We all long for a crystal ball at times but at least you can benefit from one agent's hindsight as she looks back on 12 things she wish she knew before she brought a property in France. Not that any of the case studies in this issue have any regrets about buying a home in France or moving across the Channel - read all about their new lives making organic soap in the south of France, restoring a drafty château in Cathar country, running vineyard tours in Languedoc and embarking on a family adventure in Charente, as well as a father's moving tribute to his Francophile daughter. One thing you definitely want to get right is your choice of location – not an easy task in such a beautiful and varied country as France, but hopefully our location guides will help you make a decision; choose from the Vendée, Brittany, Limousin, Pays d’Auge in Normandy, and two ‘Famille Plus’ destinations in the north and south of France. If you dream of your very own swimming pool, we have an expert's guide to installing one, covering everything from choosing the site, shape, colour and lighting to whether or not to add a poolhouse. We also have an agent's view of the prestige property market in France; a feature on the different architectural styles across France; a guide to the 'déchèterie' or rubbish dump; a closer look at the legalities of an offer letter when buying; insurance Q&As, and all the usual legal and financial expert columns plus, of course, our picks of the best properties on the market. And finally, don't miss the first part in our new series all about daily life in France: we start off with an introduction to the mayor.