2015 06:10
We would like to thank all at La Porte ,especially Simon Norris and Sandra for all their help during our purchase of our wonderful new home in the Dordogne. We can not recommend La Porte highly enough to all prospective buyers. From our initial inquiry through to the final signing we felt we had a lot of support and very comfortable with the professionalism we encountered with accompanied viewings , local information and Sandra joining us on the last day with the notaire. All the staff were very approachable and always able to deal with any questions we may have had.

Anne and Stan McCahon
Thursday, 04 June 2015 16:10
We can thoroughly recommend La Porte to any potential buyers.
Before arriving in France to look for our new home my husband and I looked at many properties, the properties on the La Porte site always appeared to be more attractive with lovely clear photos, the website is also very user friendly. We would particularly like to say a big "Thank you" to Sandra who looked after us at La Porte, she was always very professional, informative, patient and friendly.
The whole process of buying our house was very smooth, there was never any pressure on us and La Porte took all the usual hassle connected to buying a house from us.
June 4th 2015

Sandy and Lucy Nicholson
Wednesday, 03 June 2015 12:24
We could not recommend La Porte more highly.

Like most we have dreamed of and looked for our own place for many years and so had a pretty good idea of what we wanted. Even though I speak some French it was a fairly daunting prospect having to conduct negotiations in a foreign country and language.

We saw the property in their November newsletter and arranged a flying visit in January. We spent an afternoon looking round with the lovely Sandra interpreting, as the vendors were French. By the end we knew we had fallen on our feet. Here was a genuine person rather than just a salesperson. She then arranged for us to meet with her and Simon Renfrew the next morning for a couple of hours when they happily answered our initial queries and ran through procedures and possible pitfalls and costings of essential and potential works.

Sandra is a gem. She has been there for us all the way, guiding us through the offer and exchange process, keeping the notaires up to the mark and cheerfully answering the stupidest of questions. She has then followed through with after sales support when, shortly after moving in we had a leak and she gave us the number of a French plumber who came to fix it that very afternoon! On the few occasions that Sandra was not available the staff in the office were efficient and supportive. What more could you ask for?

Throughout, Sandra has acted with the utmost professionalism showing consideration for the feelings and expectations of both us and the vendors. Thank you, you have made a potentially stressful process smooth and enjoyable.

Anne Munro
Tuesday, 26 May 2015 09:57
La Porte Property showed an extremely professional high quality service throughout the process of our house sale here in SW France. Our delightful agent was extremely well informed, caring and efficient whilst providing a friendly, hassle free service keeping both buyers and sellers positive and happy.
We wholeheartedly recommend La Porte.

Mohi and Emily Khan
Friday, 17 April 2015 06:37
Mohi & Emily

We started with the usual holiday induced day dreams of what it would be like to own our own house in the Dordogne. After looking into a few agency windows and doing some internet research, we decided to contact La Porte. We liked the quality of the web-site, and the range of properties on offer, as well as the feedback.

Whilst we made a long and eventual shortlist of properties and looked at a number of houses, the house we've just bought was not on our initial list and was actually one which Simon had recommended we visit, based on his understanding of what we were looking for, This really sums up for me the excellent level of attention, care and service we received from Simon. From the start, Simon took the time to really understand what we were looking for, helping us select potential properties on an impartial basis. He spent time with us to view the properties, giving us an objective view of how each property met our needs, and throughout made us feel like valued clients. He answered all our questions with consideration and good humour, no matter how odd, and was extremely patient while we were trying to make up our minds!

Once we had made an offer, Simon advised us all the way through the buying process, and took active steps to ensure that that all the parties were aligned, and that the process was smooth and timely. This was especially important to us, given we were buying a house "remotely".

In summary, I cant praise Simon and La Porte highly enough - and I would certainly recommend them to anyone looking to buy a house in this part of France.

Bob and Heather Lloyd
Tuesday, 24 February 2015 11:55
Following a long held dream of retiring to France, my husband and I recently purchased a beautiful property in the wonderful Dorgdogne. We used La Porte Property as our estate agency, and were absolutely delighted with their knowledge, guidance on properties and level of professionalism. Simon Norris was our Agent, and we found Simon to be extremely helpful, pleasant and highly professional at all times.
We speak some French, but are far from fluent, so having an English Estate Agent to help and guide us through the process proved to be invaluable. We would recommend this company to anyone embarking on their adventure in France!

Kate Cledwyn
Thursday, 12 February 2015 10:51
Due to problems down the chain for my purchasers I had a very tricky, long drawn out sale of my property, having said that my experience dealing with Sandra from La Porte Property was nothing but positive.

I also sold my house to a Belgium couple and with next to no french language skills of my own, Sandra's multi lingual ability was priceless and alleviated a great deal of stress for me.

Advice given was always well informed and nothing was ever too much trouble, in fact all contact with the' La Porte' office was always warm, friendly, efficient and reassuring.

Thank you Sandra for all your help and patience - we got there in the end !

Scott and Pascale Pearson
Tuesday, 03 February 2015 11:50
La Porte, sold what was our home for 12 years... They were and are professional, patient, thoughtful, understanding, creative, good-listeners, flexible, helpful & efficient. We had dozens of agents chasing us to sell, but La Porte were head and shoulders above the others. Agency fees are high in France but La Porte unlike other agencies helped maintain a high sale price with sensibly handled negotiations, with other agencies I’m sure our net sale price would have been less. For minimising the stress I can’t recommend La Porte highly enough. This is what La Porte sold for us... http://youtu.be/_v6ZOcQGBXc

Brian and Jean Walton
Monday, 02 February 2015 09:38
We would like to place on record our sincere appreciation of the great help and support we received from Simon Norris of La Porte Property, who assisted us in the purchase of our property near Issigeac. From the moment when we made our first enquiries about purchasing a property in August last year, to completion in December last, Simon not only introduced us to a Notaire, who was most pleasant, extremely efficient, gave good advice (and spoke English!), but has accompanied and assisted us with Banking and Insurance issues relating to the purchase.
We cannot praise La Porte Property highly enough and would have no hesitation in strongly recommending them as a 'Premier League' agent. They could not have been more helpful and in our view, should be the first port of call when considering purchasing or selling a property in the Dordogne and surrounding area.

Peter and Jody Abbott
Monday, 12 January 2015 09:36
We would like to commend La Porte Estate Agency, their services were much appreciated.

From our initial meetings, continued liaison, and concluding business regarding the sale of our property, the agency and notably Mr. Simon Norris, managed our affairs with the utmost professionalism.

We felt that all our concerns were listened to and our anxieties dealt with in a protective manner, at all times we felt that our own interests were respected.

We have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending La Porte to sellers and buyers alike.

Lorraine Wilson
Wednesday, 07 January 2015 17:27
I was very impressed with the kind and professional service with which La Porte Property Agency dealt with the valuation and sale of my property. From our first meeting to the final completion they helped and supported me in every respect as I was dealing with the sale after the death of my husband. They showed potential purchasers around for me and reported everything back to me as quickly as possible. I was delighted when they found a buyer and can only highly recommend this agency to anyone planning on marketing their property. Thank you to both Simon's and the rest of the staff - I wish you all success in the future.

David and Jane Lenton
Thursday, 11 December 2014 16:34
We dealt with a couple of agencies before we found La Porte, they were head and shoulders above the rest, our experience of buying a house through these guys was excellent.
The personal approach we received from Simon was terrific, the overwhelmingly great thing we found when dealing with him was he listened to us and thought carefully about what we were telling him about our wants, likes and dislikes.
We spent some considerable time with him discussing our requirements and the areas and properties we had already explored and reviewing a good number of properties they had on their books. From those discussions, when it came to actually viewing a shortlist of properties with him we had a strong list of contenders that fitted our requirements nicely, we weren’t merely shown everything that was out there.
On day 2 visiting with Simon, we found the place for us. In fact the house was one we’d initially dismissed when looking on the internet. Simon having spent time with us both on the phone and during the first day of visits getting to know us, suggested we should take a look regardless as he thought we’d like it after all. It was perfect! Turned out those one on one discussions really were worthwhile and he had really understood what we were after. Of course this was particularly important when dealing remotely and only having limited time available on flying visits to view.
Once our offer was accepted Simon helped us through the buying process and was always available to assist with even those silly questions which we as French house buying novices came up with through the whole process.
So if you are looking to buy in their area, get on the phone, get on Skype if you can, talk to these guys, they’re great, they will listen to you carefully and help you find your perfect place in the sun.

John and Maureen O'Hagen
Thursday, 30 October 2014 15:21
We viewed a house from La Porte in April, 2014. Despite it needing a range of work, it seemed perfect for us. We viewed it several times and after discussion agreed on an offer. This was after excellent advice from Sandra at La Porte.

Our negotiations were all done from the UK and Sandra played a huge part as an intermediary between all parties.

We finally moved in September, 2014. We had significant problems getting our basic utilities connected. La Porte played a key part in making this happen. Even after moving in, we still had great assistance from La Porte with ongoing complications. If you need an agency that has market experience, professionalism and importantly a friendly style: La Porte is that agency.

Nic Cooper
Monday, 27 October 2014 08:04
I was buying from a long way away, and needed to make a short list of properties (from a well defined list of requirements) that would be real possibilities, and that would live up to their expectations when viewed (in a small visit window).

This is where La Porte really scored. The property was well described, and well photographed, with as much about the land as about the house (important to me).

It was not initially my favourite area (a decision reversed upon visiting the area) but the house and land stood out as being something that I could move into with minimal change or expense. Once analysed the higher price turned out less - when cost of changes in the other places on the shortlist were costed.

Viewing worked well, with some perseverance on Sandra's part when I wanted to walk the 8 ha boundary!

Negotiation went well, with advice from La Porte (always difficult for agents who are seen to represent "the other" party). A fair price (in my opinion) was reached.

The settlement process (whilst time consuming) created few real problems, and La Porte was happy to advise on associated issues such as utilities, surveys, insurance, accountant advisers, and even vets.

I met a range of agents during the search and La Porte would at the top end for overall performance.

Nic Cooper
New Zealand

Doug and Liz Jennings
Friday, 19 September 2014 08:14
La Porte have just arranged the sale of our house and we have returned to the UK. We are more than happy to pass comment. Without doubt they stand head and shoulders above their competitors. In a business which has a distinctly amateur feel about it La Porte are professional.

We were immediately delighted with their thorough and thoughtful approach to us and the marketing of our property. Our emails were always answered promptly and our telephone calls returned. Their strength is that they are a dedicated team who clearly know the market and, as importantly, what the other team members are doing. They are careful with their clients, something the majority of agents,in our experience, are not. We think their advice and their start to finish service is very good.

Wendy and David Fox
Friday, 19 September 2014 07:53
It was their website that attracted me to La Porte. I thought it superior to any other, including that the properties were beautifully presented on it.
We had loads of viewings and during the time our property was for sale, Simon Norris always gave us sound advice. He found us a buyer and was very supportive throughout a trying time, especially during the last traumatic couple of weeks.
I recommend La Porte whole heartedly to anyone who wants to sell via a first class agency.

BOB AND JANE REES
Monday, 08 September 2014 07:59
Having researched many estate agencies in the area, as far as we were concerned there was only one choice to make. La porte property stood out miles ahead of it's competitors and we were proved right in our selection. Our first contact was with Simon Norris who advised us well. The marketing, photographs and general presentation of our property was superb and within 3 weeks, we had sold and achieved the full asking price.

Thank you Laporte for all your help!

Jimmy and Diana ferguson
Wednesday, 03 September 2014 11:48
We had been looking for a holiday property in France for some time and were always drawn back to La Porte's excellent website. It seemed head and shoulders above the rest and our contact with the two Simons did not disappoint. Simon Norris was our main contact and he was so helpful and professional at every stage, even after the sale had gone through. A quiet sense of humour was a great help too! We would recommend La Porte to anyone buying or selling in this area of France. Thank you!

John & Vicki Dexter Smith
Tuesday, 05 August 2014 18:40
Having short listed the property we wanted on the website, a visit to the office of Laporte and a meet with the members of a very professional and helpful team, made the acquisition of the property simple and easy. Their advice and useful contacts were essential to ease the way through the purchase. Now we feel that ' the team ' are friends rather than advisors. We would recommend them whole heartedly.

Axel and Anne Patitz
Friday, 09 May 2014 07:22
Thanks to your website with authentic photos our buyer found the house of her dreams. You made a wonderful job! It was the house of the month, beautfully exposed of your Web site and we had a new owner within a few months, which is extraordinarily well done.
Thanks again.

Craig and Caroline Denholm
Thursday, 01 May 2014 10:55
Once we'd concluded that our future was in France we quickly decided on the Dordogne. We narrowed our focus to the department principally because it's far enough south to benefit from great weather, is relatively easy to get to and, in our opinion is one of the most beautiful parts of the country.

The area decided, we spent a lot of time trawling through properties on the internet. This is where we initially came across La Porte. Their website was significantly better to use than any other we found.

We made several visits at different times of the year and looked at a large number of properties. Whilst we initially dealt with various different agents, we kept coming back to La Porte. Their face to face service proved to be as professional as their website. We felt that they really took the time to understand our requirements and helped us focus our thinking and avoid a purely heart based decision; easy to do in such a beautiful part of the world! They got the balance right and were enthusiastically supportive, yet always avoided any feeling of pushy sales practise. They listened to what we said and didn't waste our time showing us properties that didn't fit out criteria.
The La Porte team were there every step of the way.

Whilst we were fortunate enough to deal principally with the delightful Sandra Brown, we also had many lengthly conversation with pretty much every member of the team. We had a couple of near misses and eventually settled on one of the first properties we'd seen. We are now the proud owners of a beautiful converted barn. To further complicate things, we also decided to buy the cottage next door with the intention of trying our hand at the gite business. La Porte helped us through every aspect of finding and buy our dream home. They have proved to be so much more than estate agents. From builders to fosse tank specialist and pool designers to currency traders, the team were there to offer helpful support and advice. We've come to regard Sandra and the team as friends; coming from the UK, something we'd never have previously dreamt of saying about estate agents!

Pamela Hill
Monday, 28 April 2014 15:03
We found La porte Property were the most friendly,professional company.Every member of staff was helpful and sociable.

Throughout the marketing,selling and viewing Sandra Brown was excellent,she communicated regularly and was always cheerful,patient and enthusiastic.
She familiarised herself with all the property details,therefore her knowledge base when accompanying was excellent.

Whilst we were in the UK for long periods during the whole process Sandra constantly updated us thus allowing us to make immediate decisions.
At the end of the sale all arrangements with the various necessary agency's,departments and the Notaire were organised with great efficiency.
The whole experience was a seamless process executed fantastically by La Porte.
Many thanks.

Keri and Andrew Chivers
Wednesday, 09 April 2014 08:50
We used La Porte to buy our holiday home. The website was polished and professional which encouraged us to go to the office while holidaying in the area. The staff we met were very friendly. They helped us to refine what we wanted without pushing. We were shown around a couple of properties by Sandra. We bought the second one we saw as it was so close to our specification! From then on Sandra supported and helped us through the whole process. Buying in France is so different to buying in England so Sandra's help was invaluable. She was always happy to answer our questions by phone or email and to act as an interpreter when we were faced with a French form.
Thank you La Porte!

Jean Espinasse de la Bastie
Tuesday, 25 February 2014 08:36
Bien que je sois moi-même un agent immobilier,j'ai préféré vous donner l'exclusivité de la vente de notre propriété familiale et j'ai eu raison car vous avez réussi à toucher une clientèle internationale et nous avons conclu la vente grâce à votre capacité à négocier au mieux des intérêts de chacune des parties.En outre votre équipe est d'un contact très agréable.

Sharon Carrick
Monday, 24 February 2014 16:40
I would like to thank La Porte for selling my property. La Porte offered excellent service from the initial house survey and valuation through to the final completion and signing. Will definitely use you again in the future for our next purchase. Thank you for everything.

Tony Wilson
Thursday, 30 January 2014 10:19
I looked at only one property with La Porte, and it was a sufficiently eccentric choice to lead the two Simons to doubt my seriousness and my sanity. But as my interest in it deepened they were unfailingly prompt , thoughtful, straight and dependable. La Porte’s website gives a good idea of their style: clear and high quality. I found myself accepting their recommendations as to a surveyor and a lawyer, with good results in both cases. I completed the purchase about ten days ago and can honestly say that their outstanding helpfulness and reliability were important factors in giving me the confidence to go ahead.

John & Tracy Levenbach
Saturday, 14 December 2013 12:20
We recently purchased a home in the lovely village of Monpazier, with the helpful, friendly and professional assistance of La Porte Property. Having spent over a year searching for the right property and location, primarily over the internet as we live in New Zealand, we dealt with numerous real estate firms. La Porte were the 'stand out' operators. Simon Norris, our contact at La Porte, went out of his way to make things work. He was timely with his responses (something that was a frustration with many other French real estate firms), gave good honest feedback on properties and worked with both the vendor and ourselves particularly well. We would definitely recommend Simon and the team!

Edell & John Pereira
Friday, 15 November 2013 16:16
Excellence from start to finish!!. An absolute breath of fresh air in a rather gloomy period of property sales in France. It is difficult to distinguish who provided the best service in such a friendly and efficient team that were positive in their approach right from day one.
The sale of our house to very discerning overseas customers was handled with such professionalism that everything happened without a hitch.
If you are selling or buying go to the best first!!

Bernard et Florence Triffe
Monday, 28 October 2013 08:25
Nous avons acheté une propriété en Dordogne, proche de Bergerac en juillet dernier, par l'intermédiaire de La Porte Property de Monpazier et nous souhaitons vivement remercier cette agence.
Leur fidèle et très professionnel accompagnement tout au long de cette transaction, nous a vraiment aidé dans nos démarches administratives et techniques.
Nous souhaitons remercier particulièrement Monsieur Simon Norris qui a été l'intermédiaire entre le vendeur et nous.
Il a toujours répondu rapidement a mes nombreux appels téléphoniques afin de répondre à mes questions.
En ce qui nous concerne, un achat de cette importance c'est l'engagement de notre vie et se savoir entouré de personne de confiance nous a pleinement rassuré.

Caroline & Tony Atkinson
Friday, 18 October 2013 15:55
After deciding to move to France, it was with trepidation that we started to go around property agents looking at what property they had for sale.

We needn't have been worried La Porte were "First Class" from start to finish and beyond.

We would recommend them as the first port of call to anybody thinking of buying a property in the area.

Special thanks to both Simons, but especially Simon Norris, who has gone above and beyond anything you would expect with his advice and help.

We appreciate it very much

Mr et Mme GAGE
Sunday, 13 October 2013 19:08
Achat d'une résidence secondaire effectué en septembre 2013 avec l'agence La Porte Property.Nous avons été satisfaits car il y a eu une grande qualité d'écoute.Ils sont facilement joignables et réactifs à nos questions en étant toujours très agréables.Même après la signature chez le notaire, il y a un suivi et nous avons pu continuer à communiquer avec eux concernant la mise en marche de la maison.C'est appréciable de ne pas se sentir "abandonnés".

Jean-Luc et Anne-Marie BUATHIER
Friday, 11 October 2013 18:19
En recherche d'une maison à acheter, nous avons contacté La Porte Property et avons été tout à fait satisfaits.
Nous recommandons sans hésitation cette agence où nous avons trouvé une écoute très perspicace ! car on nous a immédiatement proposé exactement ce que nous souhaitions, au contraire de beaucoup d'agences qui font visiter des biens très divers.
Il faut souligner également une grande disponibilité et un accueil toujours très agréable.
Mille remerciements à La Porte Property grâce à qui nous allons passer des moments merveilleux dans cette magnifique région !

John and Angela Portlock
Monday, 07 October 2013 07:44
la Porte property have just completed the sale of our house, and we would highly recommend them. Throughout the process they kept us informed of activity and made helpful suggestions to present the property in its best light.

They worked as a highly competent and professional team, and there was always someone on hand to answer our questions and to direct us to any local resources and tradesmen we needed.

Richard and Susan Hansford
Tuesday, 01 October 2013 11:18
We have no hesitation in thoroughly recommending La Porte’s services. At an incredibly stressful time, during which we were also buying a property in UK, we found them to be efficient, professional and friendly. Their web site is extremely attractive and, we think, showed our property to excellent advantage.

Viewings took place almost immediately and we found Sandra in particular to be extremely pro-active and communicative. Our sale proceeded very successfully to a close, along with a good deal of help and advice on the French legal ‘maze’ of selling property.

We invited other Agents to view the house initially but we feel that La Porte inspired confidence from the very beginning and we think that we could not have chosen better .

Fergus Jones
Tuesday, 17 September 2013 11:00
I would highly recommend the services of La Porte Property. We are UK based and were first time buyers abroad. The whole team have gone above and beyond to ensure that everything was seamless and that we were kept fully aware of all of the communications and background work necessary when buying in France. They ensured we understood every aspect of the transaction and post sale have assisted us with several other issues that we needed assistance with. We cannot recommend their services highly enough.
When we buy our next property La Porte Property will definitely be our first port of call.

Phil and Janet Lister
Tuesday, 16 July 2013 11:56
I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending La Porte Property. They are a very professional team providing a very special and personal service to their clients. Nothing is too much trouble. Calls are returned promptly. They keep their clients constantly updated. They are extremely pro-active.They are unbelievably patient. As well as providing professional advice they are also able to provide guidance and advice on all the other issues which both buyers and sellers face when making fundamental lifestyle decisions. They are scrupulously fair.

I doubt one could find a more professional agency anywhere. We have used them in relation to a sale and have now instructed them in relation to a second transaction. My best wishes to this unique business and may they enjoy the success they so deserve.

Peter & Karen Clarke
Thursday, 11 July 2013 11:55
When selling our home in northern Lot-et-Garonne, we had no hesitation in asking La Porte to be our agent. Whilst a number of French agents wait for buyers to walk through their door, La Porte are pro-active. They have an outstanding website which is well promoted on the internet, bringing them (and therefore us) to the attention of potential buyers internationally. I know of no other agency which keeps in touch with their database as La Porte do through their regular email Newsletter. A buyer was found for our property within one month.

We worked mostly with Simon Norris who we found to be professional as well as personable, a wonderful combination! Simon was patient, approachable and fair, to us and equally to our buyer, making what can be a very stressful time for all, rather more bearable. We would like to thank him and La Porte Property for the successful sale of our home and have no hesitation in recommending them to buyers and sellers alike.

Contact La Porte Property

Please feel free to contact us directly - by phone or email.

Simon + 33 7 86 29 82 98  

Tamzin + 33 6 72 23 63 04  

Mélina + 33 7 86 86 43 88  

Liesbeth + 33 6 50 80 55 23    

Ineke + 33 6 84 59 31 59    

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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