Waiting to sell (LtoR): Sophie and Rupert Scott with children Charlie, Ediir and Lulu outside their Cote d'Azur home.

If you have seen this summer’s blockbuster Inception then the haunting refrain of French cabaret singer Edith Piaf’s 1960 hit Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien will be familiar – it features several times in the film and was a ‘prime source’ of inspiration for the film’s composer, Hans Zimmer.

But an English family living on France’s Cote d’Azur are hoping this higher profile for Piaf – who died in 1960 – will help them sell their luxurious home. The property, which has four-bedrooms, three guest suites, a two-bedroom cottage, swimming pool and tennis courts, is the former and final home of the gifted but tragic singer.

Although this traditional, stone-built ‘bastide’ may have once echoed to the distinctive timbre of Piaf’s voice and despite owners Rupert and Sophie Scott reducing its price by €250,000 – Les Parretts has yet to find a buyer.

Piaf – real name Edith Gassion – owned the property for several decades until her death in 1963 from liver cancer. But for the Scotts it has been a shorter Vie en Rose in the hills overlooking Nice.

The couple, who’ve lived in the South of France for six years and have three children, are hoping to move back to Britain before the oldest starts at Millfield School in September.

During their tenure the family have been busy. As well as upgrading and redesigning the garden Rupert and Sophie have revamped the roof, eradicated damp throughout and re-arranged the oldest, central part of the property to include a farmhouse-style kitchen, sitting room and study.

But despite all this, their stunningly beautiful home remains unsold and the Scotts recently reduced their asking price to €8.5 million to reflect a local market that, local agents say, is quiet at the moment.

If you are interested in buying the property then contact agent  Savills or telephone 020 7016 3740.

I was reading the other day that the LA house that Marilyn Monroe died in is up for sale. Monroe-mania ensures that pretty much anything the actress touched sells for exorbitant amounts, so really it’s no surprise this $3.6 million Spanish-style home is attracting a lot of attention.

If the walls could talk, I wonder what they would say. But is this chance to buy a piece of Hollywood history just a little bit  morbid?

For Monroe fans looking for a home with happier memories, there are two other properties that might better fit the bill:

1. Marilyn’s former holiday home in Palm Springs is also up for sale. Another Med-inspired property, it looks made for entertaining (thanks to the huge patio area) and relaxing (thanks to the pool), it’s on the market for $1.4  million and comes with five bedrooms, five bathrooms and mountain views.

2. This New York apartment building was Marilyn’s home with Arthur Miller between 1955 and 1956, and it’s said they were even married in this very apartment. With neo-classical detail and cityscape views, the building was designed by Emery Roth in 1938. The apartment in question is a two-bed, two-bath, on the market for £1,872,900.

In the UK we all know how much our homes are worth and a large industry has grown up that tracks national, regional, local and even street-by-street prices.

But overseas the picture is very different. Except Australia, New Zealand, Cyprus and the US, which have up-to-date land registry systems like ours – and Spain, which has recently modernised and put its online – British owners of property overseas often have little idea which way prices are swinging.

French property for sale: Apartments within the Les Jardins d’Eos developing in the village of Veyrier du Lac near Annecy in France by developer MGM (0207 4940706). Prices start at €380,000 for a one-bedroom apartment.

France relies entirely on estate agents to provide this information, Greece has only recently emerged from the stone age house price wise, and in Portugal and Italy the systems are, at best, obscure.

But our latest figures for holiday homes overseas, produced by our sister site FindaProperty.com and featured in this weekend’s Sunday Times, give a snapshot of which way asking prices are rising or falling across the globe.

These figures give an interesting insight into how the global recession has affected property prices in sunnier climes. The biggest dips have been witnessed in Florida, which despite enjoying a brighter 12 months following an easing in the US recession, has nevertheless seen its property prices dip by 29% since 2008.

At No.2 is Cyprus, where prices have dropped by 27% since 2008 and continue to fall as the island’s banks and property market struggle to cope with a dramatic reduction in demand for both its mortgages and homes.

And at No.3 in the price drop league is France, where prices are now 22% lower than they were two years ago, followed by Bulgaria at 20% and Italy at 16%. Spain, whose downturn in asking prices began a year or more earlier than all the other markets has witnessed asking prices drop by a more modest 15% since 2008.

But it’s not all drops. Some countries where British buyers like to own homes have not witnessed such dramatic reductions and in some markets prices are up, not down.

Portugal has seen asking prices recover recently (+1.5% compared to 2008) and Turkey - which is outside the Eurozone and its faltering currency – has seen holiday home prices increase by 7%, the FindaProperty figures show.

In Canada, which is more of an emigration rather than holiday home hotspot, prices have risen by 10% and both New Zealand and Australia have endured only modest losses during the worst of the global downturn.

Vote in our poll on the state of the international property market:

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Turkey’s conversion into the ‘next Spain’ continues apace after new home ownership figures from the country’s recently-formed Land Registry were published this week,  revealing that some 32,000 Brits now own a property in Turkey.

Overall, a mixture of Irish, Scandinavian and British buyers make up the fast-expanding community of holiday home, retirement and investment property owners in Turkey, which has grown from approximately 73,000 in 2008 to 104,000 today.

British favourite: a villa in Turkey witha for sale sign outside

Most of the development along the country’s Aegean and Mediterranean coastline has taken place in Mugla province, which includes the holiday resorts of Bodrum, Marmaris and Fethiye, although other seaside hotspots gaining in popularity include Kalkan, Dalyan, and Alanya on the Mediterranean (or Turquoise) coast and Kusadasi which overlooks the Aegean.

Although agents often sing the praises of Turkey’s relatively unspoilt coastline and its deserted beaches (with the exception of Altinkum outside Didim, which at best could be called cheap and cheerful) it is in reality the extremely low property prices that attract most buyers.

Making a splash - the Seahorse Residence development near Didim.

Whereas £200,000 still buys you very little in Spain – despite a severe property crash in full swing on the Costas – in  Turkey £150,000 can secure you a substantial townhouse with sea views and £60,000 a two-bedroom apartment. Inland and away from the big resorts you can halve that.

For example there is the luxury hilltop residence of Royal Heights in Bodrum, where prices start at £97,592 and, further up the coast, the unusual but striking designs of the Seahorse Residence outside Altinkum where prices begin at £31,200.

But the biggest shot in the arm for Turkish was the recent relaxation of its once draconian mortgage rules. The Turkish used to have an almost obsessive desire to stop ‘foreigners’ (by which they meant Greeks) owning property in Turkey or taking out loans on property there.

But this culture of suspicion appears to have subsided now and mortgages of up to 70 per cent loan-to-value are now available to non-Turks.

“We have seen the Turkish property market go from strength to strength,” says Steven Worboys of Turkish agent Experience International, “and British buyers still make up a majority of foreigners buying property here”.

But before you get too excited by the numbers, remember that Turkey is still an emerging market when compared to Spain. Despite its difficulties some 500,000 Brits are said to own a property on Spain’s half-a-dozen Costas and nearly 16 million of us holidayed there last year.

A tree house built among oak trees in the Alpes de Haute-Provence region of France, four metres off the ground.

It appears the tree house is  becoming an increasingly popular  holiday home as land becomes scarcer across southern Europe. Once banished to the back garden as a plaything for children, they are now being dragged  into the mainstream by an innovative French firm.

To date the company, La Cabane Perchee, has built 220 tree houses in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal, each custom built to suit the tree that holds it and offering a realistic alternative to the traditional villa, townhouse and apartment holiday home.

An aboreal treat atop a pine tree in the countryside near Nice in France. It stands some 11 metres above the ground

Each wooden structure, which can be up to 15m off the ground, is built to ensure that the tree has room to grow and constructed without using nails. And if trees are scrace in your favoured location, then stilts are used instead.

And tree mansion would be a better word to describe some of the company’s creations and the larger ones are fully insulated, offer electric heating and bathrooms with toilets and showers. Prices start at €25,000 and one of the firm’s typical tree houses offers 15-18 sq m of floor space with an extra 10 sq m of terracing outside.

Photos:  Sipa Press / Rex Features

Overseas Property of the Week: Vote Now

It’s time to choose your favourite overseas property.   Simply look through these incredible homes, and let us know which you think is best.  We’ll announce the winner next week:

Property A -  Beauty in Southern France


A magnificent new villa of 1600sqm over three floors benefiting from a superb panoramic sea view

See More Property in France

Property B -   A Gorgeous Mansion in Spain

New, impressive, luxurious mansion with panoramic sea views and privacy.

See More Spanish Property

Property C -  Portugese Luxury

See More Property for Sale in Portugal

One of a kind villa located just 500 m (1600 ft) from the sea in one of Forte dei Marmi most prestigious areas, Roma Imperiale.

See More Property in Italy 

Property E -  Paradise in Florida


First comes the setting: a dreamy stretch of white sand beach and aquamarine water as far as the eye can see. Then there is the architecture itself.  See More Property for Sale in America

Simply choose your favourite below:

Brazil may have once been notable only as the hideaway of train robber Ronnie Biggs but today it is blooming as a property hotspot for Brits according to the latest research from the country’s Central Bank.

Coastal allure - Brits invested £30 million into Brazil's holiday homes market in 2009

As Brazil’s economy has flourished during the global recession the latest figures – covering 2009 – show that £30.1 million was sent by UK residents to fund a Brazilian property. This includes paying deposits on purchases, mortgages and service charges.

In contrast, five years before (in 2004) just £4 million was sent, says commercial foreign exchange company Moneycorp, which reveals that enquiries about property in Brazil have increased by 40 per cent since it launched a money transfer service to Brazil eight months ago.

But interest in the country – which has a holiday homes market centred on its north-east coast near cities such as Recife, Natal and Fortaleza – is astonishing given how difficult the country’s banking and foreign exchange systems are to negotiate.

“The process for moving money into and out of Brazil is extremely bureaucratic, costly and time intensive, with UK investors losing out on an average of £5,000-£10,000 on exchange transactions” says Vasilios Dimarakis, Moneycorp’s head of overseas operations.

“This is because money is often held up by between a week and a month in Brazil while checks are made on the transaction and, during this period, the currency often fluctuates wildly and usually against the investor, unfortunately.

“Our service speeds up the transfers and secures a guaranteed delivery date for peace of mind, which helps our clients get the best deal possible when looking to invest in Brazil.”

The biggest reason why so many Brits are investing in Brazil is the strong Euro recently which, until this month, was almost at parity with the pound and made property investment in Europe more expensive than emerging markets such as Brazil. And the discount available on the Brazilian currency has obviously proved more tempting – one pound equals 2.69 reais at the moment.

But even £30 million is a snip compared to the money Brits were spending on foreign property during the boom years. For example, the Association of International Property Professional estimated that we lavished £20 billion on overseas homes during 2006 – just a year before the global property crash.

Dragon’s Den judge Duncan Bannatyne is famed for his quick dismissal of hopeless business ideas but the multi-millionaire, Clydebank-born entrepreneur recently revealed a softer side during an interview with A Place in the Sun magazine at his holiday home near Cannes in France.

Dunan Bannatyne at his villa near Cannes in France

Bannatyne first visited the area in the early noughties and, after selling his first company, bought a property in Le Cannet, a northerly suburb of Cannes. He and wife Joanne then sold this property in 2005 and bought their current French holiday home for €4 million in Mougins, a 15 minute drive from the coast in the hills above Cannes.

Bannatyne is not alone in his desire to have a French Riviera des res – neighbours he’s dropped in for dinner at include political commentator Andrew Neil, Deal or No Deal presenter Noel Edmonds (who lives near Grasse) and co-Dragon James Caan who owns an apartment on La Croisette, Canne’s most fashionable central quarter.

Duncan Bannatyne at his villa in the hills above Cannes in France

Bannatyne uses the house for regular breaks with his family as well as a big party for friends and family on New Year’s Eve – although one spanner in the works is that there aren’t flights from Newcastle during the low-season (he has homes in both Wynyard, near Newcastle and central London when in the UK).

This stumbling block is no matter for millionaires – Bannatyne instead charters a small plane to get there.

So what’s life like when Bannatyne’s playing the easy-going expat in France? He says his days are mostly spent walking up to Mougins village to buy papers, relaxing around the pool, checking emails and twittering online.
But life is about to get more frenetic for the canny Scot. One of his daughters from his first marriage, is tying the knot in Cannes next month.

Its time to vote for the luxury property of the week!  We have some amazing International homes to choose from.  Everything from wonderful country estates to gorgeous seaside villas.   Simply choose your favourite below:

Property A  -  An incredible French chateau

Queen Victoria’s former private summer residence in Menton. Custom built luxury modern villa, exceptional standard of construction and decoration.   See more French property

Property B  -  A Luxury Spanish apartment

This exclusive apartment is situated in a very demanded residence in Costa d’en Blanes and enjoys a breathtaking sea view.  See more apartments in Spain

Property C  -  Home to royalty

Queen Victoria’s former private summer residence in Menton. Custom built luxury modern villa, exceptional standard of construction and decoration.  See more houses in France

Property D -  Modern Luxury

Villa Blue Sky is a prestige property with indoor and outdoor swimming-pool, and  just 7 km to Lake Maggiore.
See more property in Italy

Property E  -  A wonderful sea view

Located in a privileged peaceful area of Nice with panoramic sea views, this villa offers real luxury.
See more property in France

Property F  -  Caribbean Relaxation

Cuba Libre is a distinctive 6 bedroom custom built home located on one of the highest elevations within the Royal Westmoreland Estate.  See more Barbados property

Property G  -  Beauty by the beach

Luxury refurbishment for this property with huge rooms, black marble mosaic pool, huge terraces and tennis court.

Property H  -  A Mountain Paradise

This impressive designer villa is situated in Puerto Andratx and enjoys a spectacular view over the sea and the mountains.  See more Spanish property

Property I  -  A lovely coastal property

This luxury property of 400m2 is just 2 minutes from the beaches with a lovely sea view towards Cap Camarat.

Property J -  Traditional Spanish Charm

This exceptional country estate is situated in the valley of Aixartell, near Campanet and Pollensa, in the north of Mallorca.
See more property in Spain

Please choose your favourite below:

After a short break for our Property Poets competition, our top ten International properties round-up is back and better than ever.

1. Fantastic living room

2. Architectural masterpiece

3. Converted library

4. Hull used as a bar

5. Luxury equestrian accommodation

6. Feng Shui villa

7. Brooke Astor’s former house

8. Views of the George Washington Bridge

9. Exotic Parisian apartment

10. Designed by Jeffery Bilhuber