How AI Helped This American Couple Find Their Dream Home in France
When John and Kelly set out to find a home in Europe, they turned to AI for guidance. What they discovered wasn’t just the perfect city – it led them to their dream home in France and an ideal lifestyle.
When Americans John and Kelly decided to move to a new location in Europe, they used an AI service, like ChatGPT, to brainstorm locations that matched their family’s criteria.
While Copenhagen had been hovering at the top of their list, they wanted to find somewhere more central in Europe with a warmer climate and turned to AI for ideas.
“I asked the AI for a recommendation for a nice small city in the south of France, proximal to a large city, which was a good location for a family to buy a house,” explains John. “Aix was listed first.”
John had been to France several times, but had mostly spent time in Paris and Bordeaux. “We had never been to Aix, but did make a trip several months before our move to see what we thought,” he says.
Aix Marks the Spot
Aix-en-Provence is an upmarket and classical Provençal town in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, which is part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.
A fusion of history, culture and archetypal Provençal ambience, Aix is famous for being home to painter Paul Cézanne, and is renowned for its glorious architecture and fountains.
The main avenue, Cours Mirabeau, spectacularly lined with double rows of plane trees, is one of the best places to soak up such beauty. Here you’ll also find the legendary Brasserie Les Deux Garçons which once attracted the likes of Jean-Paul Belmondo, Picasso and Ernest Hemingway, while today you’re more likely to spot Hugh Grant and George Clooney.
Having been recommended Home Hunts’ luxury home buying service, John reached out to the team which has spent the last 20 years matching people with their perfect properties in the most sought after cities and regions in France.
Co-founder and director of Home Hunts Tim Swannie and his team have helped hundreds of clients to find their dream home in France and other destinations.
“Aix is the cultural capital of Provence, it is full of history and a real mecca for lovers of architecture and arts,” says Tim. “There are two international schools and a university, so whilst the centre of the city is ancient, it is also young and dynamic, and feels alive all year round.”
He adds: “This region is the largest in France and it is so varied, from exciting cities, such as Aix-en-Provence, to incredible landscapes, coastlines, and huge swathes of vineyards, lavender fields, mountains, lakes and much more.
It’s also a very international region offering incredible gastronomy, beautiful villages to explore and, of course, the famous South of France weather with more than 300 days of sunshine per year.”
John and Kelly’s Top 5 Must-Haves Guiding Their AI Search for their dream home in France
Having been living in Italy for the last couple of years with their twin babies, John and Kelly had fallen in love with family life in Europe, building on previous positive experiences as students in the Czech Republic.
Now, as a family of four seeking a long-term move away from the US and a new European adventure, the idea of France became more compelling.
“We were living in Seattle, where I grew up, but also spent some time in the Bay area, north of San Francisco,” explains John. “I attended university in Prague, which is where my wife and I met, and we lived there for about four years. After returning to the States in 2008, we always planned to return to Europe.”
In terms of selecting the ideal location for their dream home in France, the search revolved around these top five factors:
- Well suited to family life.
- Good climate.
- Great people and community.
- Well placed for travelling to friends and family in Europe.
- Proximity to mountains, countryside and the sea.
Pinpointing the Perfect Place for Now and the Future
After discussing their needs and the area extensively with Home Hunts’ Provence consultant Naomi Thabor, John and Kelly concluded that they needed a centrally-located property.
“We realised that we wanted to be close to the centre, so that we could easily be in town and for our kids to have as many opportunies for activities, programmes and schools, as well as for their independence, when appropriate, rather than needing to rely on us driving them everywhere for everything,” says John.
“We like that Aix offers most of what we’d want from a bigger city shrunk down to a comfortable size and is yet relaxed and easier for our family.”
Now their babies are toddlers and there is much to manage, they didn’t want a place that was too “hectic”, Aix provided the perfect mid-point between a large city and a relaxed lifestyle with all the amenities they could possibly need as well as being in reach of sunny coastal resorts and mountains.
The Enchanting Alpilles: Where Mountains Meet Provençal Charm
Just an hour away lies the Alpilles, a limestone mountain range (under 45 minutes from Avignon Airport), which is another hotspot for visitors and international buyers moving to Provence alike. Home Hunts finds that many clients looking to buy a dream home in France end up finding a “coup de coeur” here.
According to Home Hunts, there is a spike in interest for investing in Provençal property as interest rates drop across Europe, with the market significantly picking up in the second half of 2024 and so far in 2025.
“This year has already got off to a great start with a lot of interest from the US and UK, plus a real increase from mainland Europe too, particuarly Germany, the Netherlands and parts of Scandinavia,” explains Tim, adding that the Alpilles often meets the search criteria that international clients have.
“The Alpilles is a beautiful and laid back region offering a great lifestyle, an international community and a mix of full-time and holiday home residents,” says Tim. “Saint Remy de Provence is one of the largest towns which is full of great restaurants, shops, galleries and so on, but there is so much more to explore such as the award winning villages such as Eygalieres, Les Baux de Provence and Maussane-les-Alpilles.”
The Experts Turning Your Dream Home into Reality
As John and Kelly settle into their new dream home in France, they credit Naomi with helping them to identify their property and source the support they require to craft a life that caters exactly to their needs.
“Our text history is long and full of examples,” says John, “but from finding the right person for everything, from financial advice to furnishing the home, she’s had great people and places to recommend.”
The couple also say that the diversity of the region is another reason they’re so happy with their choice, as well as the “kindness of the people”.
Home Hunts is deeply experienced at discovering hidden gems on the luxury property market across France as well as Spain, Monaco and Switzerland.
Here are ten ways that Home Hunts supports clients from phone call to dream property purchase:
- Multilingual support: Assistance in French, English, and many other languages.
- Expert guidance: Market insights and local knowledge for informed decisions.
- Unbiased search: No pressure, just honest advice tailored to your needs.
- Exclusive access: Access to off-market luxury properties in top locations.
- Comprehensive viewings: We accompany you and assess each property.
- Skilled negotiation: Securing the best deal on your behalf.
- Hassle-free buying: We handle all details for a smooth purchase.
- Trusted specialists: Finance, tax, and legal experts at your service.
- After-sales care: From utilities set up, to renovation recs and rental management.
- No cost: Our fee comes from the selling agent’s commission.
If you are looking to find your dream home in France, Monaco, Spain or Switzerland, contact us on +33 (0)970 44 66 43 or +34 961 16 30 28, or email info@home-hunts.com so we can help you find – and flourish in – your dream home.
