We brought a French holiday cottage project near the coast in the Charente back in 2004. Essentially what we got for our money was 1300sqm of land and "4 walls and a roof" in the middle of the plot. Through our efforts and by employing local craftsmen where necessary we got it habitable in 18 months and continued to improve it over the following 2-3 years to the point where we were happy to rent it out to any friends who wanted to use it, while keeping it as our main holiday destination each year until the Covid lockdowns.
Points to note in our experience,
it really helps if you speak the language and have local people who you trust to help out when something happens to the place and you aren't able to get out to visit
The French keep the best wine for themselves
You really get to know the area and the local customs well
Holidays costs drop significantly but in our case, especially in early years of ownership, were replaced with building and maintenance projects, which can be "fun" in a foreign country. It is a little worrying when you know your way around the local Mr Bricolage better than the B&Q down the road in the UK.
Buying and selling in France is quite different but French estate agents are miles better than their English counterparts. Ever had an UK estate agent take you out for lunch after they'd sold your place? Didn't think so.
A few months ago when we sold the place, it had quadrupled in value, and even allowing for the expenditure above we made quit a handsome profit
Not so good points in our experience,
It hurts when you still have to pay all their taxes when you can't visit the place
Frequent trips back and forth can become tedious, for example I have come to loath the Billi terminal in Bordeaux airport
Not quite as much income as we were expecting from renting, but we wanted the place as a true second home rather than a rental gite, we furnished it and equipped to a high standard and were a bit selective in who we rented it to.
Maintaining 1300sqm of garden can be quite costly when you can't do it yourself, and it's challenging mowing that amount of grass in summer temperatures.
Getting good reliable cleaners and that whole change over thing can be a nightmare.
You get to know the area too well, there are only so many times you can enjoy visiting the same town/beach/bar/beauty spot etc
Capital Gains Tax is a pain