The Languedoc property guide : useful tips

Water can be a problem during the dry summers. A pool will use about it's own capacity again in a year during cleaning, and topping up losses due to evaporation. Quite small pools hold 50m3 (50 tons) of water. A beautiful green lawn of 1000m2 (11000 sq feet) can easily need an additional 250m3 (250 tons) of water per year. ( Note that annual rainfall of 70 cms (27.5 inches) would provide 700m3 (700 tons) of water). This consumption of domestic water is expensive. Many houses have either a well (forage), storage tanks, or access to irrigation water from the Canal Philippe Lamour. Read more about pools here.
And water can be a problem in Autumn too. Check the Languedoc flood maps to ascertain flood risk.
Heating must be considered. There can be occasional cold spells in winter well below 0C (32F). Most people acclimatise and it is normal to have central heating in houses used as permanent residences. Choice of fuel is problematic : electricity is not as cheap as the number of nuclear power stations would suggest; oil is subject to volatile world economic price swings; bulk gas is convenient, but suffers from a high & volatile price; town gas is getting more expensive and only normally available in towns, solid fuel (logs) is mainly used as background heating unless your property comes with a forest. Surprisingly, solar heating is little used.
Between old dilapidated houses sold for renovation, and newish ready to live in houses, lies a grey area. Houses that were built in the 60's and 70's may need a lot of work, but the price often does not reflect this. Equally these houses are easier to work on, having straight walls, and utilities in situ.
House design has changed to reflect the needs at the time. Many older houses were built with a living space on the first floor and garage / utility on the ground floor. This can be inconvenient if you intend to live outdoors at ground level. Some houses compromise by having a second "summer" kitchen (cuisine d'ete) on the ground floor.
There are planning regulations in France. These vary by commune, and some sites of historical interest are subject to very stringent regulations. Some advance research needs to be done, if renovation or conversion is being considered.
The main TGV currently runs on existing tracks from East of Nimes to Spain. A new route for a dedicated track has been proposed, and is under discussion. It will largely follow the existing route.
There are proposals to duplicate the existing autoroute near Montpellier.
Other villages have smaller proposals to be considered.
Property taxes vary by commune and agglomeration. Villages a few kms apart can have very different tax levels. Contact details for local Property taxes are listed here. Languedoc-Rousillon postcodes are listed here.
Many communes have their own website. Some give useful local information and contact details.

Languedoc property guide

Other considerations